Classification and Performance Enhancement of Solar Dryers

Abstract

Solar energy is one of the most feasible energy reservoirs with colossal potential. Photo-thermal and photoelectric conversions are paramount for transforming solar energy into a usable form. Solar dryers provide the best drying results in this direction by maintaining dry goods’ quality, color, and flavor. A solar dryer can be classified into natural circulation (passive solar dryers) and active solar dryers. Additional design modification leads to three more types of solar dryers such as integral, dispersed, and mixed-mode. Several factors help to improve solar dryer performance, such as geometrical parameters, operating conditions, and moisture removal rate. This chapter focuses on classifying solar dryers and performance parameters to enhance the effectiveness of the intended drying process. Finally, an in-depth examination of dryer design for indirect free convection and induced convection solar dryer system is provided. © 2024, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.