Natural Convective Heat Transfer Coefficients for Solar Drying of Striped Snakehead Fish (Channa Striatus)

Abstract

In this research work, an attempt has been made to evaluate the convective heat transfer coefficient during drying of Striped Snakehead Fish (Channa Striatus) in open sun drying conditions. The initial sample had slice of 0.5 x 4.5 x 7.0 cm. The convective heat transfer coefficient was determined by Nu = h_CX/K = N(Ra)ⁿ equation. Values of the constant, N and n were obtained by linear regression analysis. The results showed that the natural convective heat transfer coefficients was 10.9 W/m²-^oC, when N and n were found to be 2.2 and 0.1, respectively for free air flow rate and the natural convective heat transfer coefficients was 9.4 W/m²-^oC, when N and n were found to be 1.3 and 0.2, respectively for blocked air flow rate., at Pr = 0.7 and 1.9×10⁴ < Gr < 3.6×10⁴.