Experimental performance and mathematical modeling of a large-scale greenhouse solar dryer for drying orchids at Kanchanaburi Province Thailand

mathematical modeling of a large-scale greenhouse solar dryer for drying orchids

Abstract

This research presents heat and mass transfers modeling of a large-scale greenhouse solar dryer for drying orchids at Kanchanaburi Province, Thailand. Ten batches of orchids drying, for each batch used 2,000.0 kilograms of orchids. The parameter used in the heat and mass transfers model is the solar radiation, air temperature, relative humidity, airflow rate and equilibrium moisture content form thin layer drying process. The numerical solution was programmed in Compaq Visual FORTRAN version 6.5. The results showed that the moisture content, calculated from the model corresponding to the measured values, the = 0.42513 and =0.9975. The estimated of payback period of the dryer is 1 year.