EXERGY LOSS ANALYSIS OF FORCED CONVECTION SOLAR DRYER

A forced convection solar dryer was fabricated to improve the energy efficiency and productivity of cash crops like cashew nuts to a large extent. Energy analysis was applied to quantify the solar energy absorbed by the solar collector and drying chamber. Exergy analysis was applied to estimate the energy losses during the drying process. An exergy loss analysis of the forced convection solar dryer has been presented in this work based on the experimental analysis. Consequently, it was found that the exergy losses took place mostly in the drying chamber where the available energy was less utilized.