ENERGY AND EXERGY ANALYSIS OF A NATURAL CONVECTION SOLAR DRYER

In this communication, an attempt has been made to investigate the energy and exergy performance of a natural convection solar dryer. Experiments were performed on a hot sunny day for drying cashew nut in a natural convection solar dryer. Energy analysis was carried out to determine the amount of energy gained by the solar dryer. The average temperature of the drying chamber is 55ºC. It has been observed that the average energy and exergy efficiency of the natural convection solar dryer are 47 and 37 % respectively. The work will be useful in future designs of natural convection solar dryer.