Solar Energy Utilization for Bagasse drying through Hollow Shape Slat Chain Conveyor

The utilization of bagasse as a fuel in sugar cane industry is well known. The moisture content of fresh bagassse is relatively high which lowers the total heat available from bagasse and effects its combustion efficiency. Therefore bagassse drying has become a necessity in order to improve its combustion efficiency. In the present work, the use of parabolic trough solar collector to generate the heat steam from working fluid is studied. A working fluid is heated up to 398oC as it circulate through the receiver pipes and return to the heat exchanger. Hence, the working fluid circulate through the pipes so it transfers heat to low temperature, low pressure steam, received from Multi Effect Evaporator outlet to generate high temperature steam. The high temperature steam from heat exchanger move towards hollow shape slat chain conveyor to drying bagasse. Heat requirement, Number of transfer unit and heat capacity ratio were calculated as 238662 KWh, 72372W and 0.5 respectively. Thickness of upper surface of hollow shaped slat chain conveyor made from steel was found as 1cm, through which the moisture reduction ratio as 0.20 was found in the 8min drying of bagasse.