Drying kinetics and thermo-economic analysis of drying hot water blanched ginger rhizomes in a hybrid composite solar dryer with heat exchanger

• DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13606
• Publication Date: 2023-02-13T07:17:16Z
• Authors: Macmanus Chinenye...; Edet Ben Augustine; Elijah Ugwu; Mathew Imagwuike ...; Inemesit Ekop; Godwin Akpan; Anietie Effiong Udo; Victor E. Ihediwa; Leonard Akuwueke; Jude Mbanasor; Fidelis Abam
• Keywords: H1-99; Science (General); Solar thermal storage; Agricultural products; 02 engineering and technology; Hot water blanching; Social sciences (General); Q1-390; Drying kinetics; 0202 electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering; Decarbonisation; Research Article

This research aimed to examine the need of adding hot water blanching pre-treatment on drying ginger rhizomes using a hybrid solar-dryer with paraffin liquid as thermal storage infused into copper tube form compact heat exchanger. Blanching duration quickened rate and average for at 90 s, 60 30 s un-blanched varied between 0.0147 kg/h 0.0245 sensible ratio 4.12 × 10-5 2.53 10-3. The optimal from 0.01161 0.0263 all treatment collector temperature range 39.5 °C-40.5 °C efficiency 14.3%-30%. logarithmic model better predicted kinetics an R2 value 0.9875 0.97247 respectively while modified Henderson Pabis blanched values 0.96252 0.98188 respectively. Using solar dryer instead artificial dryers fossil energy sources can save about $75.731 $757.31 running cost usage increased 10 100%. payback period decreased 2.88 years 0.31 presented coal, diesel or grid base electricity prevent 15.96 186, 7.62 tones CO2 entering atmosphere. earned carbon credit if is be powered by were $ $6245364, $27080.52, $231.45 per year which used compensate other non-renewable deployed within enterprise.