Research on the application of solar energy to the food drying industry. Interim report

Technical Report · Tue Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1974

OSTI ID:6766551

Kaminskas, R A

The tasks performed include: analyzing the produce drying requirements from a technical as well as an economic point of view; synthesizing systems which use solar energy as the source of heat which lead to minimum total system costs (solar plus conventional energy) without sacrifice of product quality; and preparing preliminary designs of solar dehydration systems for construction and tests. Various solar dehydration systems were reviewed and analyzed. Results indicate that a system using solar collectors for preheating the air entering the dehydrator is the most economical and practical way to use solar energy, and that limited use of solar energy for food dehydration may be economically feasible now. Included in the report are: (1) a summary of economical and technical aspects of solar food dehydration; (2) a description of food dehydration technology and an historical account of prior efforts at solar food dehydration; (3) computer simulations of various solar dehydration systems; (4) a description of the basis for selection of an experimental system to be built at California Polytechnic State University; (5) Solar system cost estimates; and (6) technical aspects of solar collector design for food dehydration.

• Research Organization: TRW Systems Group, Redondo Beach, CA (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6766551
• Report Number(s): PB-281714
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140300 -- Solar Energy-- Economic
Industrial
& Business Aspects
140905*
DEHYDRATION
DRYERS
DRYING
ECONOMICS
ENERGY
FEASIBILITY STUDIES
FOOD
FOOD INDUSTRY
FOOD PROCESSING
HEAT
INDUSTRY
PROCESS HEAT
SOLAR COLLECTORS
SOLAR DRYERS
SOLAR DRYING
SOLAR PROCESS HEAT