Cost Analysis of Solar Cabinet Dryer for Drying Dates

N. Josephine Selvi¹, G. Baskar² and Aruna Singh³

¹Department of Chemical Engineering, Sathyabama University, Chennai.

²Department of Biotechnology St. Joseph’s College of Engineering, Chennai.

³Department of Chemical Engineering Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore.

Corresponding Author E-mail: njoe14@gmail.com

DOI : http://dx.doi.org/10.13005/bbra/2541

ABSTRACT: Solar cabinet dryer for drying of dates is one of the promising technology for obtaining good quality dried dates which is again energy and cost effective technology. From the cost analysis of the solar cabinet dryer installed at CCE, Oman there is a clear indication that the energy per unit cost was comparable to any other modern drying technology like freeze drying, where energy consumption is more. As per the annual life cycle costing (ALCC) carried out for solar cabinet dryer the cost per unit energy obtained was Rs.63.36/kWh, when 5 hours of potential sunshine hour was taken into account. Under the test condition, the specific moisture extraction rate was found to be 0.84 kg/kWh and it took only 24 hours to dry dates from moisture content of 49.01% to 35.21% in cabinet dryer compared to sun drying which took 48 hours which is double. In the presence of heat storage unit, the thermal efficiency of solar dryer for forced convection drying obtained for the period of study was 26%. Due to the presence of heat storage unit five plus two hours extended drying time was available. In that case the cost per unit energy was Rs. 45.28/kWh.  If this solar dryer unit is produced in bulk surely the production cost or the capital cost will come down drastically. This would in turn reduce the cost/unit of energy. However the cost of raw material and the selling price of dried dates were not taken into account. If they were taken into account surely more cost reduction could be expected.

KEYWORDS: Annual Life Cycle Costing;Cost Analysis;Capital Cost;Life Cycle Costing;  Solar Cabinet Dryer; Sun Drying

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