New types of air heating solar collectors and their use in drying agricultural products
Institute of Agricultural Machinery, Latvia University of Agriculture, Cakstesblvd. ⁵, Jelgava, LV – ³00¹, Latvia;
*Correspondence: aivars.aboltins@inbox.lv
Abstract:
The aim of this research was to make new types of air heating solar collection foragricultural production drying and check their operation. In ²0¹¹ and ²0¹² were obtained twoLatvian Republic Patents for air heating solar collectors. One for an autonomous, compact air-heating solar collector, the other one for a cylindrical crop production drying device with solarcollector that can be used for drying products. So there are two different types of dryingfacilities with solar collectors using sun-warmed air: cylindrical crop production drying device,and autonomous, compact crop production drying facility. Cylindrical facility is tested fordrying ¹⁹.⁵% wet wheat. Autonomous, compact crop production drying facility is tested forfresh carrots and apples ⁵–¹0 mm slices drying, using ambient air, heated with the solarcollector. For experimental results on carrot and apple slices the layers of humidity andtemperature changes in the drying process are given. Grain temperature distribution in wetwheat layers during drying with heated ambient air depending from sun radiation is given.
Key words:
air heating, drying, Solar collector