Design and Fabrication of a solar dryer for medicinal plants(Case study: Satureja Khuzistanica) abstract
Drying is one of the oldest methods for keeping agricultural products after harvesting until use or processing, and it is one of the factors that play a significant role in maintaining the quality of the products. In choosing the type of drying method, the type of body used and the type of active ingredient should be considered. And on that basis, he used the right method. The purpose of this study was to design and construct a solar dryer for drying medicinal plants in the Khuzestan Sadiq case study. This dryer consists of a collector for absorbing and saving solar energy, from a drying cabinet and two fans to create suitable ventilation and expedite the heat transfer from collector to dryer cabinet. First, initial measurements were taken to determine the optimum performance parameters of the device, such as the proper velocity of airflow in the dryer, the collector angles to the horizon, and the choice of the appropriate bed material for the dry matter collector. The device was evaluated for nine days. The results showed that the proper flow rate of the air in the dryer was equal to 2 m/s, the suitable collector angle was 20 degrees to the horizon and the suitable material was aluminum (black color). After determining the optimal conditions for drying, the effect of two drying methods (natural and solar dryer) on drying time and the essential oil content of the
Satureja Khuzistanica plant were investigated. For this purpose, factorial experiments were used in a completely randomized design with three replications. The results showed that the drying method had a significant effect on drying time. The drying time of the plant was 240 minutes in the natural method and 180 minutes in the solar drying method. The drying method had no significant effect on the amount of essential oil extracted from the sorghum. However, the lowest amount of essential oil was 1.74% for the natural drying method and the highest amount of 1.84% was related to the use of solar dryer.
