Design and Experimental Analysis of Heat Pipe Solar Collector Drying System

Industrial and agricultural products can be dried using natural and technical methods. The energy spent to obtain the hot drying air constitutes the drying cost. In this stab. a heat recovery drying system with heat pipe, planar solar collector and heat recovery is designed to solve the energy problem of drying. Changes in drying air temperature, product mass loss and quality, contribution of heat recovery to the system in Karabuk province climatic conditions, constant 1 m/s drying rate, different irradiation values, were experimentally examined and theoretical analysis were made. In the experiment, which was carried out in the closed cycle without putting the product inside the systematic as determined that the dryer temperature increased to an average of 14.63 degrees C with an increase of approximately 49% at a constant air speed and an average irradiance value of 770 W/m(2). Kiwi fruit was used in the drying experiment with the product. In the kiwis dried in the oven, the moisture content calculated according to the wet base was 0.83 g water/g wet matter. the moisture, content calculated according to the dry basis was 4.94 g water/g dry matter and the dry matter amount was16.8%. The drying process was maintained until the last three weight values became equal and drying was carried out until the final moisture value was 0.03 g water/g dry matter. As a result of the measurements, an average drying was determined as 39.4 g and the weight of the product decreased by 80%. The general efficiency of the system at 15:50 on September 4, at an irradiation value of 694.3 W/m(2), is maximum 39%, the average efficiency of the heat pipe collector is 24%, and the efficiency of the heat recovery unit is 28%, 27% of the energy consumed in the drying process was met by the heat recovery unit and 73% by the heat pipe collector.