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The photovoltaic (pv) forced convection solar dryer comprises the solar collector, dryer and pv assemblies. It is designed for a continuous operation throughout the day. The direct solar irradiation is utilized during sunshine hours and it automatically switches power supply to the battery during cloud covers and non-insolation periods. The inclusion of a heat reservoir enables heat transfer to continue during this period. In this study, thermal and dryer analyses were done. Experimental investigations were carried out to evaluate the performance of the system by drying plantain chips. The useful power collected was found to be, 391.50W, collector efficiency, 65.6%, dryer efficiency, 39.6%, average drying rate during insolation, 0.0169kg/hr and total drying time was 23 hours. The maximum temperature attained was 55oC. The average drying non insolation period was 0.0112kg/hr. The capital cost is less than $350. |
