Drying Performance and Economic Analysis of a Greenhouse Solar Dryer for Tomatoes
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47941/jfs.1839Keywords:
Drying Performance, Economic Analysis, Greenhouse Solar Dryer, TomatoesAbstract
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the drying performance and economic feasibility of a Greenhouse Solar Dryer for Tomatoes. With a focus on small-scale tomato drying, the study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the greenhouse in comparison to traditional sun drying methods. Additionally, the economic analysis sought to determine the investment attractiveness of the greenhouse dryer by considering the initial investment, operational costs, and potential revenue generation.
Methodology: The methodology involved conducting drying experiments using the Greenhouse Solar Dryer for Tomatoes under existing weather conditions. The dryer's components include the steel frame, greenhouse plastic cover, and concrete floor. The temperature and relative humidity contributed to the environment inside the greenhouse that facilitated the drying process. Moisture content measurements were taken at regular intervals to assess the drying kinetics and effectiveness of the greenhouse. Economic analysis was conducted to evaluate the project's financial viability, considering initial investment, revenue generation, and operational costs.
Findings: The findings revealed that the Greenhouse Solar Dryer outperformed sun drying methods, achieving higher temperatures and faster drying times for tomatoes. Specifically, the greenhouse reached maximum temperatures of 38.4 °C and 45.5 °C on the first and second days, respectively, leading to a moisture content of 14.9% wet basis within 11 hours on the second day. In contrast, sun drying resulted in a significantly higher moisture content of 37.9% at the same time, highlighting the effectiveness of the greenhouse. Economic analysis demonstrated that the project had a payback period of 1.6 years, indicating its attractiveness as an investment opportunity for farmers.
Unique Contribution to theory, practice and policy: This study makes a unique contribution to knowledge by providing empirical evidence of the drying performance and economic viability of a Greenhouse Solar Dryer for Tomatoes. By demonstrating the effectiveness of the greenhouse in achieving faster drying times and lower moisture content compared to sun drying methods, the study underscores the potential of solar drying technologies in small-scale agricultural settings. Additionally, the economic analysis offers valuable insights into the financial feasibility of adopting greenhouse dryers, particularly for farmers seeking to enhance their income through value-added tomato products.
Downloads
References
Akowuah, J. O., Bart-Plange, A., & Dzisi, K. A. (2021). Financial and Economic Analysis of a 1-Tonne Capacity Mobile Solar-Biomass Hybrid Dryer for Maize Drying. International Journal of Agricultural Economics, 6(3), 98-105.
Arah, I. K., Amaglo, H., Kumah, E. K., & Ofori, H. (2015). Preharvest and postharvest factors affecting the quality and shelf life of harvested tomatoes: a mini review. International Journal of Agronomy, 2015.
Audsley, E., & Wheeler, J. (1978). The annual cost of machinery calculated using actual cash flows. Journal of Agricultural Engineering Research, 23(2), 189-201.
Aymen, E. L., Hamdi, I., Kooli, S., & Guizani, A. (2019). Drying of red pepper slices in a solar greenhouse dryer and under open sun: Experimental and mathematical investigations. Innovative food science & emerging technologies, 52, 262-270.
Barnwal, P., & Tiwari, G. N. (2008). Life cycle cost analysis of a hybrid photovoltaic/thermal greenhouse dryer. Open Environmental Sciences Journal, 2(1), 39-46.
Belessiotis, V., & Delyannis, E. (2011). Solar drying. Solar energy, 85(8), 1665-1691.
Chandramohan, V. P. (2018). Influence of air flow velocity and temperature on drying parameters: An experimental analysis with drying correlations. In IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering (Vol. 377, No. 1, p. 012197). IOP Publishing.
Chaudhari, R. H., Gora, A., Modi, V. M., & Chaudhari, H. (2018). Economic analysis of hybrid solar dryer for ginger drying. Int J Curr Microbiol Appl Sci, 7(11), 2725-2731.
Citizens' Economic Empowerment Commission, Zambia (2024), https://www.ceec.org.zm. Accessed: January, 2024.
Elbanna, E. B., & AI-Gaadi, K. A. (2002). NEW MACHINERY OWNERSHIP COSTING PROCEDURE. Journal of Soil Sciences and Agricultural Engineering, 27(11), 7713-7728.
El Hage, H., Herez, A., Ramadan, M., Bazzi, H., & Khaled, M. (2018). An investigation on solar drying: A review with economic and environmental assessment. Energy, 157, 815-829.
Guin, R. (2018). The drying of foods and its effect on the physical-chemical, sensorial and nutritional properties. International Journal of Food Engineering, 2(4), 93-100.
Hanif, M., Rahman, M., Khan, M., Ramzan, M., Amin, M., & Mari, I. A. (2013). Impact of drying temperatures and air mass flow rates on the drying performance of a Parabolic Trough Solar Collector (PTSC) used for dehydration of apricots. Emirates Journal of Food and Agriculture, 418-425.
Hasan, M., & Langrish, T. A. G. (2016). Development of a sustainable methodology for life-cycle performance evaluation of solar dryers. Solar Energy, 135, 1-13.
Janjai, S. (2012). A greenhouse type solar dryer for small-scale dried food industries: Development and dissemination. International journal of energy and environment, 3(3), 383-398
KASSEM, A. M., HABIB, Y. A., HARB, S. K., & KALLIL, K. S. (2011). Effect of architectural form of greenhouse solar dryer system on drying of onion flakes. Egyptian Journal of Agricultural Research, 89(2), 627-638.
Mukanema, M., & Simate, I. N. (2024). Energy, Exergy and Economic Analysis of a Mixed-mode Natural Convection Solar Tunnel Dryer for Banana Slices. https://doi.org/10.5539/eer.v14n1p1
Obadina, A., Ibrahim, J., & Adekoya, I. (2018). Influence of drying temperature and storage period on the quality of cherry and plum tomato powder. Food science & nutrition, 6(4), 1146-1153.
Philip, N., Duraipandi, S., & Sreekumar, A. (2022). Techno-economic analysis of greenhouse solar dryer for drying agricultural produce. Renewable Energy, 199, 613-627.
Phiri, A. (2010). Postharvest losses of fruits and vegetables in Zambia. AARDO Workshop on Technology of Reducing Post-harvest Losses and Maintaining Quality of Fruits and Vegetables, 197 - 204.
Rizalman, M. K., Moung, E. G., Dargham, J. A., Jamain, Z., & Farzamnia, A. (2023). A review of solar drying technology for agricultural produce. Indonesian Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 30(3), 1407-1419.
Shrivastava, V., & Kumar, A. (2017). Embodied energy analysis of the indirect solar drying unit. International Journal of Ambient Energy, 38(3), 280-285.
Simate, I. N. (1999). Mixed Mode Solar Drying (Unpublished Ph.D. Thesis). University of Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.
Simate, I. N. (2020). Air Flow Model for Mixed-Mode and Indirect-Mode Natural Convection Solar Drying of Maize. Energy and Environment Research, 10(2), 1-12.
Simate, I. N., & Ahrn, L. M. (2006). Dehydration of tropical fruits. FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY-NEW YORK-MARCEL DEKKER-, 149(3), 104.
Simate, I. N., & Simukonda, K. (2022). Photovoltaic Forced Convection Greenhouse Solar Dryer with an Integrated Vertical Solar Collector for Mango Drying. European Journal of Applied Sciences-Vol, 10(2).
Sreekumar, A., Manikantan, P. E., & Vijayakumar, K. P. (2008). Performance of indirect solar cabinet dryer. Energy Conversion and Management, 49(6), 1388-1395.
Tiwari, A. (2016). A review on solar drying of agricultural produce. Journal of Food Processing & Technology, 7(9), 1-12.
Trading Economics (2024) https://tradingeconomics.com/zambia/inflation-cpi#:~:text=Inflation%20Rate%20in%20Zambia%20increased,percent%20in%20December%20of%202011.
Tschirley, D. L., & Hichaambwa, M. (2010). The Structure and Behaviour of Vegetable Markets Serving Lusaka: Main Report.
Zhang, M., Chen, H., Mujumdar, A. S., Tang, J., Miao, S., & Wang, Y. (2017). Recent developments in high-quality drying of vegetables, fruits, and aquatic products. Critical reviews in food science and nutrition, 57(6), 1239-1255.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Eric King'ori, Isaac N. Simate
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
