Performance Test of Solar Assisted Solid Desiccant Dryer

The solar assisted solid desiccant dryer was designed and developed to dry agricultural product. The experiment was carried out to study the performance of the component in the dryer system and drying air condition without load. The system can produce drying air at average temperature 52oC under average solar radiation of 797 W/m2 which is suitable for heat sensitive product to maintain the fresh color, taste and nutrient content. The collector efficiency, heat exchanger effectiveness 1 and 2 was 70%, 77% and 67%, respectively. The thermal, regeneration and dehumidification effectiveness was 48%, 29% and 6%, respectively. The poor performance of desiccant wheel may be improved by increasing the regeneration temperature above 65oC. Some improvements are still required to improve the overall performance of the system such as decrease the regeneration air flow rate, increase electrical heater power and using direct connection from the solar collector to the dryer system