Indirect Convective Solar Drying Process of Pineapples as Part of Circular Economy Strategy

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00216305%3A26210%2F19%3APU132742" target="_blank" >RIV/00216305:26210/19:PU132742 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/12/15/2841" target="_blank" >https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/12/15/2841</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/en12152841" target="_blank" >10.3390/en12152841</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Indirect Convective Solar Drying Process of Pineapples as Part of Circular Economy Strategy

Original language description

This study investigates the industrial-scale application of a simple convective solar drying process of pineapples as part of a circular economy strategy for developing countries. A renewable energy concept is presented, which follows the circular economy aims by effectively employing a simple system for biogas production and a two-stage drying system. Both these systems meet the requirements for implementation in the specific conditions of developing countries, of which Togo, where pineapple is a major crop, is taken as an example. With respect to earlier findings available in the literature, the paper focuses on the solar drying process, which is critical to the proposed strategy. A portable solar dryer working in indirect heating mode was built and later also modified to enhance its performance. Three main factors influencing the convective drying process, namely, drying time (270 min, 480 min), solar radiation intensity (650 W/m2, 1100 W/m2), and slice thickness (6–8 mm, 12–14 mm), were considered. The statistical Design of Experiments (DOE) method was applied to reduce the number and scope of experiments. In the best case, the moisture content was reduced from 87.3 wt % in fresh samples to 29.4 wt % in dried samples, which did not meet the quality requirements for dried fruit. An additional conventional post-solar drying procedure would, therefore, still be necessary. Nonetheless, the results show that in the case of pineapple drying the consumption of fossil fuels can be decreased significantly if convective solar pre-drying is employed.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

21101 - Food and beverages

Project

<a href="/en/project/EF16_026%2F0008413" target="_blank" >EF16_026/0008413: Strategic Partnership for Environmental Technologies and Energy Production</a><br>

Continuities

P - Projekt vyzkumu a vyvoje financovany z verejnych zdroju (s odkazem do CEP)

Publication year

2019

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

ENERGIES

ISSN

1996-1073

e-ISSN

—

Volume of the periodical

12

Issue of the periodical within the volume

15

Country of publishing house

CH - SWITZERLAND

Number of pages

18

Pages from-to

1-18

UT code for WoS article

000482174800001

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-85072127656