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Assessing thermal and economic performance of solar dryers in sustainable strategies for bottle gourd and tomato preservation

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dc.citedby1
dc.contributor.authorSuraparaju S.K.en_US
dc.contributor.authorElangovan E.en_US
dc.contributor.authorMuthuvairavan G.en_US
dc.contributor.authorSamykano M.en_US
dc.contributor.authorElumalai P.V.en_US
dc.contributor.authorNatarajan S.K.en_US
dc.contributor.authorRajamony R.K.en_US
dc.contributor.authorBalasubramanian D.en_US
dc.contributor.authorFouad Y.en_US
dc.contributor.authorSoudagar M.E.M.en_US
dc.contributor.authorMiao Z.en_US
dc.contributor.authorSivalingam K.M.en_US
dc.contributor.authorid57210569066en_US
dc.contributor.authorid57221672303en_US
dc.contributor.authorid57315326900en_US
dc.contributor.authorid57192878324en_US
dc.contributor.authorid57221721602en_US
dc.contributor.authorid52063666500en_US
dc.contributor.authorid57218845246en_US
dc.contributor.authorid57216540767en_US
dc.contributor.authorid6603123645en_US
dc.contributor.authorid57194384501en_US
dc.contributor.authorid59412477100en_US
dc.contributor.authorid57994104800en_US
dc.date.accessioned2025-03-03T07:41:26Z
dc.date.available2025-03-03T07:41:26Z
dc.date.issued2024
dc.description.abstractThe traditional approach of open-sun drying is facing contemporary challenges arising from the widespread adoption of energy-intensive methods and the quality of drying. In response, solar dryers have emerged as a sustainable alternative, utilizing solar thermal energy to effectively dehydrate vegetables. This study investigates the performance of a single-basin, double-slope solar dryer utilizing natural convection for drying bottle gourds and tomatoes, presenting a sustainable alternative to traditional open-sun drying. The solar dryer exhibited superior moisture removal efficiency, achieving a 94.42% reduction in tomatoes and 83.87% in bottle gourds, compared to open-sun drying. Drying rates were significantly enhanced, with maximum air and plate temperatures reaching 54.42��C and 63.38��C, respectively, accelerating the dehydration process. Moisture diffusivity analysis revealed a marked improvement in drying behavior under solar drying, with values ranging from 3.12 ? 10?11 to 4.31 ? 10?11 m2/s for bottle gourds, and 4.65 ? 10?11 to 2.31 ? 10?11 m2/s for tomatoes. Energy efficiency assessments highlighted the solar dryer?s advantage, with exergy efficiency peaking at 61.78% for bottle gourds and 68.5% for tomatoes. Furthermore, the activation energy required for drying was significantly lower in the solar dryer (29.14?46.41�kJ/mol for bottle gourds and 27.16?55.42�kJ/mol for tomatoes) compared to open-sun drying, enhancing energy conservation. Visual inspections confirmed the superior quality of the solar-dried vegetables, free from dust and impurities. An economic analysis underscored the system?s viability, with payback periods of 2 years for bottle gourds and 1.6 years for tomatoes. Overall, this study demonstrates the efficacy of solar dryers in optimizing vegetable preservation while promoting energy efficiency, aligning with global sustainability goals by reducing post-harvest losses and supporting eco-friendly practices. ? The Author(s) 2024.en_US
dc.description.natureFinalen_US
dc.identifier.ArtNo27755
dc.identifier.doi10.1038/s41598-024-78147-2
dc.identifier.issue1
dc.identifier.scopus2-s2.0-85209212464
dc.identifier.urihttps://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85209212464&doi=10.1038%2fs41598-024-78147-2&partnerID=40&md5=9220ed5612d4484ce99e76a8f3143f69
dc.identifier.urihttps://irepository.uniten.edu.my/handle/123456789/36138
dc.identifier.volume14
dc.publisherNature Researchen_US
dc.relation.ispartofAll Open Access; Gold Open Access; Green Open Access
dc.sourceScopus
dc.sourcetitleScientific Reports
dc.subjectarticle
dc.subjectcontrolled study
dc.subjectdehydration
dc.subjectdiffusivity
dc.subjectdried food
dc.subjectdust
dc.subjectenergy conservation
dc.subjectharvest
dc.subjecthuman
dc.subjectLagenaria siceraria
dc.subjectmoisture
dc.subjectpharmaceutics
dc.subjectsun
dc.subjecttemperature
dc.subjectthermodynamics
dc.subjecttomato
dc.subjectvegetable
dc.titleAssessing thermal and economic performance of solar dryers in sustainable strategies for bottle gourd and tomato preservationen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US
dspace.entity.typePublication
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