International Journal of Advanced Innovative Technology

in Engineering (IJAITE), Vol. 4, Issue 6, Nov-2019 ISSN: 2455-6491

“STUDY OF SOLAR DRYER AND ROLE OF CONVEX LENS IN SOLAR DRYER”
1
P. B. WARHADE
Department of Mechanical Engineering, PRMITR, Badnera, Amravati, Maharashtra, India
pratikwarhade95@gmail.com
2
Dr. S. G. BAHALEY
Department of Mechanical Engineering, PRMITR, Badnera, Amravati, Maharashtra, India
satishbahaley@gmail.com

ABSTRACT: In present era, renewable sources have become popular topics of study for engineering research. One such source i.e.
solar energy is used in different applications like solar water heating, solar space heating, solar water distillation and solar drying
etc. The solar dryer uses solar energy to heat up air coming through the collector and after that hot air passes over the product to
remove the moisture. In this paper comprehensive review of the various designs, details of construction and operational principles of
the wide variety of practically realized designs of solar energy drying systems reported previously is presented. A systematic approach
for the solar dryers has been evolved. In this paper also studied the role of convex lens in solar dryer.

Keywords: Solar Energy, Solar Dryer, Convex lens

1. INTRODUCTION

The utilization of solar energy in a particular location to
determine the economic and performance of systems requires
essentially the knowledge of the availability of solar radiation
at that location. Detailed information on the availability of
solar energy is needed for its efficient utilization. “Sun
drying” is the earliest method of drying farm produce ever
known to man and it involves simply laying the agricultural
products in the sun on mats, roofs or drying floors. This has
several disadvantage since the farm produce are laid in the
open sky and there is greater risk of spoilage due to adverse
climatic situation like wind, rain, moist and dust, loss of
product to insects, birds and rodents; totally dependent on
good weather and very slow drying rate with danger of mould
growth thereby causing deterioration and decomposition of the
product. The process also requires large area of land takes
time and highly labour intensive.
In solar drying, solar dryers are specialized devices that
control the drying process and protect agricultural product
from damage by insect, dust and rain. In addition, it takes up
less space, takes less time and relatively inexpensive
compared to artificial mechanical drying. The solar dryer can
be seen as one of the solutions to the world’s food and energy
crises. With drying, most agricultural product can be
preserved and this can be achieved more efficiently through
the use of solar dryer.
1.1 Capturing Solar Energy
Solar energy can be converted either into thermal energy or
into electrical energy. This can be done by using of thermal
collectors for conversion into heat energy or photovoltaic
collectors for conversion into electrical energy. Two main
collectors are used to save solar energy and convert it to
thermal energy; these are flat plate collectors and
concentrating collectors.
2. LITERATURE REVIEW
M. Yahya [1] was intended to play out the sun based helped
heat siphon dryer incorporated with biomass heater. What’s
more, assessed for drying red chilies, and drying energy of red
chilies were assessed. The midpoints of the sun oriented
authority effectiveness, COP of the warmth siphon, and the
productivity of biomass heater were assessed to be about
35.1%, 3.84, and 30.7%, separately. The red chilies were dried
from 22 kg with dampness substance of 4.26 db to dampness
substance of 0.08 db which required 11 hours, with the normal
drying chamber temperature, drying chamber relative
stickiness, and an air mass stream pace of 70.5∘C, 10.1%, and
0.124 kgs−1, separately, while the open sun drying required
62 hours. Contrasted with open sun drying, this dryer yielded
an 82% sparing in drying time. The drying rate was assessed
in normal to be about 1.57 kg/h, while the particular dampness
extraction rate and warm productivity of the dryer were
evaluated in normal to be about 0.14 kg/kWh and 9.03%,
individually. The commitments of warmth vitality by the
gatherer, condenser, and biomass heater were evaluated in
normal to be about 14.74%, 47.39%, and 37.87%,
individually.
Jaivindra Singh et. al. [2] execution investigation depends on
the exploratory information assortment and counts with

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International Journal of Advanced Innovative Technology
in Engineering (IJAITE), Vol. 4, Issue 6, Nov-2019
reference to warm execution figuring’s, in general misfortune
coefficient and warmth connections. In this way, unique
scientific conditions for computation of warm effectiveness
have been utilized. Exploratory results uncovered that the
temperatures inside the dryer and sun powered gatherer were a
lot higher than the encompassing temperature during the
drying time frame. The trial warm proficiency of the authority
is around 43% and the determined warm effectiveness is
around 51%. The general effectiveness determined by
numerical conditions is around 44%, while exploratory by and
large productivity is around 35%. The less estimation of trial
proficiency is because of more misfortunes engaged with the
framework in contrast with the misfortunes considered in
theoretical process.
W.T. Xiea et. al. [3] surveys the ongoing improvements of
concentrated sunlight based vitality applications utilizing
Fresnel focal points frameworks including imaging Fresnel
focal point sun oriented focus frameworks and non-imaging
frameworks. Imaging Fresnel focal point sunlight based
concentrators are planned as centering gadgets and the
examination has concentrated on the improvement of
assessment advances for them under sun powered radiation
utilizing beam following innovation ordinarily. While non-
imaging Fresnel focal point sun based concentrators are
appropriate for the assortment of sun based vitality, in light of
the fact that the objective isn't the generation of an exact
picture of the sun, yet rather the assortment of vitality. Curved
line-center Fresnel focal points or arch formed Fresnel focal
points of bifocal, or non-imaging type are all the more as of
late created for assortment of sun rays.
P. K. Wankhade et. al. [4] presenting the work nearby made
sun powered dryer is utilized which is altered in type of vents
for normal wind current in dryer and furthermore stage built,
which is comprised of excited wire work which permit the free
stream of air around the item by characteristic flow.
Fan/blower is utilized for constrained flow and to expand the
air speed. Furthermore, experimentation was completed in the
two cases on some horticultural item to ponder the impacts on
execution in various parameters subsequent to drying in the
period of walk an April. The outcomes additionally uncovered
the reliance of the dryer execution on the best possible air flow
through the framework. The dryer effectiveness expanded as
the air speed through the framework expanded.
Sobowale et. al. [5] presenting the design and development of
a local detached sun based dryer. The dryer is made out of sun
based authority (air warmer) and sunlight based drying
chamber compelling rack of three fabric (net) plate both being
coordinated together. The air permitted in through air delta is
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ISSN: 2455-6491
warmed up in the sunlight based gatherer and directed through
the drying chamber where it is used in drying. The structure
depended on the land area which is Abeokuta and
meteorological information was acquired for appropriate plan
particular. The components of the dryer is 94cm x 45cm x
101cm/20cm (length x width x tallness). Locally accessible
material were utilized for the development, mostly involving
wood (gmelina), glass, aluminum metal sheet, copper and net
fabric for the plate. The ideal temperature of the dryer is 50.50
OC with a comparing surrounding temperature of 34.50o C.
The dampness content expulsion of 43.2% and 40.6% in maize
and plantain separately utilizing the sun powered dryer was
accomplished as against 28.2% and 27.89% in maize and
plantain utilizing the sun drying technique and sign 15.0% and
12.71% contrast individually, the quick pace of drying in the
dryer uncovers its capacity to dry nourishment things sensible
quickly to a sheltered dampness.
3. SOLAR DRYERS
Solar energy can be used to increase temperatures needed for
most of the drying applications. Solar dryers use air heated
through solar energy collectors, which can be installed in
modules according to the requirements of hot air.
1. The principle of generating and increasing more heat and
light by using convex lens can also be used for solar dryers.
2. Solar dryers consisting of simple container to store the
grains, fruits to dry. The system in such solar dryer is made up
of any shape with glass covering/ roofing material. The
roofing glass material the detachable panel consisting of
convex lens can be also used to generate the more heat and
light thereby the heat generated in the solar dryer will be more
than the heat outside the dryer and even more than the existing
solar dryers.
3. The embedded system of roof of dryer can also be simply
manufactured by attaching the various capacities of convex
lens in roofing glass which will produce the more heat for
drying the grains and fruits inside the solar dryer.
a. Integrated Solar Dryers
An integrated solar dryer is one in which solar energy
collection and drying take place in a single unit. Cabinet
dryers, rack dryers, tunnel dryers, greenhouse dryers, and
multi-rack dryers fall under this category. Normally, these
dryers are small in size and are stand alone units.
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International Journal of Advanced Innovative Technology
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b. Distributed Solar Dryers
A solar dryer in which solar energy collection and drying take
place in separate units is known as a distributed solar dryer.
This type of solar dryer has two parts:
• A Flat Plate air heater and
• A Drying Chamber
ISSN: 2455-6491
they are concentrated at a single point by the lens surface.
Basically, number of reflections and refraction takes within
the lens surface and the rays are concentrated at a single point.
The point at which the rays are focused is called as Focal point
and the distance of focal point from the plane of lens is called
as Focal length.

Air is heated in the flat-plate heater placed on the roof of the

building or on the ground. Hot air from the air heater is
circulated in the drying chamber with the help of a blower.
These dryers can be designed in different sizes with various
configurations, depending upon the temperature of hot air,
airflow rate, types of products to be dried, etc.

c. Mixed Mode Solar Dryers

A solar dryer in which solar energy collection takes place in

both air heater and drying unit, and drying takes place only in
the drying unit, is known as a mixed-mode solar dryer. In this
dryer, solar energy is collected through flat-plate solar
collectors and also by the roof of the drying chamber. In large
industrial drying systems, the solar heated air is combined
with air heated by conventional energy; this adds to the
reliability of the system and at the same time helps in
significantly reducing conventional energy consumption.
3.1 Drying Rate of Solar Dryer
A very important quantity is the drying rate, determined by the
temperature and moisture content of the product as well as the
temperature, relative humidity and velocity of the drying air.
Drying rate has usually two different steps:
Step I: An initial constant-rate period during which surface is
saturated with vapor and evaporation takes place continuously
as at the material’s surface is enough water to evaporate.
Sep II: The falling rate period, when surface is not vapor
saturated, i.e. at the critical point. Moisture diffusion is
controlled by internal liquid movement while surface becomes
continuously depleted in water.
4. BASICS OF CONVEX LENS
A piece of glass in the shape of the intersection of these two
spherical volumes would be a thin spherical lens. The
intersection of two spherical surfaces is a circle. That circle
would be the rim of the lens. The plane passing through this
circle is called as Plane of the lens. The basic characteristic of
the convex lens is that when an infinite set of parallel rays
parallel to principal axis of the lens fall on the lens surface,
Figure 4.1: Concentration of Incident Rays by Convex Lens
4.1 Types of Convex Lens
Plano convex lens: It is curved outward from one side and the
other side plane. It is positive focal length elements that have
one spherical surface and one flat surface. These lenses are
designed for infinite parallel light use in non critical
applications. These optical lenses are for all purpose focusing
elements. It is used in military application, artificial
intelligences like robots, solar dryer or panel etc.
Double convex lens: It is curved outwards from both the side.
It is also known as the biconvex lens. They have a shorter
focal length than Plano convex lenses of equal diameter and
surface radius. So many optical devices require longer focal
length. Hence the double convex lenses are more preferred. It
is used to the projectors, monocular, telescope, cameras, etc. It
produces the virtual image for the human eye and the real
image for photography, an optical sensor and also used in
burning glass.
Concave Convex Lens: It is curved inward from one side and
outward from one side. It can be used to balance out the
spherical aberrations caused by other lenses. It is used to
controlling the laser beam. It is a combination of a lens with
one convex lens and one concave lens side that of concave
convex lens.

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International Journal of Advanced Innovative Technology
in Engineering (IJAITE), Vol. 4, Issue 6, Nov-2019
5. ROLE OF CONVEX LENS IN SOLAR DRYER
The invention provides a heat-gathering solar generating set
provided with a convex lens. The heat gathering solar
generating set comprises a heat absorber, a steam turbine, an
electric generator and the convex lens which can directionally
trace focusing light energy of sun, and is characterized in that
the heat gathering solar generating set.
The main property of the convex lens is convergence. Convex
lens will converge the suns energy to a set focal point and will
increase the temperature and this will help in producing
electricity required for various domestic and industrial
applications.
Kids often take magnified glasses or hand lenses to burn paper
by concentrating solar energy at a particular point known as
focal point. Similar to this experiment would be the basic
working principle of our proposed research.
6. CONVEX LENS PROTOTYPE
The number of researcher has been proposed the prototyping
model based on the convex lens. Ankit S. Gujrathi et. al. [10]
present model based on the convex lens to generating the solar
energy. Such CSP prototype model gives the better result and
more efficient than the conventional panels. Juan paolo et. al.
[11] designed the multi-junction solar cell system based on
convex and fresnel lens. The system was tested with convex
and fresnel lens and result shows that convex lens produces
more heat as compare to fresnel lens. The convex lens is also
suitable for concentration of solar radiation and system
improvement with minimum setup cost [12]-[13].
Importance of drying and evaluation of energy
consumption
Nowadays, because of the importance of energy that attracted
much attention, all industrial sectors regardless of the branch
in the industry, must identify more efficient means of energy
utilization. Regarding drying, several methods are available to
reduce the initial moisture content of a product. For example,
water can be removed from solids by mechanical devices such
as pressure or centrifuge, whereas in the case of liquids, heat
can be reused in a multistage evaporator, which results in
appreciable reduction in the overall energy consumption.
7. CONCLUSION
Drying, a basic process in the preservation of crops and in
some industries can be performed using solar radiation as the
main source of energy. The amount of energy required for
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ISSN: 2455-6491
dryers depends on the materials to be dried as well as the
technology employed. Considering the many programs of the
governments and industrial sectors around the world to
prevent the increase in greenhouse gas emissions to the
environment, solar energy is proposed as the most promising
reserve energy source. Moreover, depletion of fossil fuels will
be prevented. Solar drying not only plays a significant role in
keeping food and agricultural products from deterioration but
also improves their quality.
8. REFERENCES
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Assisted Heat Pump Dryer Integrated with Biomass Furnace
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[2] Jaivindra Singh, Mayur Pratap Singh, Modassir Akhtar,
Akhil Khajuria, "Design And Performance Analysis Of An
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Research In Applied Sciences, Volume 5, Issue 2, Feb/2018
[3] W.T. Xiea, Y.J. Daia, R. Z. Wanga, K. Sumathy,
"Concentrated solar energy applications using Fresnel lenses:
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[4] P. K. Wankhade, Dr. R. S. Sapkal, Dr. V. S. Sapkal,
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[5] Sobowale, Sunday. (2015). Design, construction and
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2016
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[9] Artee Kinolikar, Suchitra Garg, Sukrity Pundir, "Power
Generation using Advanced Solar Panel", International
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[10] Ankit S. Gujrathi, Prof. Dilip Gehlot, "Testing and

Performance of the Convex Lens Concentrating Solar Power
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[11] Juan Paolo Lorenzo Gerardo Barrios,John Raffy Cortez,

Gene Michael Herman , Aris Larroder, Bernice Mae Yu Jeco,
Kentaroh Watanabe , and Yoshitaka Okada, "The use of
convex lens as primary concentrator for multi-junction solar
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2018. https://doi.org/10.1051/emsci/2018004

[12] Naveen Kumar B.K., Sushma M.S., Raveesha. S.,

"Convex Lens with Transparent Glass Solar Water Heating
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[13] S. A. El-Agouz, "Enhanced Solar Still Performance

Using a Convex Lens On The Glass Cover", Nineteenth
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[14] Visavale, Ganesh. (2012). Principles, Classification and

Selection of Solar Dryers.

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