Design, Performance Analysis, Optimization and CFD Simulation of Indirect Type Forced Solar Coffee Dryer

Abstract

Solar drying is the methods by using solar energy to dry coffee beans; since improve the quality, while reducing wastes producing and traditional drying thus improving the quality of life. The objective of this thesis to design, optimize and performance analysis of the indirect forced solar dryer for coffee parchment with CFD simulation. In this study mathematical modeling of solar dryer and drying chamber was described and the analysis of heat transfer coefficient (losses) through the flat plate collector was discussed and the techniques that used to reduces these losses also mentioned. From the simulation results; the effect of air mass flow rate on different type of collector, temperature rise and pressure drop were characterized including the variation of turbulence intensity using CFD approach. Optimized different types of duct shape dryer based pressure drop and airflow of with uniform velocity, a smooth curve with collector diffuser duct has low pressure drop and smooth curve with guide vanes has uniform air flow. The effect of different air gap on the temperature outlet and pressure drop of different air flow rate for flat plate collector has been conducted. The turbulence intensity effect on temperature outlet of the air and pressure drop was simulated using the 2%, 5% and 10% with in the same flow rate of air and dryer profile. The direction of air flow through the collector was evaluated based on temperature outlet and pressure drop. When flow was below absorber plate collector, it is more acceptable. In addition, thermal performance of solar air heater was simulated at different airflow rates on a collector with v-grooved absorber plate and another three absorber collector plate. High collector outlet temperature and efficiency were observed in a collector with v-grooved absorber plate. The effect of try’s arrangement of dryer chamber with air flow. A good agreement has been observed between the experimental results and the CFD collector efficiency predicted output with a deviation of 9%.