Development of a Solar Dryer for Jew's Ear Mushroom with Internet of Things Technology to Promote the Processing of a Mushroom Farming Community Enterprise Group

Abstract

This study aimed to design, develop, and evaluate the efficiency of a solar dryer for Wood Ear mushroom (Auricularia spp.) controlled by Internet of Things (IoT) technology, in order to address processing limitations and promote value-added production for a mushroom-farming community enterprise in Thung Si Thong Subdistrict, Nan Province. A research and development (R&D) approach was adopted. A greenhouse-type dryer using forced convection which is automatically regulated by an ESP32 microcontroller together with an AM2305 sensor to maintain suitable drying conditions. The efficiency was assessed through a comparative experiment between an experimental group (the developed dryer) and a control group (traditional open-sun drying), using fresh mushrooms with an initial weight of 1,000 g. The experiment was repeated by three trials. The results showed that the developed dryer performed markedly better than the traditional one. The average drying rate of the proposed dryer was 103.1 g/h compared with only 49.2 g/h for open-sun drying, and reduced the mushroom weight by an average of 72.2%, whereas open-sun drying reduced it by only 34.4% within a 7-hour duration. This superior performance resulted from the proposed dryer's ability to generate a higher average internal temperature of 53.8°C — above the average ambient temperature of 35.7°C — while maintaining a lower average relative humidity (59.7% RH versus 66.5% RH). In addition, the dried products from the dryer exhibited better physical quality in terms of color, shape, and cleanliness. In conclusion, the developed IoT-controlled solar dryer is a highly effective technology that can shorten production time, reduce weather-related risks, and enhance product quality, making it a highly suitable tool for adding value and strengthening the economic resilience of community enterprises in a sustainable manner.