Design and Construction Design and Construction of Solar dryer with Infrared Quartz Heater Design and Construction of Solar dryer with Infrared Quartz Heater

Abstract

This research aimed to design and construct a solar dryer integrated with quartz infrared heaters and to evaluate its performance in drying bananas compared with traditional sun drying. The developed dryer has dimensions of 100 × 150 × 80 cm, covered with polycarbonate material, and equipped with two 600-watt infrared heaters combined with an air velocity of 3 m/s. The experimental results revealed that the hybrid drying system (solar energy combined with infrared heaters) required only 28 hours, which was significantly shorter than sun drying alone, which took up to 79 hours, while infrared heaters alone required 25 hours. The hybrid system consumed 20.8 kWh of electricity, saving 15.45% compared to the infrared-only system, which consumed 24.6 kWh. The dried bananas produced by the hybrid system showed superior color and appearance, making them more appealing than those dried by other methods, due to its ability to maintain a continuous temperature in the range of 50–60 ±2 °C. The findings indicate that the hybrid dryer is the most suitable method for commercial production, as it reduces drying time, conserves energy, and maintains product quality. The estimated payback period of the system is approximately three years.