SOLAR DRYER FOR MEDICINAL PLANT- AN EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION

Abstract

In the drying methodology, a mass and warmth transfer happens to get rid of water from the product by evaporation.Solar drying of crops, fruits and vegetables, has been practiced around the world for centuries in the open air under the rays of Sun.This paper presents one of the methods for utilizing solar energy in drying. In an indirect forced circulation solar dyer, solar thermal energy is primarily used for drying the commodities while electrical energy is used for operating the blower/fan to force air through the collector and drying chamber.Medicinal plants used in dried form are taken for the experiment like Tulsi, Ashwagandha, Adulsa and Shatavari. These medicinal plants were used for different products in powdered form in many pharmaceutical industries. Moisture content was very much reduced from initial to final stage during time span on hourly basis and other medicinal plants also considered in future for further process. The calculations are done to calculate the final moisture content of the product on dry weight basis and temperature variation during experimentation is shown by the graphs.