Experiments In Solar Food Drying

Images and description of a solar food dryer I made based on a design from Dennis Scanlin found at Mother Earth News. Dried some cherries and herbs.

[@BrassLock]

I'm in the middle stages of building a similar dryer based on leftover scraps of materials when I built my shed, including 2 corrugated iron sheets rivetted together to form the tubes, and clear polycarbonate sheeting to act as "glass". Looking forward the the yummy end products eventually. I enjoyed your bed-time story presentation with useful photos; thanks for uploading.

[@muhammadpervez4009]

nice work. thanks for uploading video.

[@redwanali7442]

Wow this type of project helps our country problem, we suffer the problem of food preserved to long time. So thank you work like this problem.

[@bradlafferty]

I really like your modification to disassemble for storage. I’ve been looking at Scanlons design but concerned about the sheer size of it. Now I have my solution! Thanks. Well done vid.

[@TomJablonski]

Hope it works for you. I would move the rear legs further back to make the dryer more stable in higher winds. Had mine tip over a couple times. Now when it's winding I clamp a third leg on. Happy drying!

[@aktiarawal1920]

I like it.thank you very much

[@mrfujipp1917]

Thank you very much.🍇🍅🍉🥝🥥🍍

[@cthatagain]

I think your temp problem problem will be corected as soon as you paint the unit Black, as white reflects the suns heat where black draws it in ,,,this is why bee farmers use white on there bee hive frames.....Nice design my friend just paint it black and you will get the temps up.thanks for sharing God bless

[@TomJablonski]

Actually after moving the thermometer to the inlet of the drying chamber found much higher temps upto 130 to 140 degrees which I think is plenty hot for drying foods, and unit is still white.

[@soffitboy]

Interesting experiment, sir. I wonder if that window has a coating that is blocking some of the light from entering the collector. If you installed a reflective collar around your window as in a solar cooker, you could multiply your heat gain and achieve the 140+ Degrees you desire

[@TomJablonski]

Trell Johnson Trell, thanks for the suggestions. I moved my thermometer from the outlet to the inlet and am finding temperature are not as low as I thought. Getting up to 130 to 140 degrees on hot day now at the inlets. Also no coatings on the glass and the original designer did some experiments with reflective collars and did not gain that much additional heat. I might be able to get more temp with more mods, but for now quite satisfied with a one to two day dry time for herbs I mave mainly been drying. Dry on!

[@robelcarlosmalpartida7660]

Seria bueno que lo explique en español. Saludos.

[@lesboucher542]

Looking at your design, and the fact that you aren't getting high temperatures, I am wondering if it has more to do with your exhaust/outlet holes being directly above your air intake holes. As it stands, the air is entering the box and going straight up, and out, of the exhaust and not circulating through the box. Just a thought...

[@TomJablonski]

Les, thanks for the thought! Note I build this 7 years ago, and since then I moved the location of my thermometer to where the air is at it's hottest point where it enters the dryer box at the bottom and have found much higher temperatures. I was using it a few weeks ago when out side air temp was in the upper 80's and temperature entering dryer box was in the upper 130's degree F. So I don't think there are any problems with temperatures getting high enough with the design as is. Thanks though for the thought. Your suggestion might be something to reconsider for any one making a new version of the dryer. Tom.

[@gaetanproductions]

Nice Job !

[@recipeFor]

WHAT is the average time taken for drying 1 kg of substance..

[@TomJablonski]

Depends on what is being dried and solar intensity , but typically anywhere from one to three days of drying at about 8 hours per day or 8 to 24 hours.

[@recipeFor]

Thanks .... I am too doing a project in solar air dryer....do you have any suggestions to improve or any common mistakes to avoid while doing a project...

[@TomJablonski]

@@recipeFor The location of the back support legs makes the unit top heavy and I do typically clamp on a "third" leg to keep the unit from tipping over in heavy winds. If I built another would figure out how to move the legs further to the rear of the unit to keep it from being top heavy. I hope that makes sense.

[@petanitua2357]

Black colour please..

[@TomJablonski]

My concern with painting the outside of the the collector black (whether valid or not, I am not sure) was with overheating of the wood panels resulting in extremes expansion and contraction from temperature changes causing the the wood to crack and fail. Hence I painted the outside white. So far, temperature obtained seems quite adequate for effective drying, and the wooden white exterior of the collector has remained crack free. Use or lose as you see fit.

[@sebastjansslavitis3898]

eating cherries straight off the tree a challenge? wrf :D

[@TomJablonski]

Where I come from, not too many cherries to pick off the tree in the middle of winter, hence drying them to save for eating later on.