| dc.description.abstract | nadequate storage facilities and preservation techniques lead to a decrease in the quality of
agricultural products. Application of modern processing techniques has reduced post-harvest
losses of agricultural crops. Drying was done to lower the moisture content for preservation.
Tobacco drying requires massive amounts of wood, which has negative effects on the
environment such as pollution, deforestation, and desertification. In the present study, a solar-
assisted heat pump dryer (SAHPD) has been designed, fabricated and tested its performances
as an alternative drying technology for tobacco leaves. The hot air generated from the solar
collector and condenser unit of the heat pump was used as a source of heat in the drying
chamber. In this study, we investigated thermal performance of three duct configurations of the
SAHPD system (open, partially closed and completely closed) to establish the best
configuration for drying tobacco leaves where did not conducted before. The average drying
temperature was found to be 66, 64 and 60°C; the coefficient of performance of the heat pump
was 3.4, 3.2 and 3.0; the heat energy contribution from the condenser was 98.7, 98.5 and 98.3%;
and electrical energy consumption was 2.3, 2.8 and 2.6 kWh, for the open, partially and
completely closed systems, respectively. Based on these results, the open system demonstrated
the best performance. According to the study's findings, SAHPD has been shown to be an
energy-efficient method of drying tobacco leaves and environmentally friendly as opposed to
the conventional use of wood fuel, which results in environmental pollution, desertification,
and deforestation. Future studies should focus on inclusive investigation of the life cycle and
technoeconomic | en_US |
