article · International Journal of Energy Research
In Egypt, traditional open sun drying of date fruits exposes products to contaminants such as sand, rain, and insects. To address these challenges, an automatic solar dryer powered by a photovoltaic system and managed via Internet of Things technology was designed, built, and tested in Aswan, Egypt. The system uses an automated control algorithm to optimise drying conditions for three common date fruit varieties: Sakkoti, Malkabi, and Gondaila. Experimental results showed that the automatic dryer achieved 25.49% to 31.04% faster drying rates compared to open sun drying. Equilibrium moisture content was reached in eight to nine days, compared to fourteen to fifteen days under open sun drying. Furthermore, the solar-dried dates demonstrated lower total colour change, indicating better quality preservation, while the integrated photovoltaic system delivered a maximum output power of 365.09 W.
Traditional open sun drying exposes harvested dates to insect damage, weather events, and dust, causing contamination and inconsistent quality. By replacing open-air exposure with an automated, solar-powered drying chamber, producers can significantly cut drying times and maintain product quality. This technology provides a cleaner, more controlled post-harvest processing method suitable for agricultural regions with strong solar resources.
This applied and experimentally validated technology is directly relevant to date producers, dried food processors, and agricultural equipment manufacturers. By integrating off-grid photovoltaic power with automated Internet of Things monitoring, it offers a self-sustaining solution for rural or remote farming communities. The system operates as a tested prototype that demonstrates practical viability for commercial dried fruit processing, reducing post-harvest losses and speeding up time to market.
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In Egypt, the climate has a direct impact on the dried date fruit production. The traditional drying method or open sun drying (OSD) leads to pollution of the final product caused by sand-laden winds, rain, or animals and harmful insects, etc. This study is aimed at designing, implementing, and experimentally validating a solar dryer based on IoT technology and integrated with a PV system in Aswan, Egypt. The purpose of the dryer is to monitor and control the quality of the three most popular date fruit varieties and determine the most effective drying method, with an algorithm that operates the system automatically for optimal performance and high-quality products. The automatic solar dryer (ASD) significantly affects the final moisture content and color characteristics and reaches the equilibrium moisture content (EMC) at a faster rate for dried date samples compared to the OSD. The drying rate of ASD was 29.03% (Sakkoti), 31.04% (Malkabi), and 25.49% (Gondaila) higher than OSD. Also, the dried date fruit samples reached EMC on the ASD after 8 days for both Malkabi and Gondaila and 9 days for Sakkoti, while it took 14 to 15 days on OSD. The maximum open circuit voltage <a:math xmlns:a="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M1"> <a:msub> <a:mrow> <a:mi>V</a:mi> </a:mrow> <a:mrow> <a:mtext>oc</a:mtext> </a:mrow> </a:msub> </a:math> , short circuit current <c:math xmlns:c="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M2"> <c:msub> <c:mrow> <c:mi>I</c:mi> </c:mrow> <c:mrow> <c:mtext>sc</c:mtext> </c:mrow> </c:msub> </c:math> , and output power <e:math xmlns:e="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M3"> <e:msub> <e:mrow> <e:mi>P</e:mi> </e:mrow> <e:mrow> <e:mtext>output</e:mtext> </e:mrow> </e:msub> </e:math> were 41.70 V, 8.84 A, and 365.09 W, respectively. All values of total color change ( <g:math xmlns:g="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M4"> <g:msup> <g:mrow> <g:mi>Δ</g:mi> <g:mi>E</g:mi> </g:mrow> <g:mrow> <g:mo>∗</g:mo> </g:mrow> </g:msup> </g:math> ) after open-air drying of dry date varieties were higher than solar drying for both drying systems. This study can be then more helpful for producers of dried foods.
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DOI: 10.1155/2023/7425045
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