article · Scientific Reports
This study evaluated a modified solar dryer (SD) with an automatic solar collector tracker (ASCT) for drying tomato fruit, comparing its performance against an SD with a fixed solar collector (FSC). Researchers tested three slice thicknesses (4, 6, 8 mm) and three air speeds (1, 1.5, 2 m/s) until equilibrium moisture content was reached. The ASCT system generally showed improved drying characteristics. While hot air velocities did not significantly affect drying time, higher velocities led to lower final moisture content. The ASCT system resulted in better colour retention (increased red and yellow intensity) and higher rehydration ratios, pH values, and total phenols compared to the FSC system, indicating superior preservation of quality attributes.
Optimising tomato drying methods is crucial for food preservation, reducing post-harvest losses, and maintaining nutritional quality. This research offers insights into improving solar drying technology, potentially leading to more efficient and effective ways to produce high-quality dried tomato products, benefiting consumers and agricultural value chains.
This research is at an applied stage, focusing on optimising a modified solar dryer for tomato fruit. The findings could inform the design and development of improved solar drying equipment for small to medium-scale food processors or agricultural cooperatives. Such technology could enable more efficient and quality-preserving drying of produce, potentially leading to higher-value dried food products for local and regional markets.
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Abstract In the current study, a modified solar dryer (SD) integrated automatic solar collector tracker (ASCT) was used for drying tomato fruit (TF) at three slice thicknesses of 4, 6, and 8 mm on both drying systems at three air speeds of 1, 1.5, and 2 m/s until reaching the equilibrium moisture content. Where the comparison study was conducted between the ASCT, and another SD integrated with a fixed solar collector (FSC). The obtained results of the current study showed that the maximum solar intensity and ambient air temperature during the test period were 900 W/m 2 , and 43.6 °C, respectively. As well as the highest efficiency of the PV system was 16.69% at the same time. On the other hand, the height, greatest diameter and smallest diameter of the TF used in the current study ranged between (4.6 and 5.2 cm), (3.5 and 4.2 cm), and (3.4 and 4.1 cm), respectively. As well as both the athematic and geometric diameters ranging between 3.87 and 4.47 cm and 2.26 and 2.38 cm, the sphericity values of tomatoes tend to have a round shape. In addition, the obtained results that there was no significant effect of the hot air velocities on the drying time, but the final moisture content (MC) decreased with increasing the hot air velocities. The lowest final MC was 6%, and it was recorded with a slice thickness of 4.0 mm that dried on SD integrated with ASCT. Additionally, color analysis showed that, the darkest tomato slices were dried on the SC integrated with FSC at a hot air velocity of 1.0 m/s. Meanwhile, the intensity of red and yellow colors significantly increased after drying with the SD integrated with ASDT. Furthermore, the chemical analysis of the dried tomato slices showed that the highest rehydration ratio of 4.43 kg water/kg dry matter was obtained for the dried tomato slices dried on SD integrated with ASCT at a hot air velocity of 1.5 m/s and a slice thickness of 8.0 mm. As well as the highest values of pH were monitored on the dried tomato slices on ASCT in comparison to the other tomato slices dried on FSC. Also, the highest ascorbic acid content recorded was 141 mg/100 g (d.b.) in tomato slices with an 8.0 mm thickness, dried using SD combined with FSC at an air velocity of 2 m/s. After drying, the total phenols content increased in all dried tomato samples but decreased with lower hot air velocities.
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DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-89248-x
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