Daing Inside: Development of an Automatic Arduino-based Fish Dryer with Hybrid Power Source

The development of the Daing Inside (DI) dryer serves as a transformative solution that effectively addresses the challenges posed by conventional fish drying. The device is programmed to automatically halt the drying process once it reaches its preset target moisture content, using DHT22 and weight sensors, and is powered by a hybrid solar and AC source. The testing of the DI Dryer took place at Tanauan School of Fisheries, at Brgy. Ambulong, Tanauan City, Batangas, on June 26-30, 2023. Forty pieces of Sardinella Tawilis, with lengths ranging from 10 to 12 cm and weights varying between 11 to 17 grams were dried at temperatures maintained at 55°C, 60°C, and 65°C. In comparison, open-sun drying took 33 hours and 21 minutes at a rate of 0.165 g/min. The data reveals a strong negative correlation (-0.9008) between fish weight change and drying time, indicating an inverse relationship. Using 9-point hedonic scale, the survey evaluated dried sample sensory qualities through stratified random sampling among vendors, consumers, and instructors.Notably, the DI dryer set at 65°C outperformed Open-sun drying, proving to be an efficient and effective method for drying fish. The findings highlight the importance of automation and temperature control in achieving both efficiency and good sensory qualities, paving the way for improved drying practices in the fish processing industry.