Prototype Development of a Multilevel Solar Dryer for Agriculture

Basic food processing in the Philippine agricultural sector relies on drying, which makes food products less perishable. A common practice is traditional sun-drying, which is simple, but exposes the produce to contaminants. This study developed a multilevel solar dryer for agriculture to provide better drying conditions while keeping costs down. A temperature and humidity monitoring system was built into the dryer to control its cooling fans and the humidity inside. The dryer demonstrated better drying conditions with an average drying temperature of 47.38 °C compared to the traditional sun-drying's 39.38 °C. In addition, the solar dryer's inside humidity was also better with a recorded average of 31.29% RH compared to the traditional setup's 39.66% RH. The dryer successfully dried a hybrid of Capsicum frutescens and Capsicum annuum or siling tingala, as it is locally known, at a drying rate faster than the traditional sun-drying setup. Overall, the multilevel solar dryer was able to provide better drying conditions, a faster drying rate, and a protected enclosed space for drying food products.