Drying Characterization of a Hybrid Dryer for Cacao Pod Husk

Cacao pod husks (CPH) are agricultural waste products that can be used to minimize wastages in the cacao supply chain but, like other agricultural waste, rot quickly and are worthless for other means of utilization. CPH can be used for more extended periods by being dried in this condition. Understanding the behavior of the CPH’s moisture content reduction is crucial for creating the best drying conditions. Three methods of drying were examined: solar only, biomass only, and hybrid. The coco shell charcoals were used as a fuel source for biomass-only drying. Drying parameters such as drying temperature and relative humidity were analyzed. The study also develops drying modelling utilizing thin drying models by analyzing moisture ratio. Five thin drying models were used to describe the drying model for CPH. Nonlinear regression analysis was used to estimate the drying models using Minitab software. Using the concept of performance index, the best-fit drying model for CPH was the Modified Midilli I, which led to all three drying methods. The results also showed that solar-only drying has the highest peak dryer efficiency of 34.30 %, while biomass-only drying has the highest drying rate of 22 g/h.