2026-09-18T22:37:50Zhttps://dspace.mit.edu/server/oai/requestoai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/1278692026-08-04T04:24:28Zcom_1721.1_7582com_1721.1_7581col_1721.1_131024
Daniel Sweeney.
Tang, Lisa(Researcher in mechanical engineering)Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering.
2020-10-08T21:28:01Z
2020-10-08T21:28:01Z
2020
2020
https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/127869
1196829866
Thesis: S.B., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, May, 2020
Cataloged from the official PDF of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 43-45).
Small fruit-drying operations are becoming increasingly prevalent in the developing world. Many of these operations rely on solar thermal dryers with small fans to induce active air flow, which enhances drying capabilities. This thesis examines the effects of changes in dryer geometry on the air flow within flatbed solar dryers. The interior of a dryer was simulated using Ansys Fluent, and air flow velocity and patterns were observed as the dryer's length, width, and height were varied. It was found that a small fan placed at the dryer's entrance introduces a thin jet of air, which slows and spreads out over the course of the dryer. A steady air flow pattern was reached 4 meters into the modeled dryer. Reducing dryer height was found to increase the air flow velocity at the dryer's center, but not at the dryer's bottom where fruit is usually located. In addition to decreasing dryer height, the study recommends vertically raising the racks of fruit further above the dryer bottom. Air flow consistency across the width of the dryer persisted as an issue through the variations of width and height.
by Lisa Tang.
S.B.
S.B. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering
45 pages
eng
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
MIT theses may be protected by copyright. Please reuse MIT thesis content according to the MIT Libraries Permissions Policy, which is available through the URL provided.
http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582
Mechanical Engineering.
The effects of geometrical changes on airflow of developing-world solar fruit dryers
Thesis
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering
application/pdf
2020-10-08T21:28:00Z
Publication
Bachelor
MechE
unknown
unknown
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<Abstract>Small fruit-drying operations are becoming increasingly prevalent in the developing world. Many of these operations rely on solar thermal dryers with small fans to induce active air flow, which enhances drying capabilities. This thesis examines the effects of changes in dryer geometry on the air flow within flatbed solar dryers. The interior of a dryer was simulated using Ansys Fluent, and air flow velocity and patterns were observed as the dryer's length, width, and height were varied. It was found that a small fan placed at the dryer's entrance introduces a thin jet of air, which slows and spreads out over the course of the dryer. A steady air flow pattern was reached 4 meters into the modeled dryer. Reducing dryer height was found to increase the air flow velocity at the dryer's center, but not at the dryer's bottom where fruit is usually located. In addition to decreasing dryer height, the study recommends vertically raising the racks of fruit further above the dryer bottom. Air flow consistency across the width of the dryer persisted as an issue through the variations of width and height.</Abstract>
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