Analysis of Tomato Drying by Using a Solar Tower Dryer in Natural Convection
Sié Kam
Laboratory of Renewable Thermal Energy, University Ouaga I, Pr Joseph KI-Zerbo, P.O.Box: 03-7021 Ouagadougou 03, Burkina Faso
Germain Wende Pouiré Ouedraogo *
Laboratory of Renewable Thermal Energy, University Ouaga I, Pr Joseph KI-Zerbo, P.O.Box: 03-7021 Ouagadougou 03, Burkina Faso
Boureima Kaboré
Laboratory of Renewable Thermal Energy, University Ouaga I, Pr Joseph KI-Zerbo, P.O.Box: 03-7021 Ouagadougou 03, Burkina Faso
Bienvenu Magloire Pakouzou
Laboratory of Renewable Thermal Energy, University Ouaga I, Pr Joseph KI-Zerbo, P.O.Box: 03-7021 Ouagadougou 03, Burkina Faso and Carnot Laboratory of Energetics, Faculty of Sciences, University of Bangui, Central African Republic
Moctar Ousmane
University of Agadez, P.O.Box: 199, Niger
Dieudonné Joseph Bathiébo
Laboratory of Renewable Thermal Energy, University Ouaga I, Pr Joseph KI-Zerbo, P.O.Box: 03-7021 Ouagadougou 03, Burkina Faso
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
This work presents an experimental study of the drying process of tomato in thin layer thanks to an indirect solar dryer operating in natural convection called "solar tower dryer". This experiment was performed under varying conditions of solar radiation. The objective of this study is to present the drying kinetics of the tomato and determine its physicochemical parameters such as diffusion coefficient and activation energy. The results show that the diffusion coefficient of the tomato is 6.2687 ×10-9 m²s-1 with an activation energy estimated at 20.091 kJ.mol-1.
Keywords: Tomato, convective solar drying, diffusion coefficient, activation energy, thin layer