- May 13, 2022
- Posted by: M. Sadegh Riasi
- Category: Research Spotlight
Among the various porous-media-related research activities at the University of Monastir, we’ve selected the development by the LESTE research laboratory of solar dryers to present in this spotlight.
The outcomes of two projects involving the design, optimization and construction of a solar tomato dryer and a solar wood phytosanitary treatment cell are presented. Both recycle the drying air, adjust its humidity by mixing it with ambient air and employ indirect solar energy to heat it. 
The solar loop consists of vacuum tube solar water collectors, a water circulation pump, a water storage tank and a water-air heat exchanger. The solar installation for each dryer was optimized using complete system dynamic simulations that were based on experimentally obtained drying kinetics for the tomatoes dryer, and based on an in-house developed detailed 2D finite-difference code of the wood stack drying for the phytosanitary treatment cell. Two prototypes were constructed and are presented.