A theoretical study on the maximum evaporation rate obtainable in a small-scale indirect solar dryer is presented, considering evaporation of free water. A mathematical model of the evolution of the temperature and the specific humidity of the airflow along the drying chamber is presented. Based on the results, some simplifications are proposed and justified in order to calculate the maximum evaporation rate as a function of a reduced number of parameters, to study their effect. The results show that the effect of the air mass flow rate on the maximum evaporation rate depends on the aspect ratio of the drying chamber, defined as the ratio of the total drying area to the cross section in the drying chamber. Design and operation criteria can be extracted from the results. As a global result, for the typical range of dimensions and air mass flow rates employed in solar dryers, the drying chamber aspect ratio should be between 200 and 300 to obtain a proper evaporation rate. Within that range, doubling the air mass flow rate the maximum evaporation rate obtainable increases around 20%.
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April 2016
Technical Briefs
Evaluation of the Maximum Evaporation Rate in Small-Scale Indirect Solar Dryers
Lucía Blanco-Cano,
Lucía Blanco-Cano
Appropriate Technologies for Sustainable
Development Group (GTA),
Department of Thermal and Fluids Engineering,
Universidad Carlos III de Madrid,
Avenida Universidad 30,
Leganés 28911, Spain
e-mail: lbcano@ing.uc3m.es
Development Group (GTA),
Department of Thermal and Fluids Engineering,
Universidad Carlos III de Madrid,
Avenida Universidad 30,
Leganés 28911, Spain
e-mail: lbcano@ing.uc3m.es
Search for other works by this author on:
Antonio Soria-Verdugo,
Antonio Soria-Verdugo
Appropriate Technologies for Sustainable
Development Group (GTA),
Energy System Engineering (ISE),
Department of Thermal and Fluids Engineering,
Universidad Carlos III de Madrid,
Avenida Universidad 30,
Leganés 28911, Spain
e-mail: asoria@ing.uc3m.es
Development Group (GTA),
Energy System Engineering (ISE),
Department of Thermal and Fluids Engineering,
Universidad Carlos III de Madrid,
Avenida Universidad 30,
Leganés 28911, Spain
e-mail: asoria@ing.uc3m.es
Search for other works by this author on:
Luis Miguel Garcia-Gutierrez,
Luis Miguel Garcia-Gutierrez
Energy System Engineering (ISE),
Department of Thermal and Fluids Engineering,
Universidad Carlos III de Madrid,
Avenida Universidad 30,
Leganés 28911, Spain
e-mail: lmgarcia@ing.uc3m.es
Department of Thermal and Fluids Engineering,
Universidad Carlos III de Madrid,
Avenida Universidad 30,
Leganés 28911, Spain
e-mail: lmgarcia@ing.uc3m.es
Search for other works by this author on:
Ulpiano Ruiz-Rivas
Ulpiano Ruiz-Rivas
Appropriate Technologies for Sustainable
Development Group (GTA),
Energy System Engineering (ISE),
Department of Thermal and Fluids Engineering,
Universidad Carlos III de Madrid,
Avenida Universidad 30,
Leganés 28911 Spain
e-mail: ulpiano@ing.uc3m.es
Development Group (GTA),
Energy System Engineering (ISE),
Department of Thermal and Fluids Engineering,
Universidad Carlos III de Madrid,
Avenida Universidad 30,
Leganés 28911 Spain
e-mail: ulpiano@ing.uc3m.es
Search for other works by this author on:
Lucía Blanco-Cano
Appropriate Technologies for Sustainable
Development Group (GTA),
Department of Thermal and Fluids Engineering,
Universidad Carlos III de Madrid,
Avenida Universidad 30,
Leganés 28911, Spain
e-mail: lbcano@ing.uc3m.es
Development Group (GTA),
Department of Thermal and Fluids Engineering,
Universidad Carlos III de Madrid,
Avenida Universidad 30,
Leganés 28911, Spain
e-mail: lbcano@ing.uc3m.es
Antonio Soria-Verdugo
Appropriate Technologies for Sustainable
Development Group (GTA),
Energy System Engineering (ISE),
Department of Thermal and Fluids Engineering,
Universidad Carlos III de Madrid,
Avenida Universidad 30,
Leganés 28911, Spain
e-mail: asoria@ing.uc3m.es
Development Group (GTA),
Energy System Engineering (ISE),
Department of Thermal and Fluids Engineering,
Universidad Carlos III de Madrid,
Avenida Universidad 30,
Leganés 28911, Spain
e-mail: asoria@ing.uc3m.es
Luis Miguel Garcia-Gutierrez
Energy System Engineering (ISE),
Department of Thermal and Fluids Engineering,
Universidad Carlos III de Madrid,
Avenida Universidad 30,
Leganés 28911, Spain
e-mail: lmgarcia@ing.uc3m.es
Department of Thermal and Fluids Engineering,
Universidad Carlos III de Madrid,
Avenida Universidad 30,
Leganés 28911, Spain
e-mail: lmgarcia@ing.uc3m.es
Ulpiano Ruiz-Rivas
Appropriate Technologies for Sustainable
Development Group (GTA),
Energy System Engineering (ISE),
Department of Thermal and Fluids Engineering,
Universidad Carlos III de Madrid,
Avenida Universidad 30,
Leganés 28911 Spain
e-mail: ulpiano@ing.uc3m.es
Development Group (GTA),
Energy System Engineering (ISE),
Department of Thermal and Fluids Engineering,
Universidad Carlos III de Madrid,
Avenida Universidad 30,
Leganés 28911 Spain
e-mail: ulpiano@ing.uc3m.es
1Corresponding author.
Contributed by the Solar Energy Division of ASME for publication in the JOURNAL OF SOLAR ENERGY ENGINEERING: INCLUDING WIND ENERGY AND BUILDING ENERGY CONSERVATION. Manuscript received July 14, 2015; final manuscript received December 16, 2015; published online January 13, 2016. Assoc. Editor: Prof. Nesrin Ozalp.
J. Sol. Energy Eng. Apr 2016, 138(2): 024502 (4 pages)
Published Online: January 13, 2016
Article history
Received:
July 14, 2015
Revised:
December 16, 2015
Citation
Blanco-Cano, L., Soria-Verdugo, A., Miguel Garcia-Gutierrez, L., and Ruiz-Rivas, U. (January 13, 2016). "Evaluation of the Maximum Evaporation Rate in Small-Scale Indirect Solar Dryers." ASME. J. Sol. Energy Eng. April 2016; 138(2): 024502. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4032351
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