Ehl P., Banout J., Lojka B., Polesny Z., Lojkova J.
Abstract
Agriculture products are practically the only financial resource for the people near Pucallpa city in the
Peruvian Amazon. Large quantities of tropical fruits (e.g. bananas, pineapples and papaya) are produced,
but there is lack of suitable processing method to improve the income for the farmers. The goal of the study
was to design a direct natural-circulation solar dryer, and compare its performance with the traditional
open-to-sun drying. The design of the dryer was made to suit the local farmer needs, as a small-scale home
drying unit with a capacity from 3 kg to 8 kg in relations to the product being dried. The dryer was built
from materials available on the local market, therefore making it possible to construct more units by the
farmers themselves. A series of seven tests were completed. The use of the dryer led to considerable drying
time reduction and final product quality compared to the open-to-sun method. From the results obtained from
the research it is possible to state that the use of a direct natural-circulation solar dryer is an appropriate
technology for the preservation of some agricultural products in Pucallpa.
Key words:
solar dryer; solar radiation; tropical crops; Pucallpa