Authors : Abdulmumuni Bashiru; Adegboye Titus Adeleye; Ologunye Opeyemi Buhari; Azeez Rasheed Olatunde; Okpara Ifeanyi Nduka; Ashiru Abdul Rahman; Fanifosi Johnson Olaniyi

Volume/Issue : Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 8 - August

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/mverf5dn

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26aug493

Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.

Abstract : Poor preservation technologies are still a major challenge for the post-harvest losses of fruits and vegetables in the tropical regions. This paper presents the design, fabrication, and performance evaluation of a low-cost photovoltaicassisted active indirect solar food dehydrator constructed mainly from locally available materials for sustainable food preservation. The dehydrator consists of a flat-plate solar air collector, photovoltaic-powered forced convection, battery energy storage, and an insulated drying chamber that provides controlled drying conditions independent of grid electricity. The performance evaluation was conducted with tomato, banana, pepper, and apple for a loading capacity of 50, 100, 150, 200, and 250 g for 8 h drying period. The temperatures in the drying chamber rose from around 30–35°C to a maximum of 58–64°C, which was significantly higher than the ambient temperatures (28–37°C) and consequently enhanced moisture evaporation.

Keywords : Photovoltaic-Assisted Solar Dehydrator, Food Drying, Post-Harvest Loss, Moisture Removal, Tropical Agriculture.

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