Techno-economic feasibility of the latent heat storage material to use in a solar tunnel dryer

Abstract

For efficient utilization of freely available solar energy for drying of Potato Slices (Solanum tuberosum) experiment has been carried out keeping in view to extend drying hours with efficient Latent heat storage material system was designed and installed at Department of Renewable Energy Engineering, CTAE, MPUAT, Udaipur. Techno- Economic analysis of the PCM (Phase Change Material) integrated with the unit carried out to supply the heat to the tunnel dryer. Barioum hydroxide octahydrate [Ba(oh)2 8h2o] was used as a heat storage material. It is concluded that the heat sink unit with heat storage material enables to maintain constant air temperature inside the dryer and heat stored in phase change material in heat exchanger during day time can be utilized during non-sunshine hours because of which drying time could be extended up to 4 hours. The Net Present Worth of the heat sink unit is 123785.98 ₹ with a 1.33, 1.268 years and 62% are the benefit-cost ratio, payback period and Internal Rate of Return (IRR), respectively. Considering the initial cost of the heat storage material is 60 Rs/kg with the 1000 life cycle. Based on economic analysis, it was concluded that investment on the heat storage material for solar tunnel dryer is justified.