Solar-biomass hybrid dryer with thermal energy storage

TERI has developed Solar-biomass hybrid dryer with thermal energy storage for rural tribal communities, women and differently-abled persons. The integrated system has a Thermal Energy Storage (TES) device and a Biomass-based Heat Exchange (B-HE) system. These components are integrated with a solar dryer developed by SEED for continuous operation and efficient utilization of the hybrid system in food drying and increasing the capacity utilization factor of the system.

The system has a loading capacity of 50 kg of fresh produce per batch. The hybrid dryer system is equipped with a controller developed by TERI for controlled and energy-efficient drying operations. The electrical energy requirement of the system is less than half a unit for 10 hour operation. The entire system, comprising the dryer, TES, B-HE, and controller is integrated onto a movable base structure with wheels, thereby enabling for easy movement and installation flexibility. The developed system has been third party tested and approved for performance and quality of dried product from Sardar Patel Renewable Energy Research Institute (SPRERI) Anand, IIT Delhi and SEED Hyderabad. This integrated hybrid system not only addresses the challenges of food drying by increasing the shelf-life but also emphasizes on quality of the product, energy efficiency, and sustainability