Banana Fruit Drying

Somchart Soponronnarit, Adisak Nathakaranakule, Weeravout Limtrakool, Woravit Rungjiwaruk, ukrudee Nathakaranakule, Wattanapong Rakwichien

Abstract


A comparative study of various methods of banana drying: solar natural convection drying (SNCD), LPG natural convection drying (LPGD) and solar forced convection drying with supplemental heat from LPG (SFCD+LPG), was performed. Experimental results showed that SNCD took 6-7 days (57 h) for completing one batch of bananas. Specific primary energy consumption and drying efficiency were 19.2 MJ/kg of water evaporated and 12.5% respectively. LPGD took 5 days (45 h) for completing one batch of bananas. Specific primary energy consumption and drying efficiency were 16.1 MJ/kg water evaporated and 15.8% respectively

Economic analysis showed that SNCD has a discount pay-back period of 3.6 years and a benefit to cost ratio of 1.2 LPGD has shorter discount pay-back period and higher benefit to cost ratio, i.e., 2 years and 2.9 respectively. The last method, SFCD+LPG was not very attractive because of longer discount pay-back period, i.e., 10 years and a benefit to cost ratio lower than 1, i.e., 0.6.

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