Experimental Evaluation of a Cabinet type Solar Dryer for Drying Orange Skin

Abstract

With  the purpose of extracting pectin starting from the dry orange husk, to laboratory scale, for medical uses, were carried drying experiments in a solar dryer of type cabinet built in the Center of Investigations of Solar Energy. The experiments were carried in the  time of crop of  the orange (November-April) of the year 2009-2010, with the purpose of determining the appropriate characteristics of the product  for their final use. In this experiments some of the variables were measured that influence in the drying process and in  the quality of  the final product, like they are the solar radiation, the humidity relative atmosphere, the ambient temperature and those reached insid e the team, as well as the initia l and fina l humidity of the samples. The level of load maximum was of  0,8 kg of humid  husk requested by  the company.