4SOLAR DRYER FOR COCOA DRYING Introduction Cocoa production in Ghana has been a major source of foreign exchange

earner in Ghana. Ghana is also known to be the worlds second largest producer of cocoa after La Cote DIvoire. The country has also seen a study increase in cocoa production at a rate of 16% since 2001. This is as a result of Government subsidy on fertilizers for cocoa farmers and also spraying of the cocoa farms for farmers. This boom in cocoa production has brought about improvement in the living standards of cocoa farmers. The cocoa research institute and the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) have carried various research studies on how to develop ways by which cocoa beans could be dried. Cocoa is dried mainly using direct sun drying method in Ghana. It is by far the most convenient and traditional way of doing things. However, with increase in demand and production of cocoa beans there is the need to improved quality of cocoa beans produced in Ghana. An alternative way of drying cocoa and other food crops is using solar dryer technology. Solar energy is used directly for drying bulk of agriculture products in the country, especially cocoa beans. This technology has not been exploited much as a result of the cost of using it by farmers. Although the CSIR has done some research into the use and development of solar dryer technology there have been a few number of challenges. Objectives The overall aim of this project is to promote and develop the solar dryer technology using as much as possible local raw materials for food crop drying especially cocoa and other cash crops. The specific objectives include; Develop and promote the use of solar dryers by cocoa and cash crop farmers. Create employment for local fabricators of solar dryers. Improve the quality of cocoa beans produced in Ghana. The dryer will be a low cost, easy to fabricate and easy to operate equipment, using available local materials to make it suitable for most peasant farmers. Methodology The project will develop software which will be used to operate and control a solar system by regulating the amount of heat used to dry the cocoa beans. The capacity of the dryer is 250 kg which will have a collector area of approx. 25 m 2. The dryer will consist of 5 separate units each with a transparent collector area of 4.77m 2 and a capacity of approx 50 kg. Small dc fans will be use to distribute air evenly over the drying bed. The fans of thee dryer will be powered directly by PV panels in order to make the dryer independent of an often unreliable, missing or expensive grid. The components of the solar dryer are: 1. Solar Collector: Outer dimension is 4900 1070 mm 2. Transparent area 4.77 m2. Cover by a 10 mm double walled ribbed UV stabilized polycarbonate. Absorber will be made up of felt mat. Air intake at the back of the PV panels at both ends and air outlet in the middle at the back. Prepared by: Isaac Kuma Yeboah Page 1

2. Blower Fan: 300m2/h at 40 Pa 12 V dc motor with power of 12 W at 12 V. 3. PV: 2 panels of 12 V, 14 Wp. 4. Inlet Air Duct between collector and drying bed : metal ducting with the smallest cross section of 0.031m2. 5. Drying Bed Cabinet: 5 trays made of plastic, 600 400 278 mm3 of outer dimensions. 6. Heat Exchanger: These will contain gravels overlaid with a perforated plate 5 mm diameter holes, 10 mm apart to retain the beans and to facilitate convective heat flow from the gravels onto the beans during the rest periods of the sun. The solar dryer with it measured parameters and the illustration of the main components is shown below.

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The operation of the heat exchanger containing gravels overlaid with a perforated plate is shown below.

Budget The project will cost an amount of US$ 13944. The major costs of the solar dryer are the solar collector, drying trough and support structure. The estimated cost of there components are: PARAMETER AMOUNT (US $) Land clearing and flooring 300 Solar collector and accessories 2400 Dryer trough and frame 280 Duct heater, blower and ducts 2000 PV solar panel and accessories(3 pcs) 7200 Installation and labour costs 800 Transportation 300 Contingency (5%) 664 Total 13944 Project Schedule The project is expected to cover a period of six months during which a prototype will be developed and then mass production will commence. A much more detailed activity to be performed is below;

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Project Schedule Activities Month 1 1. Desktop and field study 2. Equipment procurements 3. Equipment installation and data collection 4. Data analysis and report writing 5. Presentation and training

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