Analysis of Some Physical Properties 0f Dried Fish Using the Convenient Solar Dryer to

Determine the Parameters and Specifications Needed in the Design of a Multi-Season Solar
Dryer

Name of Researchers:

Glen Daniel T. Demafeliz

Nic Jason M. Gelogo
Anna Rosel A. Limpañgog
Carl John B. Mantac
Joemarie T. Ramos
Carl John P. Trespuentes
Nesty Cliff S. Yanson

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, TUP VISAYAS

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

The production of dried fish is the most common livelihood activity of near-shore villagers in the
country when fishes are caught in abundance or there are large quantities of surplus of raw fish.
Next to Indonesia, the Philippines is the largest dried fish producer in Southeast Asia with almost
38% of the total catch being processed into dried fish products. For its production, forced
convection or hybrid solar drying is a better alternative for the traditional sun-drying
preservation technique due to its several advantages. In this method, the drying time can be
reduced by three times and decrease the required collector area by 50 %. Consequently, a dryer
that uses fans may achieve the same throughput as a natural convection dryer with a collector six
times as large. However, this method is weather dependent thus production is low and the quality
of the product deteriorates during rainy days.

Several studies of solar dryer development were introduced to solve this problem. A similar
research about the development of a solar dehydrator based on the dehydrating of 834kg fish
(200 kg fish without water) in period of 48 hours for weather condition of Brusher province in
Iran has been designed. In this, hot air produced from solar heater is directed to fish reservoir
during the day while another solar heater will charge the rock bed reservoir that produces the hot
air during the night for continuing the drying process. However, increase in the height of the raw
material reservoir causes the increase of heat loss thus decreasing temperature for end sections
(rows) of reservoir and the air temperature produced by the rock bed was lower compare to that
of the solar heater.

Meanwhile, in a different study, an indirect type forced circulation solar dryer for apricot drying
was introduced. The result of the indirect solar drying was compared with that of the mixed
mode solar drying. It can be said that the drying rate in the prototype of the design is higher than
the latter method in every air flow velocity. The increase in the drying rate could be due to the
values of higher temperature in the mixed-mode because of direct solar radiation on product in
the cabinet in addition to the heated air by solar heaters. Although the results are favorable to the
indirect solar drying, both methods are at a disadvantage during night time and rainy season.

With the stated problem observed through further investigation of the topic, a thorough analysis
of the drying kinetics of the raw material may be described completely by using their transport
properties (thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, moisture diffusivity, and interface heat and
mass transfer coefficients) together with those of the drying medium. The prediction of the
drying under various conditions is also of important to design a multi-season drying system.

Justification of the Study

After this study, future innovation of the preservation process of seafood would be easier as
additional information in the physical properties of the product, as well as external factors would
be provided. In this research, the primary beneficiary would be near shore communities with
drying fish as their livelihood.
Other industries that use drying process in their production may also use this study to improve
the quality of their respective products, thus increasing the market value. Some of these
industries involves in food and crop storage, wood and timber drying, biofuel process and dairy
production.

Lastly, these findings will serve as a comprehensive basis for the principles and parameters
needed for the development of a multi-season drying system that will improve the production
efficiency of dried food during night time or raining season without risking the quality of the
product.

OBJECTIVES

General Objective
The general objective of this study is to determine the factors and properties needed for the
innovation of the multi-season drying system to increase the efficiency at certain conditions.

Specific Objective
Specifically, this study aims to measure the moisture content of the raw material between a
certain time after it has been subjected to a constant drying air relative to the humidity and
temperature condition. Then determine the principles and parameters that will be applied in the
drying process.

Measurable
m−m d
Moisture content on the basis of wet mass (in percent) defined as: M = ×100
m

mi−m d
The other parameter defined as: M i= × 100
mi

mw =mi−m

100
mw=mi × ( M i−M )
100−M

100 mw−m i M i
M=
mw−mi
In constant rate period the surface of fish is moist and remains wet during drying, so water is
considered to evaporate as form a free water surface. Drying at this period is controlled by
drying air condition such as, air temperature, air velocity, and humidity. The rate of water
removes the fish calculate as:
dm T a−T w
dt
=hc . A . (h fg )
This rate of mass transfer continues up to critical moisture content (Mc), the mass of water
removes from the surface of fish at constant rate calculated by:

( T a −T w) t
mw=h× A
[ hfg ]
With knowing the mwc the critical time for finishing the constant rate can be calculated:

hfg ×mw c
tc =
h × A ( T a −T w )

Nomenclature:
M = moisture content (%)
Mi = initial moisture content (%)
m = mass of fish(kg)
mi = Initial mass of fish(kg)
md = mass of fish without water(kg)
mc = mass of fish at critical time(kg)
mf = final mass of fish(kg)
mw = water evaporated(kg)
mwc = water evaporated at critical time(kg)
me = mass of fish at equilibrium state(kg)
h = convection heat transfer coefficient (w/m2. coo)
t = time(sec)
Ta = air free stream temperature (coo)
Tw = wet bulb temperature (coo)
hfg = latent heat of evaporation (kj /kg)

Hypothesis
Sufficient data will be collected to serve as a comprehensive basis for the principles and
parameters needed for the development of a multi-season drying system that will improve the
production efficiency of dried food during night time or raining season without risking the
quality of the product.

METHODOLOGY
This study utilized an applied technical design with the focus on analyzing information found in
different reference materials to serve as comprehensive basis in order to innovate a project
design of a Multi-Season Dryer. The research work will be conducted by using several
calculations to check the relation of certain properties and factors to define the working
principles and determine parameters needed for the project design.

Variables
Independent Variables: Source of drying air
Dependent Variables: mass, moisture content,
Control Variables: air temperature, velocity and humidity
Intervening Variables: Individual efficiency of the components if a prototype is developed.
LITERATURE CITED

Profile, P. F. (2015). Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. Department of Agriculture,

Republic of the Philippines, 38.

Khoshmanesh, S., 2006, August. Design of solar dehydrator, coupled with energy storage in rock
bed reservoir for fish drying process. In International Conference on Energy and Environment
(ICEE) (pp. 1-8). Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia: UnversitiTenagaNasional.

Ghatrehsamani, S. H., Dadashzadeh, M., & Zomorodian, A. (2012). Kinetics of apricot thin layer
drying in a mixed and indirect mode solar dryer. International Journal of Agriculture Sciences,
4(6), 262.