Experimentation on solar-assisted heat pump dryer: Thermodynamic, economic and exergoeconomic assessments. (15th September 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Singh, Akhilesh; Sarkar, Jahar; Rekha Sahoo, Rashmi
• Is Part Of: Solar energy. Volume 208(2020)
• Page Start: 150
• Page End: 159
• Publication Date: 2020-09-15
• Subjects: Solar-assisted heat pump dryer -- Drying rate -- Exergy efficiency -- Exergoeconomic factor -- Cost rate of exergy destruction; CRF system recovery factor -- COPWS whole system coefficient of performance -- CR cost ratio -- DC drying chamber -- HP heat pump cycle -- HPD simple heat pump dryer -- PP payback period (year) -- PEC cost of purchased equipment ($) -- SEC specific energy consumption -- SMER specific moisture extraction rate (kg/kWh) -- SAHPD solar-assisted heat pump dryer -- SHE water-to-air heat exchanger -- SWH solar water heater; Solar energy -- Periodicals; Solar engines -- Periodicals; 621.47
• DOI: 10.1016/j.solener.2020.07.081
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0038-092X

Abstract

Highlights: Solar-assisted heat pump dryer is experimented using R1234yf for banana chips drying. Test data based thermodynamic, economic and exergoeconomic assessments are done. Drying rate, SMER, irreversibility, payback period, exergoeconomic factor are presented. Moisture removal, drying rate and efficiencies are found better for solar-assisted system. Payback period is reasonable and exergoeconomic factor is lowest for expansion device. Abstract: The convective closed-loop solar-assisted heat pump dryer (batch type) has been designed, fabricated and experimentally investigated for both simple heat pump drying (HPD) and solar-assisted heat pump drying (SAHPD) modes. The banana chips have been dried up to moisture content of 11.5% for both modes. The next-generation environmental-friendly refrigerant R1234yf has been used in the heat pump cycle. Various thermodynamic, exergoeconomic and economic performance parameters have been evaluated and compared for HPD and SAHPD. Both exergy and energy efficiencies are found better in the case of SAHPD. The system coefficient of performance, moisture removal from the product, drying rate and specific moisture extraction rate are found better for the SAHPD than the HPD. The average drying rates of HPD and SAHPD are found 0.205 and 0.342 kg/kg min, respectively. The estimated payback period of the SAHPD instead of HPD is 3.9 years. The exergoeconomic factor is found lowest for the expansion device for both HPD and SAHPD with estimated values of 0.1335 and 0.2003, respectively. The components that need more improvement are evaporator and expansion device based on exergoeconomic factor. On the basis of the present study, it can be concluded that the SAHPD system performs better in all respects.