Protótipo de desidratador de frutas com uso de energia solar direta.

Abstract

The new millennium paradigm of self-sustainable agriculture comprises the optimization of the production process. Considering that situation, the Agricultural Mechanization Lab (Lama/UEPG) developed a prototype solar fruit dehydrator, composed of a dehydration chamber and an energy collection chamber. The energy collection chamber was built with a zinc sheet and deformed aluminum cans, all painted black, resulting in an irregular surface with high absorptiveness. This chamber was covered by a pane of glass, transparent to visible light and opaque to infrared. Dehydration of bananas and temperature in the dehydration chamber were the observed response variables. There was a clear correlation between temperature of the environment and temperature in the dehydration chamber, despite the low determination coefficient of R2 = 0,56. The exposition time of bananas in the dehydration chamber varied from 18 to 26 hours to reach a water content of 200 g kg-1. The prototype is efficient, recommended for family farm agriculture.