Solar tracking vacuum tube parabolic collector supported greenhouse type drying system design and manufacturing

In this thesis, an air-assisted greenhouse type food dryer with solar tracking, vacuum tube parabolic collector, and air-assisted air dryer was developed and applied on local eggplant slice drying process. The aim of the research is to increase energy efficiency compared to traditional food drying processes, to shorten the drying time and to support local food values with modern technologies while maintaining product quality. In the developed system, it is aimed to obtain optimum energy throughout the day by using a solar tracking mechanism for solar energy efficiency. Parabolic collectors and vacuum tubes provide high temperature and low energy loss, while the air-assisted drying mechanism supports the drying process by enabling effective moisture removal. Experiments were conducted on different slice thicknesses, shapes and positioning with and without solar tracking, and the effects of variable fan speeds on the drying process were investigated. The findings show that this sun-followed and air-assisted system saves about 30-40% energy and significantly shortens the drying time compared to conventional drying methods. In addition, the loss of nutritional value and flavor of the products was minimized and better quality drying results were obtained. In this context, the study contributes to the development of an innovative system that provides both energy saving and high quality drying. The findings shed light on research aimed at increasing energy efficiency in agricultural production and making the drying process more efficient.