Solar Drying Systems

Solar energy has found its widespread use in direct conversion into electricity either by photovoltaic conversion or through thermal energy, reduction in post-harvest losses, and crop drying. Solar Drying Systems analyzes the fundamentals, principles and applications, heat transfer, elements of drying and solar dryer designs, and related modeling and analysis aspects of solar energy.

• Discusses both technical and policy-related issues
• Explores up-to-date status reviews of different solar drying systems
• Reviews the highlights of present and future solar drying options
• Includes many figures, solved examples, and tables with problems/exercises at the end of each chapter

This book is aimed at senior undergraduate and graduate students in energy engineering.

Om Prakash is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, Ranchi. He did B.E. (Mech. Engg.) and M.E. (Heat Power Engineering) from Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, Ranchi. He has been awarded his Ph.D. in Energy from the Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology, Bhopal, India in 2015. His research interests include the design and development of innovative products and systems for promoting renewable energy. He has authored 11 chapters, 1 book, 1 patent, and more than 39 research articles in international journals and conferences.

Anil Kumar is an Associate Professor in Department of Mechanical Engineering, Delhi Technological University, Delhi (Formerly Delhi College of Engineering). He has also served as faculty in Energy Centre, Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology (MANIT), Bhopal, India, and Dept. of Mech. Engg., University Institute of Technology, Rajiv Gandhi Proudyogiki Vishwavidyalaya, Bhopal, India. Dr. Kumar has been in Energy Technology Research Center, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Thailand as a postdoctoral researcher. He did B.Tech. (Mech. Engg.) and M.Tech. (Energy Technology) and Ph.D. (Solar Thermal Technologies) from Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, Tezpur University, Tezpur and the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, respectively. His main areas of research interest are solar thermal technology, distribution of energy generation, clean energy technologies, renewable energy application in buildings and energy economics. He has authored 8 books, 16 chapters, 2 patents, and more than 150 research articles in journals and at international conferences.