Experimental Validation of Numerical Simulation Model for No‐Load Hybrid Greenhouse Solar Dryer

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study is concerned with the development of a finite element (FE) model using COMSOL Multiphysics for hybrid greenhouse dryers in humid subtropical climate of Ranchi, under no‐load condition. The temperature and humidity distribution in the dryer was visualized using the FE model and compared against experimental data to evaluate its reliability in simulating dryer behavior. The performance evaluation conducted under no load condition showed that the efficiency of the proposed dryer was 42.35% and maximum overall convective heat transfer coefficient was 6.27 W/m2°C. The temperature inside the dryer ranged from 55°C to 80°C, while the relative humidity ranged from 37% to 45%. The developed FE model using COMSOL Multiphysics software, shows a close agreement between experimental and predicted results with a lower statistical error. Overall, this study's findings suggest that the hybrid greenhouse dryer could be a useful tool for drying crops in humid subtropical climates and the FEM could be a valuable tool for future research.

Keywords

• energy and exergy analysis
• finite element method
• greenhouse dryer
• no‐load condition
• solar energy
• statistical analysis