FIELD OF INVENTION

The invention relates to a portable solar dome dehydration for drying organic and inorganic material especially agricultural product.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Solar dryers developed so far are generally designed without orientation and ignoring annual sun path of the location. Solar dryers or dehydrators in prior art are designed in such a way that they don’t track the sun at sun peak hours and become inefficient in obtaining energy. Single axis tracking or dual axis tracking is not befitting and this invention suffice this need with its dome design as tracking mechanism is not a cost effective solution. Idle tilt in prior art can get maximum energy at one solstice missing the equinox and solstice at the other end. The sun rays should enter the dryer without reflecting or absorbing and so the media enclosure should be perpendicular to the rays and idle still tilt in prior art has no means to keep the enclosure or cover perpendicular to the rays as per the annual sun path. Solar dryers or dehydrators designed in prior art have never presented orientation of the equipment which is of great value in harnessing solar energy. Product drying specifications include drying characteristics specifying required drying temperature and solution for controlling temperature surge is not seen in prior art. Heat transfer mode of conduction, convection and radiation together or assorted seen in prior art do not suffice the wet load requirement of marginal farmers and heat generated or radiated on drying surface possess risk of dry fry with certain minerals along with vitamin B and C leaching out into boiling water. Spectral assortment is not mentioned in prior art to attain the expected results and media for moisture removal for the drying equipment is not discussed in prior art. Radiation referred in prior art is photo synthetic active radiation which is in visible light spectrum range of 380-700 nm. It is true that this spectrum range contain certain amount of energy as photons and light can transfer it to object producing temperature but prior art has not used the efficient near infrared spectral source for harnessing heat from solar energy which can be used in solar dryers and dehydrators. Near infrared radiation is heat source and can be directly applied to product to be dried which is disclosed here. Product to be dried is kept on tilted surface at one idle angle which can be perpendicular to solar radiation at one solstice or equinox in prior art and the design of existing solar dryers don’t synchronise with this drying surface to get maximum yield.56 % of solar energy coming to the earth’s surface is in the form of infrared which is directly heat source and solar dryers and dehydrators in prior art have not mention use and method of using this source.

The present invention is portable and easy to handle. The present invention is more efficient and economical for drying agriculture products & useful for marginal farmers as wet load capacity of this solar dome dehydrator can extend in tonnage.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention mainly provides a portable solar dome dehydrator (500) comprising; a) a frame (100) having; multiple of vertical limb members (101); multiple of horizontal members (102) in contact with said vertical limb members (101); plurality of fan/blower (103) mounted on said horizontal members

(102) ; a provision (104) for loading of material; b) a drying compartment (200) having; a dome shape enclosure (201) rested above the said frame (100); a flat surface (202) inside the dome shaped enclosure (201) for placing the material to be dried; a reflective surface (203) placed at the horizontal edge and perpendicular to the said flat surface (202); and plurality of ventilators (204) on top of said dome shape enclosure (201); wherein, the material is filled through the opening (104), the sun rays are focused on the material by the dome shape enclosure (201) and reflective surface (203), the plurality of ventilators (204) push out the moisture from the dome shape enclosure (201). Various aspects of the present invention herein will be better appreciated and understood when considered in conjunction with the following description and the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the following descriptions, while indicating preferred embodiments and numerous specific details thereof, are given by way of illustration and not of limitation. Many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the embodiments herein without departing from the spirit thereof, and the embodiments herein include all such modifications.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The embodiments herein will be better understood from the following detailed description with reference to the drawings, in which the reference numerals indicate:

FIGURE 1 illustrates the perspectiveview of the portable solar dome dehydration device for northern hemisphere of the present invention; and FIGURE 2illustrates the perspectiveview of the portable solar dome dehydration device for northern and southern of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The invention relates to a portable solar dome dehydrator for drying agriculture and horticulture products to increase shelf life and give value addition. The portable solar dome dehydrator (500) comprises; a) a frame (100) having; multiple of vertical limb members (101); multiple of horizontal members (102) in contact with said vertical limb members (101); - plurality of fan/blower (103) mounted on said horizontal members

(102) ; a provision (104) for loading of material; b) a drying compartment (200) having; a dome shape enclosure (201) rested above the said frame (100); - a flat surface (202) inside the dome shaped enclosure (201) for placing the material to be dried; a reflective surface (203) placed at the horizontal edge and perpendicular to the said flat surface (202); and plurality of ventilators (204) on top of said dome shape enclosure (201); wherein, the material is filed through the opening (104), the sun rays are focused on the material by the dome shape enclosure (201) and reflective surface (203), the plurality of ventilators (204) push out the moisture from the dome shape enclosure (201).

For functioning of device the device is to be placed under the sun, the material is fed into the drying compartment via the provision (104), thefeed material is placed on a flat surface (202), and the sunrays are transmitted through the dome shaped enclosure (201) which is in shape of parabola which creates focal point on product placed. A reflective surface (203) is placed perpendicular to flat surface (202) at one of its edge, the sunrays are reflected from the reflective surface (203) on to the material. Plurality of fan/ blowers (103) are mounted on horizontal members (102) and plurality of ventilators (204) are mounted on top of dome shaped enclosure (201) which circulates air and pushes out moisture from the drying compartment.

The perspective view of theportable solar dome dehydrator device constructed according to one of the preferred embodiment of invention is depicted in FIG 1, for explaining the components of the apparatus. Referring now to the FIGURE, more particularly to FIGURES 1, where similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the FIGURE, preferred embodiments are shown.

FIGURE 1 illustrates the perspective view of the portable solar dome dehydrator device constructed according to one of the preferred embodiment of invention, which consists of a frame (100) having a multiple of vertical limb members (101), multiple of horizontal members (102) in contact with said vertical limb members (101), plurality of fan/blower (103) mounted on said horizontal members (102), a provision (104) for loading of material and a drying compartment (200) having, a dome shape enclosure (201) rested above the said frame (100), a flat surface (202) inside the dome shaped enclosure (201) for placing the material to be dried, a reflective surface (203) placed at the horizontal edge and perpendicular to the said flat surface (202) and plurality of ventilators (204) on top of said dome shape enclosure (201).

In a preferred embodiment the portable solar dome dehydrator of the present invention the construction materials are selected from wood, Bamboo, metal pipes, PVC or acrylic pipes and any combinations thereof.

In a preferred embodiment the dome shape enclosure (201) of the present invention the construction materials are selected from glass, polycarbonate, acrylic, poly-film and any combinations thereof.

In a preferred embodiment the plurality of fan/blower (103) have a HEPA filters to filter the air supplied into the drying compartment (200). The plurality of fan/blower are equal in number at intervals for calculating the volume area and product drying requirement, wind velocity is used for temperature surge protection to maintain the required drying temperature & moisture removal.

In another preferred embodiment the dome shaped enclosure (201) has spectral permeability between 380nm to 1050nm, more preferably between 380nm to 1350nm. The parabolic shape of dome gives parabolic effect which leads to concentration of photosynthetic active radiation at a focal point..

In another preferred embodiment the flat surface (202) painted black matte color and a reflective surface (203) having mirror finish aluminum sheet to enhance heating of drying compartment (200). The aluminum sheet receives all the tilted radiations and compensates solstice. In another preferred embodiment the orientation of device is in east to west direction, the design of dome dehydrator is built by studying the annual sun-path of the preferred location.

The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope.