Experimental Research of the Drying Behavior of White Cabbage Leaves With Three Different Geometries in a Wind Energy-Assisted Hybrid Hot Air Dryer

In this paper, the performance of a wind energy-supported hybrid hot air dryer was examined experimentally. Wind energy provided overall electrical energy needed for the activation of the dryer. In the experiments, the drying behavior of white cabbage leaves with the same surface area and three different geometries: circle, rectangle, and square cross-section was examined using three different constant temperatures (50°C, 60°C, and 70°C), and two different constant air speeds (0.5 and 1 m/s). The main purpose of using different geometries during the drying process was to determine the optimum cross-section and working parameters for white cabbage leaves. The based aim of the study was to contribute to both increasing the energy efficiency of processes that cause high energy consumption, such as drying, and ensuring their continuity throughout the four seasons, by using a clean renewable energy source such as wind. Consequent the experiments, it was seen that the drying time decreased by approximately 52.63% and the energy consumption reduced by approximately 47.9% with the increase in temperature and air speed in rectangular-sectioned cabbages compared to other geometries. In addition, in the longest-term experiment, a maximum of 40% of the stored energy was used. This revealed that the developed hybrid system has approximately 52.5% higher energy efficiency than other drying units supporting with PV panels and also provides an average at the rate of 45% advantage in terms of product drying time.