ON THE ISSUE OF CREATING SOLAR DRYING PLANTS FOR THE PURPOSE OF OBTAINING DRIED AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS

Three solar drying plants are offered – convective, large-sized, and sheet solar drying plants. The advantages of using solar devices for drying agricultural products compared with natural drying in the open air are shown. Products dried in a solar dryer have high consumer properties, the vitamin composition is preserved as much as possible in dried products, enzymes and microorganisms are inactivated, and they are also stored longer than products dried by natural drying in the open air. The high air temperature in the solar dryer significantly reduces the drying time of raw materials by 2.5-4.5 times compared to traditional drying in the sun. Solar dryers are located on any site oriented to the south in order to maximize the radiant flow of solar energy. Convective and sheet solar dryers are easy and convenient for transportation, during the day they can be moved and rotated to the sun. A large-sized helio drying device is offered mainly for small peasant farms. The proposed dryers are simple to manufacture and can be used on farms and private farms.