LAUSR

Abstract In the present communication, a hybrid mixed mode greenhouse solar dryer, integrated with partially covered number of photovoltaic thermal (N-PVT) solar air collectors has been proposed for drying and different performance parameters are evaluated for the climatic conditions of New Delhi, India. Thermal modelling has been done for the drying system and analytical expressions for different parameters such as crop temperature, greenhouse temperature, outlet air temperature of collector and cell temperature have been obtained. The set of governing equations has been solved with the help of MATLAB 2013a. Further, the effect of mass flow rate and variation of number of air collectors on thermal energy, electrical energy, equivalent thermal energy, thermal exergy efficiency and overall thermal efficiency have been calculated. It was found that with variation of number of air collectors from 1 to 5, equivalent thermal energy, equivalent thermal efficiency and equivalent exergy efficiency changes from 3.24 to 10.57 kWh/day, 61.56%–42.22% and 28.96%–19.11% respectively.