Estudo da capacidade produtiva e viabilidade econômica de diferentes modelos de secadores solares para desidratação de alimentos por pequenos produtores rurais

Abstract

Agrifood products, when harvested, have as one of their characteristics a high moisture content, which prevents them from being stored in safe conditions, requiring that this excess water be removed. One of the most common ways to remove excess water from products is drying. The drying process can be conducted in different types of equipment, called dryers, where increasing the air temperature decreases its humidity causing it to absorb the moisture available in the material to be dried. Nowadays, drying by solar dryers has been gaining prominence, where the energy source used is solar, which is an alternative of great interest for its qualities and characteristics of being clean, free and of enormous potential. In this scenario, the objective of this research was to analyze the energy efficiency and economic viability of different models of solar dryers for food dehydration by small farmers, in order to promote this type of activity in family farming. In order to define the dryer model that presents the best energy efficiency, experimental drying tests and monitoring of the internal temperature variation were performed in five different models of solar dryers, obtaining the best results in the Naval MDF coated equipment. From the definition of the most efficient solar dryer, cost management concepts and investment analysis tools were used to determine the financial viability of the investment such as Minimum Attractiveness Rate, Payback, Internal Rate of Return, Net Present Value and Return on Investment. With the analyzes performed, positive results were obtained for the investment, showing that the activity is viable, provided that a proper use of the solar dryer, through a planned and organized production and not allowing the equipment to be idle.