| dc.description.abstract | The silverfish (Rastrineobola argentea) is got from the drainage basin of Lake Victoria and Lake
Kyoga in Uganda. It is one of the most protein-rich foods available in the country and the rest of
the world. It is extremely perishable after harvest because of its high moisture content (73%).
The need for a long shelf life necessitates for having its moisture content decreased to at least
12% for human consumption and or the animal feed business. The common forms of drying
silverfish include the use of open air sun drying and the use of improved raised racks which have
drawbacks such as extended drying hours due to uncontrolled drying conditions and high
postharvest losses such as contamination from dust, animal droppings, and subjection to insects
and pests. Furthermore, the use of solar and hybrid dryers has not become more common in
underdeveloped countries and their less adoption can be attributed to a number of factors,
including unreliability of solar radiation during rainy periods for solar dryers, inadequate
problem definition, and inappropriate dryer designs. This research report therefore provides the
design of a dryer that utilizes renewable biomass energy, optimizes the drying conditions with
emphasis on temperature and airflow distribution, as well as providing a hygienic and enclosed
drying environment to minimize the post-harvest losses of silverfish. A biomass powered
silverfish dryer was designed and simulated through the methodology, data collected which
involve literature reviews, designing the system components as well as the simulation of
different dryer components using SolidWorks software. The temperature obtained in the drying
chamber was between 40 to 68 oC and the velocity was in the range of 2-3 m/s favorable not to
blow away the drying product.
Keywords: Silverfish, Rastrineobola argentea, drying, simulation, biomass | en_US |
