Design and simulation of a biomass powered dryer for silver fish (Rastrineobola argentea).

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