Numerical Investigation of Seasonal Performance of an Indirect Solar Dryer Using CFD
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33003/fjs-2026-1015-5848Keywords:
Indirect Solar Dryer, Numerical Simulation, Seasonal Performance, Flow Velocity, Temperature DistributionsAbstract
This study presents a numerical investigation of the seasonal performance of an indirect solar dryer using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) in COMSOL Multiphysics 5.6. The simulated dryer was evaluated for the dry, harmattan and rainy seasons in Kano, Northwestern Nigeria using outlet air velocity and temperature distribution as the principal performance indicators. At 35 min of simulation time, the predicted maximum outlet velocities were 27.9 m/s, 23.5 m/s and 22.8 m/s for the dry, harmattan and rainy seasons respectively. The corresponding seasonal ambient temperatures used as simulation inputs were 36.0 °C, 31.75 °C and 32.0 °C. The simulations produced maximum temperature values of 416.71 K, 399.19 K and 388.15 K for the dry, harmattan and rainy seasons respectively. These peak values are the maximum velocity outlet and temperature distribution predicted by the CFD model and the results indicate that seasonal environmental conditions substantially influence the predicted airflow and thermal fields of the dryer with the dry season producing the highest outlet velocity and temperature values. The study demonstrates the usefulness of CFD for assessing seasonal airflow and thermal behaviour of an indirect solar dryer before physical construction.
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