Advances in Solar Drying Technologies with Integrated Energy Storage for Agricultural Products: A Comprehensive Review

Engineering notes

Engineering notes will be added by the Power for Solar editorial team.

Chinese explanation / 中文解读

中文解读待补充：本站会优先为光伏效率、钙钛矿太阳能电池、储能技术、太阳能热利用、BIPV、并网技术等高价值论文补充中文说明。

Original abstract

Purpose: This paper aims to investigate current trends in solar drying systems, particularly hybrid systems, the incorporation of energy storage, and improved modelling techniques to enhance the efficiency and quality of drying processes. Design/Methodology/Approach: This study adopts a systematic literature review (SLR) approach, complemented by elements of narrative synthesis, to critically examine advances in modern solar drying technologies for processing agricultural products. The search was conducted across major scientific databases, including Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and IEEE Xplore, to ensure comprehensive coverage of both high-impact 250 journal articles used for the evaluation. The extracted data were analysed thematically to enable cross-comparison of design configurations. Research Limitation: In this article, the experimental and numerical studies on solar drying technologies, hybrid energy systems, and thermal energy storage are reviewed. Furthermore, most of the studies undertaken are limited to laboratory-scale experiments. Findings: According to the reviewed studies, forced convection and hybrid solar drying systems significantly improve drying performance compared to conventional solar dryers. TES or PCM integration improves thermal stability and drying efficiency, with reported thermal and drying efficiencies of around 77%. The energy and exergy analysis indicates better sustainability indices, lower specific energy consumption, and a shorter economic payback period. Practical Implication: Advanced solar drying technologies are, to a large extent, promising for sustainable food processing, reducing post-harvest losses, and adding value to agricultural by-products. Social Implication: In rural areas, advanced solar drying techniques can help reduce post-harvest losses, improve food preservation, and support sustainable rural growth. The usage of solar drying systems promotes clean energy utilisation. It also reduces the dependence on fossil fuels and creates value-added opportunities from agricultural waste products. Originality/Value: The study also highlights the integration of AI-based and computational optimisation techniques, such as EPR, SVM, ANN, and CFD, to improve energy efficiency, drying performance, and the sustainability of modern solar drying systems.

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