Techno-economic analysis of a solar-assisted heat pump dryer for drying agricultural products.

Postharvest losses (PHLs) of biomaterials, such as vegetables and fruits, significantly impact food security and economic stability in developing nations. In Tanzania, PHLs are estimated to range between 30% and 40% for cereal crops and even higher for perishable crops such as fruits and vegetables. Open-sun drying (OSD) is the most extensively employed method because of its affordability and simplicity. However, OSD has several drawbacks, including difficulties in managing drying parameters, long drying times owing to adverse weather, and product contamination. The solar-assisted heat pump dryer (SAHPD) is a technology designed as an alternative solution for drying biomaterials and reducing PHL. A limited number of SAHPDs have been constructed in developing nations. Most of the works have concentrated on the performance analysis of the systems. This neglects the techno-economic assessment, which is important to provide both a quantitative and qualitative understanding of the financial viability of the technology. The present study therefore investigates the techno-economic analysis of a novel SAHPD for drying agricultural products, particularly vegetables and fruits. To determine whether the SAHPD technology is technically and economically viable, tomatoes and carrots were dried and analyzed to determine their thermal and economic performance. The results show that the initial moisture contents of tomatoes (