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Effect of Relative Humidity on Oven Temperature of A Locally Design Solar

Carbinet Dryer

Article · January 2013

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 Global Journal of Science Frontier Research
Physics and Space Science
Volume 13 Issue 1 Version 1.0 Year 2013
Type : Double Blind Peer Reviewed International Research Journal
Publisher: Global Journals Inc. (USA)
Online ISSN: 2249-4626 & Print ISSN: 0975-5896

Effect of Relative Humidity on Oven Temperature of Locally

Design Solar Carbinet Dryer
By Ajadi, D. A & Sanusi, Y. K.
Ladoke Akintola University
Abstract - Among other atmospheric factors, relative humidity of the air plays an important role in
the drying by solar radiation. The effect of relative humidity over oven temperature was
investigated in this work. This study reveals that is a relationship between relative humidity and
temperature.From the work done it has been found out that the higher the temperature the lower
the relative humidity and hence the faster the drying rate of the material. It was also observed that
the time, at which the maximum temperature was obtained, the relative humidity was minimum.
Throughout the period of the research the oven temperature was higher than the ambient
temperature while the ambient relative humidity is higher than the oven relative humidity.
Keywords : relative humidity, oven temperature, solar dryer, drying rate, atmospheric factors.
GJSFR-A Classification : FOR Code: 020504

Effect of Relative Humidity on Oven Temperature of Locally Design Solar Carbinet Dryer

Strictly as per the compliance and regulations of :

© 2013. Ajadi, D. A & Sanusi, Y. K. This is a research/review paper, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons
Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 Unported License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/), permitting all non commercial
use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
 Effect of Relative Humidity on Oven
Temperature of Locally Design Solar Carbinet
Dryer
Ajadi, D. A α & Sanusi, Y. K. σ

Abstract - Among other atmospheric factors, relative humidity humidity, the drier the air. There two ways of expressing

Year 2013
of the air plays an important role in the drying by solar humidity (or Relative Humidity, RH) the most useful is a
radiation. The effect of relative humidity over oven
ratio of the water vapour in air to air which is fully
temperature was investigated in this work. This study reveals
that is a relationship between relative humidity and saturated with water vapour. The temperature of the air
temperature.From the work done it has been found out that affects the humidity (higher temperatures reduce the
the higher the temperature the lower the relative humidity and humidity and allow the air to carry more water), 13
hence the faster the drying rate of the material. It was also (Practical Action). Rapid dehydration is desirable: The

XII Issue I Version I

observed that the time, at which the maximum temperature higher the temperature and the lower the humidity, the
was obtained, the relative humidity was minimum. Throughout more rapid the rate of dehydration will be. Humid air
the period of the research the oven temperature was higher slows down evaporation. If drying takes place too fast,
than the ambient temperature while the ambient relative however, ‘case hardening’ will occur.This means that the
humidity is higher than the oven relative humidity.
cells on the outside of the pieces of food give up
Keywords : relative humidity, oven temperature, solar moisture faster than the cells on the inside. The surface
dryer, drying rate, atmospheric factors. becomes hard, preventing the escape of moisture from

Global Journal of Science Frontier Research ( A ) Volume XIII

the inside (Drying Food).
I. Introduction
The review of literature revealed some limited

D
rying is used to remove water from foods for two work on this area; however post – harvest machine
reasons: to prevent (to inhibit) micro – organisms designed with their data cannot function effectively
and hence preserve the food and to reduce the because of the peculiar agro climatic conditions of a
weight and bulk of food to cheaper transport and particular area (Ndirika and Oyeleke, 2006). Various
storage. When carried out correctly, the nutritional studies on the drying of biomaterials indicate that drying
quality, colour, flavor and texture of dehydrated foods constant and drying rate are important factors in
are slightly less than fresh food but, for most people, predicting the drying time of biomaterials (Brooker et al.
this has only minor nutritional significance as dried 1992). The importance of drying constant in relation to
foods from one component in the diet. However if drying handling processing and design of post harvest
is carried out incorrectly there is a greater loss of machine is justified.
nutritional and eating quantities and more seriously, a In this work the effect of relative humidity on
risk of microbial spoilage and possibly even food oven temperature of a locally designed solar cabinet
poisoning (Practical Action). dryer was studied with the main chamber that supplying
Tropical countries are characterized by relative heat energy required by the drying chamber of the dryer.
high ambient temperature, relative humidity and rainfall.
In these countries agricultural products are harvested all
II. Materials and Methods
year round and must be dried immediately to reduce The solar dryer used in this work was designed
mass losses and prevent spoilage. These losses might by Ajadi and Adelabu (2003). The distance between the
occur as a result of microbial activities, especially mould glass cover and the absorber plate was fixed for 4 cm
(Ndukwu, 2009). (Ajadi, 2007). This region is known as absorption region
For effective drying, air should be hot, dry and which allows maximum absorption and emission of the
moving. These factors are inter – related and it is sun radiation, and thus the absorber plate acts as a
important that each factor is correct: for example cold perfect blackbody. The solar dryer was positioned in an
moving air or hot, wet moving air is unsatisfactory. The open space and protected against all obstruction of
dryness of air is termed humidity – the lower the shades to allow maximum sun radiation to fall on the
surface of the glass through out the day between 8.00
Author α σ : Department of Pure and Applied Physics Ladoke Akintola
am and 6.00 pm local time. The dryer was cleaned from
University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Nigeria. dust effect (Ajadi et al, 2007) before each day readings
E-mail : [email protected] are recorded.

© 2013 Global Journals Inc. (US)

 Effect of Relative Humidity on Oven Temperature of A Locally Design Solar Carbinet Dryer

The experiment was performed during the

hammattan season for a period of 21 days in the month 13.5 32.2 32.9
of January 2009. Electronic digital multi-meter which is 14.0 32.8 33.5
of 5 in 1 Auto Ranging Digital Multi-meter with number 14.5 33.7 34.2
MS 8209, was used to determine the humidity for 15.0 34.2 35.0
ambient (Ha) and oven (Ho). The same instrument was 15.5 33.7 34.6
used to determine the temperature of the ambient (Ta) 16.0 32.4 34.0
and oven (To) respectively. The readings were taken at
16.5 31.8 33.6
an interval of 30 minutes for each day. The results are
17.0 30.0 32.2
tabulated below.
17.5 29.7 30.8
18.0 27.4 29.5
III. Results and Discussion
Year 2013

Table 3 : Ambient Relative Humidity and Oven Relative

Table 1 : Oven Relative Humidity and Oven
Humidity
Temperature
14 Time Ho(%) To(oC) Time Ha(%) Ho(%)
8.0 70.2 26.4 8.0 70.8 70.2
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8.5 66.5 27.1 8.5 68.1 66.5

9.0 62.8 27.5 9.0 64.6 62.8
9.5 60.2 28.1 9.5 62.3 60.2
10.0 57.1 28.7 10.0 59.4 57.1
10.5 55.2 29.1 10.5 57.0 55.2
11.0 52.7 29.7 11.0 54.6 52.7
Global Journal of Science Frontier Research ( A ) Volume XIII

11.5 49.8 30.2 11.5 51.3 49.8

12.0 48.1 31.6 12.0 50.6 48.1
12.5 45.2 32.1 12.5 47.8 45.2
13.0 40.6 32.6 13.0 44.3 40.6
13.5 39.8 32.9 13.5 40.7 39.8
14.0 39.0 33.5 14.0 39.5 39.0
14.5 37.1 34.2 14.5 38.8 37.1
15.0 37.6 35.0 15.0 38.9 37.6
15.5 38.9 34.6 15.5 40.7 38.9
16.0 40.4 34.0 16.0 42.8 40.4
16.5 43.1 33.6 16.5 43.9 43.1
17.0 44.5 32.2 17.0 45.2 44.5
17.5 45.1 30.8 17.5 45.8 45.1
18.0 44.9 29.5 18.0 46.1 44.9

Table 2 : Ambient Temperature and Oven Temperature

Time Ta(oC) To(oC)
8.0 26.0 26.4
8.5 26.7 27.1
9.0 27.0 27.5
9.5 27.6 28.1
10.0 28.2 28.7
10.5 28.4 29.1
11.0 29.9 29.7
11.5 29.8 30.2
12.0 30.8 31.6
12.5 31.5 32.1
13.0 31.9 32.6

© 2013 Global Journals Inc. (US)

 Effect of Relative Humidity on Oven Temperature of A Locally Design Solar Carbinet Dryer

80

70

Oven Relative Humidity (%) and Temperature(oC)

60

50

Year 2013
40

30

Ho 15
20
To

XII Issue I Version I

10

0
0 5 10 15 20 25

Global Journal of Science Frontier Research ( A ) Volume XIII

Local Time in half - hour interval

(7)

Figure 1 : Oven Humidity and Oven Temperature aganist Time

Figure 1 display the graph showing the average

daily variation of the relative humidity and temperature
with time as obtained from Table 1 above. Both graphs
follow the normal polynomial curve of degree five with R2
= 0.99. The curves show that at about 14 hour local
time, the humidity shows minimum point while the
temperature shows maximum point. From this graph it
could be observed that the higher the temperature
recorded the lower the relative humidity before the
minimum/maximum point and vice versa after the point.
This can be explained from the expression for relative
humidity given as:
Actual Vapoure Pressure
RelativeHumidity = (1)
Saturated Vapoure Pressure

This is because increase in temperature raises

saturated vapour pressure, which leads to reduction in
the relative humidity as seen in Equation 1 above.
Hence the higher the temperature observed the lower
the relative humidity.

© 2013 Global Journals Inc. (US)

 Effect of Relative Humidity on Oven Temperature of A Locally Design Solar Carbinet Dryer

40.0

35.0
Ta
To
Ambient and Oven Temperature (oC)

30.0

25.0
Year 2013

20.0

15.0

16
10.0
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5.0

0.0
0.0 5.0 10.0 15.0 20.0
Global Journal of Science Frontier Research ( A ) Volume XIII

Local Time in half - hour interval

Figure 2 : Ambient temperature and Oven Temperature aganist Time
Figure 2 display the graph showing the average time, both curves are at maximum point. It is observed
daily variation of the ambient and oven temperature with that the temperature of the oven is always higher than
time as obtained from Table 2 above. Both curves follow the temperature of the ambient (environment), this
the normal polynomial curve of degree five with R2 = shows that drying in the oven will be faster than that in
0.99. The curves also show that at about 14 hour local the open air drying.
80

70
Ambient and Oven Relative Humidity (%)

60

50
Ha

40 Ho

30

20

10

0
0.0 5.0 10.0 15.0 20.0
Local Time in half - hour interval
Figure 3 : Ambient Humidity and Oven Humidity aganist Time
© 2013 Global Journals Inc. (US)
 Effect of Relative Humidity on Oven Temperature of A Locally Design Solar Carbinet Dryer

Figure 3 display the graph showing the average Relationships with moisture Content for Millet
daily variation of the ambient and oven relative humidity (PennisetumGlaucoma L.) Applied Engineering in
with time as obtained from Table 3 above. Here it is Agriculture 22(2) pp 291 – 297.
observed that the relative humidity of the oven is always
lower than the relative humidity of the ambient
(environment) which in turn favours the drying rate or
reduce the drying time of the dryer for better dried
products. The twocurves follow the normal polynomial
curve of degree five with R2 = 0.99. The curves also
show that at about 14 hour local time, both curves are at
minimum point.

IV. Conclusion

Year 2013
The relative humidity plays an important role in
solar drying to achieve good quality dried products. In
view of this, the effect of relative humidity on oven
temperature of a locally designed solar cabinet dryer 17
was experimentally studies. Based on the results
obtained, it has been found that out the higher the

XII Issue I Version I

temperature the lower the relative humidity and hence
the faster the drying rate of the material. Also it was
observed that the time, at which the maximum
temperature was obtained, the relative humidity was
minimum. Throughout the period of the research the
oven temperature was higher than the ambient

Global Journal of Science Frontier Research ( A ) Volume XIII

temperature while the ambient relative humidity was
higher than the oven relative humidity.

References Références Referencias

1. Ajadi D. A. and Adelabu J. S. A. (2003)

Performance of a Locally Designed Solar Dryer.
Zuma Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences Vol.
5(2). Pp 128 – 132.
2. Ajadi D. A (2007) Determination of the Optimum
Distance between Glass Cover and the Absorber
(Collector) Plate of a Solar Dryer. Research Journal
of Applied Sciences. 2 (3) pp 246 – 250. © Medwell
Journals.
3. Ajadi D. A, Fajinmi G. R, and Sanusi Y. K. (2007)
Effect of Dust on the Performance of a Locally
Designed Solar Dryer. Research Journal of Applied
Sciences. 2 (3) pp 251 – 254. © Medwell Journals.
4. Brooker D. B, Bakker – Arhema F. W, and Hall C. W.
(1992) Drying and Storage of Grain and oil seeds.
AV 1 Book, New York pp 205 – 237.
5. Drying Food (2011) University of Illinois at Urbana
Champaign, College of Agriculture Comparative
Extension Services, and Circular 1227.
6. Ndukwu M. C. (2009) Effect of Drying Temperature
and Drying Air Velocity on the Drying Rate and
Drying Constant of Cocoa Bean. Agricultural
Engineering International: the CIGR E – journal
Manuscript 1091, Vol. X1.
7. Ndirika V. I. O, Oyeleke O. O. (2006) Determination
of Selected Physical Properties and their

© 2013 Global Journals Inc. (US)

 Year 2013 Effect of Relative Humidity on Oven Temperature of A Locally Design Solar Carbinet Dryer

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