Intensification of crop production drying using solar radiation power

Abstract

When fossil fuel is used for energy production, various pollutants are discharged into the air, including CO2.the increase in concentration of which promotes climate changes. The article analyses the capabilities of use the wolar energy radiation for crop production drying. The distribution intensity of the perennial solar jstr jy radiation in the territory of Lithuania is analysed. It is established that the Western regions of the country havea greatest prospects in solar energy application; its intensity in the central part of the country is approximately less than 5 % and it is the least in the Eastern region. The researches were conducted in the chemists herbal material drying room using the solar collector of 131 m2 net usable space. It is found thei degree of heating of air flowing through the solar collector depends on the air stream and the solar radiation intensity. With the short-term variations in the solar radiation intensity, the heating of injection air {drier} in the collector changes insignificantly:these variations are compensated by the accumulated heat of the solar collector structural unitss and the absorber.The goal of the paper is to determine the efficiency of use of solar radiation forcrop production drying.