Solar kiln dryers for timber and agricultural crops

Most of the available equipment for drying agricultural produce is too expensive and complicated for the majority of farmers in the world. The aim of the study was to design cheap and efficient methods of drying timber and agricultural crops with solar energy. The importance of solar kiln dryers for agricultural produce is discussed. Two solar kiln dryers built in the Department of Forest Resources Management, University of Ibadan, Nigeria, are described. One dries' timber and agricultural crops and the other dries only agricultural crops. The results show that the kilns dry the produce with no degradation in quality. Cost-benefit analyses are performed to determine economic feasibility.