Solar powered fruit and nut dryer by Telia Curtis

Drying fruits and nuts now will be a solar powered affair, as designer Telia Curtis, 29, a UNSW photovoltaic and solar energy engineering student developed a solar crop dryer. This dryer will help families to dry and sell the abundant fruits and nuts found through the South Pacific island nation, giving the people of Vanuatu a source of living. The dryer uses some pretty easily found materials like bamboo, wood, corrugated iron and polythene film. It works with solar powered fans for forced convection. To dry up, fruits and other products are to be laid out on mesh trays while air is forced over them to extract moisture from the foods, leaving them stone dry in the bargain. This one works out cheaper and creates a lesser carbon footprint than the electric dryers usually used. We just love the thought put into this design by Curtis, and hope these units hit production lines soon.
[Physorg]