Abstract
An automated solar dryer was designed, constructed and tested under no-load condition and load condition. The components of the dryer include an electromagnetic actuator jack, electronic positional controller, magnetic compass, solar collector and drying cabinet. The actuator jack is designed in such a way that the collector angle varies automatically as the sun rises and sets. In this manner, the drying products get maximum heat energy from the sun rays at any given time. This technology enables the product to be left inside the dryer without any need for manual turning of the collector along the direction of the sun rays. In operation, the actuator jack receives a signal from the electronic positional controller and the resulting inward and outward movement of the jack leads to an angular displacement of 15o for every hour of drying. The result of no load test showed that the average air temperature inside the dryer was 66oC given a rise of 22oC over the ambient condition in Ilorin (42oC) at the time of testing. 1kg of cassava chips was dried to a moisture content of 11.1% (wb) in 9 hours showing that the dryer has performed satisfactorily and is recommended for cassava chips drying
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