Development of an Internet of Things (IoT)- Based solar chilli pepper dryer

Abstract

Potassium found in chilli pepper works in conjunction with folate to lower the risk of developing heart disease in human. Because of this, its storage and consumption are inevitable. There are a lot of disadvantages to drying it in the sunlight. These include animal interference, pest infestation and dust accumulation. Therefore, this study describes the development of a solar dryer that combines solar energy with Internet of Things (IoT) for effective preservation of chilli pepper. The developed semiautomated solar dryer has sensors and a networked architecture that allows it to monitor humidity and temperature in real time. It includes dual-step DC fan motors and incandescent light bulbs that react dynamically to environmental changes. It is enhanced by an intelligent control system that makes use of a microcontroller. Through precise fan speed adjustments based on temperature and humidity criteria, the system's programming maximizes airflow and speeds up the drying process without sacrificing quality. The dryer effectively removed moisture from chilli pepper either with or without temperature enhancement. For 200g, 400g, 600g, 800g and 1000g specimens of chilli pepper, the average drying time when the dryer was operated with and without additional heat source are 55.2 hours and 62.8 hours respectively. This implies that the moisture removal process was faster when the dryer was operated with additional heat source than when it was operated without the additional heat source. The developed dryer successfully provides clean and speedy drying thereby enhancing the preservation of chilli pepper.