Subject: Driers

From: [email-masked] (Paul Magnuson)
Date: Mon, 16 Jan 1995 10:27:51 +0000

Hi all

I apologise in advance if this is an FAQ.  If so I would appreciate
pointers in the right direction as I am a newcomer to this
community!

I am looking for designs and/or instructions for the construction of
driers/dessicators for agricultural produce.  I have in mind the
drying of small pieces of fruit, bunches of herbs etc.

Criteria: the design should be "bush-technology" (simple and cheap
to build, and simple to use), suitable for agricultural-development
application in the developing world; "efficiency" relative to first-
world solutions is not a particularly important factor.  Unless
someone has a brilliant new idea, I am looking preferably for tried
and trusted designs.  I am more interested in hearing from people who
can recommend good designs from their own experience than in
text-book solutions.

I have heard reference to an apparently very effective solar-drier
in use in Uganda.  This is the sort of thing I am looking for. 

Thanks in advance.
                    Paul
                    
Paul Magnuson                             [email-masked]
Honeybee Research Unit                    Plant Protection Res. Inst. 
Agricultural Research Council.            Private Bag X134
Tel. (012) 319 7113, Fax (012) 323 5275   Pretoria 0001 South Africa