Applications of software in solar drying systems: A review

This review paper is focused on the application of software in solar drying systems. The application of software is very important to develop and analyze the mathematical models and predicting the performance of different kinds of solar drying systems. It is also useful for predicting the crop temperature, moisture content and drying rate, drying kinetics, and color of the crop. Computational fluid dynamics can be used for the analysis and investigation of air flow and temperature distribution pattern through appropriate simulation with the help ANSYS and FLUENT. MATIAB and FORTRAN are very useful tools to develop mathematical models for prediction the crop temperature, air temperature, the moisture evaporated. It is also very useful for training and testing of various models. For statistical data analysis, statistical software SPSS, Sigma Plot V and Statistica. All recent employed software and their utility in solar drying systems are emphasized in this communication. This comprehensive review of the various software applications in different solar drying systems is useful for academician, scientist and researchers. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.