Comparison of drying behaviour, quality and yield of copra processed in either a solar hybrid dryer on in an improved copra kiln

Drying copra in a solar hybrid dryer reduces the moisture content from around 50% to 7% after 71 h of continuous drying. The copra was graded as 73% white copra, 21% Milling Ordinary Grade II (M.O.GII) and the remaining 6% M.O.GIII (dusty copra). Thermal efficiency was about 10%. In the Coconut Research Institute copra kiln, the moisture content of copra was reduced from around 52% to 8% in 62 h of intermittent dying. The copra was graded as about 82% M.O.GI and the remaining 18% M.O.GIII (burnt copra). Thermal efficiency was about 15.5%. High quality white copra could be processed in solar hybrid drying. However, no white copra could be processed in kiln drying.