Flat plate solar collectors for water heating in Kenyan rural and urban food processing plants
Abstract
The manufacturing industry accounted for 26% and 24% of the
wood fuel and petroleum products consumed in Kenya in 1980,
respectively. There is a need to reduce the consumption of
both wood fuel and petroleum products in Kenya. Since food
processing is the most prominent activity of the Kenyan manufacturing
sector, a reduction of wood fuel and petroleum products
consumption in the food processing industry will have a significant
impact on the total consumption of these energy resources.
A large quantity of hot water is used in food processing plants
at temperatures which can easily be attained by flat plate solar
collectors. Some flat plate solar collectors were tested and
their thermal performance determined in terms of the well known
Hottel-Whillier-Bliss equation. The long-term thermal performance
of the solar collectors at Kitale in western Kenya was estimated.
It was found that a single-glazed collector with a black-chrome
selective surface was the best performing flat plate collector
for delivery temperatures of about 80De. It is concluded that
flat plate solar collectors can now be used to provide at least
part of the energy required for water heating in the Kenyan
food processing industry.
Citation
Proceedings of sub-regional Seminar on Solar Energy, Nairobi, 2-4Publisher
Department of Food Technology & Nutrition