Heat Transfer Analysis on Coconut Shell Biomass Energy Source Heat Exchanger Design for Small-Scale Drying

The document already contains an explicit abstract. A cleaned-up version is: The use of fossil and solar energy sources in post-harvest operations by small farmers has drawbacks: fossil energy is increasingly expensive, while solar drying is highly weather-dependent. To address this, research was conducted on using coconut shell biomass as an energy source, on a small scale and intended for small farmers. The tool’s design is adapted so that small farmers can easily operate it. Testing was conducted through heat transfer analysis of converting coconut shell biomass into thermal energy using tube-bank heat exchangers placed in the combustion furnace. The test results showed that the average ambient temperature of 30 °C increased to 162 °C, a level that can be utilized for drying processes. The heat generated from burning coconut shells reached 341 °C. Coconut shells are agricultural waste, abundantly available as a by-product of coconuts. Direct combustion of coconut shell biomass in a furnace, coupled with a heat exchanger, can produce a heat flow rate of 233.29 W, offering a post-harvest solution for small farmers through biomass energy conversion with heat exchanger applications.