INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENERGY RESEARCH, vol.23, no.11, pp.941-948, 1999 (SCI-Expanded)
The aim of this study is to dry rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) by employing a solar energized system. For this purpose, an experimental apparatus was built in the Energy Research Laboratory of Mechanical Engineering Department, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, Turkey. The pre-treated fish samples were dried at 33–36°C with about 1·8 m/s air velocity in 3 days. Results showed that the samples dried very quickly in the first 15 h of drying then a slow process occurred. The drying process was completed in about 75 h. It was concluded that fish drying is possible in the North East Black Sea region or other areas with a similar climate by a solar energy system if an additional heater is used. This technique was found to be safe for changeable weathers as well as simple. This system has economical advantages compared to other methods applied alone, and can also be used for other drying applications