Finding Critical Factors for Developing Dynamic Models to Optimize Greenhouse Solar Dryer’s Environmental Conditions

This paper is focused on the formulation of a mathematical model for greenhouse solar dryer systems in the context of determining the principal drivers of efficiency of the solar dryer. The model was built by evaluating the correlation coefficients of each term and only those terms which had high levels of significance were retained. To test this model, experiments were replicated with measurements being taken in the different sections of the greenhouse to provide a large spectrum of the environmental conditions involved. The values of the technical coefficients are predicated on internal air temperature, humidity ratio and weight of the product with fixed scales, avoiding sophisticated complex models prone to overfitting. By using terms with high correlation, the model is less likely to be affected by outliers and total correlation or cross correlation is low, thereby making the model practical. The outcomes of this research, therefore, offer a scientifically viable and a practical approach to enhancing drying processes in greenhouse solar dryer systems.