UA Applied sciences has developed PV-powered crop dehydration merchandise that don’t require oil and fuel gasoline.
From pv journal USA
JUA Applied sciences, an agriculture know-how startup that manufactures solar-powered crop dehydrators, has acquired a two-year, $600,000 Part II Small Enterprise Innovation Analysis (SBIR) grant from the US Division of Agriculture to develop its know-how.
The objective of the Part II mission, titled Good Multipurpose Photo voltaic Dehydration System for Worth Addition to Specialty Crops, is proof of idea to product-design enhancements and design for the corporate’s manufacturing of a multipurpose photo voltaic dryer, known as Dehymeleon. .
“That is an energy-intensive course of with excessive working prices as a result of meals dehydrators are normally powered by fuel, electrical energy or gasoline oil,” mentioned Dr. Klein E. Ileleji, chief govt officer and co-founder of JUA Applied sciences, and likewise a professor of agricultural and organic engineering at Purdue College. “Excessive working prices restrict the flexibility of small and midsize growers and processors within the US to supply dehydrated meals. Small growers and processors are important to the native meals and agriculture trade in city areas, which is at the moment a $1 billion and rising trade within the US.
In creating tropical nations, the place the post-harvest lack of horticultural merchandise could be as excessive as 50%, dehydrating meals utilizing photo voltaic vitality not solely helps help the safety of diet however can even give growers the chance to extend their earnings from value-added processing.
Ileleji mentioned dehydration of fruit and veggies, herbs and spices, and medicinal crops nonetheless takes place utilizing previous, open solar drying strategies on mats or trays that spoil the vitamins and cut back meals high quality.
“Whereas there are various photo voltaic dryer designs obtainable within the literature and on-line, none of them have been commercialized or utilized in giant portions,” mentioned Ileleji.
JUA Applied sciences’ proposed high-efficiency multipurpose photo voltaic dehydrator matches the priorities of the US Division of Agriculture (USDA) and the Nationwide Institute of Meals and Agriculture in 4 methods:
- Improved strategies of processing specialty crops to enhance high quality and dietary worth.
- Allows small and medium-sized growers so as to add worth to their crops and enhance farm earnings.
- Vitality conservation and decreased working prices.
- Vitality environment friendly know-how promotes using renewable vitality and helps environmental sustainability
The USDA SBIR grant will cowl 4 analysis and growth aims. Ileleji mentioned the aims will likely be addressed by JUA Applied sciences and contract manufacturing and product engineering design corporations:
- Modeling and simulation to optimize photo voltaic dehydrator efficiency
- Figuring out the conduct and efficiency of a desiccant and heat-recovery system underneath totally different drying masses
- Figuring out area efficiency and validation modeling efforts for fruits, greens, spices and herbs in Indiana and California
- Beta prototyping for manufacturing
In January 2021, Ileleji integrated Dehytech East Africa Restricted as a subsidiary of JUA Applied sciences. Dehytech is accountable for the import, distribution, advertising, gross sales and coordination of coaching and technical companies for JUA Applied sciences’ photo voltaic meals dryers, Dehytray and different merchandise serving the East African area. .
In 2019, JUA Applied sciences acquired an preliminary $100,000 SBIR Part I grant from the USDA and a $50,000 funding from Elevate Ventures.
This 12 months the US Small Enterprise Administration acknowledged Ileleji as Indiana and the Nice Lakes Regional Exporter of the 12 months, for the deployment of its moveable photo voltaic dehydrator, Dehytray.
“Each Dehytray and Dehymeleon applied sciences come from the US Company for Worldwide Improvement (USAID)-supported effort known as Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Meals Processing and Submit-Harvest Dealing with,” mentioned Ileleji. “This can be a multi-institutional effort led by Purdue College to cut back postharvest losses, promote financial progress, enhance diet and enhance meals safety in Feed the Future goal nations.
West Lafayette, Indiana-based JUA Applied sciences was shaped in 2016 by Dr. Ileleji and spouse Dr. Reiko Ileleji as an affiliate of Purdue Foundry. The corporate’s PV-enabled dehydrating applied sciences are designed for households, small and medium-sized agricultural and rising processes.
Its first product, Dehytray, is bought in 28 states in addition to greater than 10 nations, and retails for about $139.50 on the corporate’s web site and numerous retailers comparable to Walmart. In 2017, the corporate’s prototype know-how was one of many Prime 10 improvements to obtain awards on the first All-African Submit-Harvest Congress and Exhibit, held in Nairobi, Kenya.
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