Rubber wood is the traditional fuel used to dry rubber in Sri Lanka, but its increasing price has forced users
to consider alternative sources of energy. This paper reports and discusses the predictions of four solar
drying systems for crepe rubber in Sri Lanka made using the TRNSYS simulation program. The systems
modelled were (i) a solar water heater and storage tank, (ii) a separate solar air heater and storage tank, (iii)
a roof integrated solar air heater and rock storage and (iv) a greenhouse type structure. In the first three
systems, their performance was predicted varying the fluid flow rate, storage ratio and collector area. The
fourth system was simulated for its energy gain and distribution. A simple economic evaluation was been
carried out for the most promising configurations, and the systems were ranked according to their viability
for use in crepe drying based on technical, financial and practical considerations.