This dryer features an indirect, solar heating component
and a separate drying chamber which houses five product
trays. The two components were designed to be detachable
for easier maintenance and mobility as needed. A thermal
rock storage bed was also integrated into the cabinet in
order to collect heat during sunlight exposure and
subsequently dissipate heat at night, during cloud cover, or
in inclement weather. Specific design parameters were
determined from a modified series of thermodynamic
calculations originally proposed by Ampratwum (1998).
This adapted approach took into account a variety of
factors including the physical properties of mangoes, the
local production capabilities of small Haitian villages, the
characteristics of previously reported solar systems in
literature and Haitian environmental conditions