PAU inks pact for licensing of solar dryer technology

Ludhiana : The Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) entered into an agreement with Vishivkarma Solar Energy Corporation, Phillaur, Jalandhar, for licensing of evacuated tube collector solar dryer technology. Dr Navtej Singh Bains, Director of Research, PAU, and Mr Vijay Dhiman from Vishivkarma Solar Energy Corporation signed the memorandum of agreement on behalf of their respective organizations. It is worth mentioning that this technology has been jointly developed by Dr Sukhmeet Singh, Dr V.S. Hans, Dr R.S. Gill and Dr Manpreet Singh, experts from the Department of Renewable Energy Engineering, PAU.

Dr Bains congratulated the proprietors for sharing responsibility of disseminating the technologies, developed by PAU.

Dr Ashok Kumar, Dean, College of Engineering and Technology, said in comparison to the open sun, drying in this solar dryer results in better quality and reduces drying time by 72 per cent. This dryer has payback period of about 360 drying days, he added.

Dr Sukhmeet Singh, Senior Research Engineer-cum-Head, Department of Mechanical Engineering, PAU, informed that the evacuated tube collector solar dryer technology is a medium capacity solar dryer, capable of drying upto 40 kg of fresh product in about 2-5 sunny days. “Its aperture area is 1.4 sq m and is made of highly efficient evacuated tubes that are open at both the ends. It has a fan powered with solar photovoltaic panel. It needs shadow free area of 2m x 2.5m. Drying product is loaded in six perforated stainless steel trays each of size 66.5 cm x 51cm x 7cm high,” he said.

Dr V.S. Hans, Head, Department of Renewable Energy Engineering, informed that its approximate cost is Rs 45,000/-.

Dr S.S. Chahal, Adjunct Professor, Technology Marketing and IPR Cell, said  PAU has signed 205 MoAs and commercialized 48 technologies including hybrid lines of mustard, maize, chilli and brinjal; bio-fertilizers; leaf colour chart; forced circulation solar dryer; advanced domestic solar dryer; low alcoholic naturally carbonated beverage; sugarcane juice bottling technology; water testing kit and apple cider. The University has also inked pact to commercialize other technologies including vegetable washing machine, honey heating-cum-filtration, PAU Super SMS, Rooftop Vegetable Nutrition Garden Model using soilless media, etc., he added.