Iranian Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers (IRSHRAE) Journal of Renewable and New Energy 2423-4931 6 1 2019 03 21 A comprehensive review on different kinds of solar dryers and their performance A comprehensive review on different kinds of solar dryers and their performance 47 55 81999 FA Habibollah Abbasi Department of Chemical Engineering, Jundi-Shapur University of Technology, Dezful, Iran. Hadi Shafiee Ghanavati Department of Chemical Engineering, Jundi-Shapur University of Technology, Dezful, Iran. Journal Article 2018 08 06 Solar radiation use for drying is one of the oldest applications of solar energy. The high availability of solar energy and the rapid reduction of fossil fuels have attracted much attention to developing large-scale solar systems. An efficient dryer is able to increase the quality and quantity of the product and reduce the drying time. In fact, reducing energy consumption is an effective way to reduce costs. In general, solar dryers are low capacity equipment which made based on empirical and quasi-experimental data and theoretical designs. Generally, the drying sector is one of the major energy consumers in the world. Considering the growth of the energy crisis, reducing energy consumption in this sector by using solar energy can guarantee the containment of this global crisis. One of the biggest benefits of solar energy is its endlessness and its full availability, but its disadvantages can be the absence of this energy during night and difference in its amount in different hours of the day. Design of hybrid solar dryers and using of energy saving batteries containing phase change material can be used to solve the above mentioned disadvantages.  To solve this problem, energy-saving batteries containing phase-change material can be used to store additional daily heat and use it during the night. In this paper, different drying methods and a different kinds of solar dryers will be described. The special solar panels and solar complexes used in drying and the methods of connecting different solar dryers are also reviewed. The latest applied examples are also presented. Solar radiation use for drying is one of the oldest applications of solar energy. The high availability of solar energy and the rapid reduction of fossil fuels have attracted much attention to developing large-scale solar systems. An efficient dryer is able to increase the quality and quantity of the product and reduce the drying time. In fact, reducing energy consumption is an effective way to reduce costs. In general, solar dryers are low capacity equipment which made based on empirical and quasi-experimental data and theoretical designs. Generally, the drying sector is one of the major energy consumers in the world. Considering the growth of the energy crisis, reducing energy consumption in this sector by using solar energy can guarantee the containment of this global crisis. One of the biggest benefits of solar energy is its endlessness and its full availability, but its disadvantages can be the absence of this energy during night and difference in its amount in different hours of the day. Design of hybrid solar dryers and using of energy saving batteries containing phase change material can be used to solve the above mentioned disadvantages.  To solve this problem, energy-saving batteries containing phase-change material can be used to store additional daily heat and use it during the night. In this paper, different drying methods and a different kinds of solar dryers will be described. The special solar panels and solar complexes used in drying and the methods of connecting different solar dryers are also reviewed. The latest applied examples are also presented. https://www.jrenew.ir/article_81999_9a9b567e52d8f0f5e088f20ca5b8a7d2.pdf