Experimental results at a pilot solar station used for curing tobacco in a bulk-curing system — Economic implications

Abstract This paper summarizes research activity between 1979 and 1981 with a view to give a better understanding of industrial solar tobacco curing installations and their operating conditions. A brief presentation of the operating regime of the installation and of the physical parameters measured, is followed by a detailed analysis of the experimental results obtained both in the collector field and ‘at the user’. The study of the thermal balance of the installation allows the specification of its thermal performance. The economic advisability of the installation is presented in terms of the reduction obtained in conventional fuel consumption.