Gurugram-based firm devises dryer that works without electricity

Gurugram-based Pluss Advanced Technologies has designed a dryer that can work without electricity. The dryer can be used for various agricultural applications.

The tool uses “phase change materials” that absorb and release thermal energy.

The materials help store “excess” heat generated during the peak daytime hours and release the heat at night. Thus, the dryer has a uniform 24x7 drying effect. 

Controlling temperature

The “phase change materials” used includes water, which can be converted from liquid to solid form at 0°C. When water (converted to ice) is put in a glass at room temperature, it absorbs heat and changes its phase again, while cooling the glass contents. This phenomenon can be used to maintain a constant temperature without electricity. 

“Temperature at the farm level can be controlled in a sustainable way by storing heat and cold using different materials. The release of thermal energy helps maintain constant temperature without electricity,” said  Samit Jain, Managing Director of Pluss Advanced Technologies.

The Gurugram-based firm was producing materials that could save energy at different temperatures, but then changed course to make a device that could be put to diverse applications. The materials used could maintain temperatures at 40 different ranges.

Improving quality

“We decided to produce three or four products in cold chain logistics, life sciences and medical devices, buildings, and food and agriculture. We finally came up with two applications -- the dryer and a cold room to prevent food loss,” he said. 

Samit Jain, Managing Director, Pluss Advanced Technologies

The dryer gives better quality dried agri-produce with higher nutritional value, aroma and taste, owing to controlled drying with fewer temperature fluctuations, Jain said.

“Also, the time taken to dry the produce is lesser than that for conventional drying,” he said.

Finding uses

The dryer has now found use in drying moringa leaves, okra (lady’s finger), guar (cluster beans), pineapple slices, Turkish berry, amla (gooseberries), copra, papad and sesame (til or gingelly) across the country. It is also used for drying spices and fruits such as mangoes.

The dryer has been installed at 6-7 places in Tamil Nadu including Karur, Thiruvallur and Chengalpattu, at two places, including Medak, in Telangana, 10 places in the North-East, including Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram, and two places in Karnataka. 

Explaining the benefits of the dryer, Jain said in the North-East a single pineapple was being sold for ₹10. “But when it is dried in States such as Mizoram and Arunachal and packaged for sale at tourism outlets, a pineapple fetches ₹50. Actually, pineapple contains 60-70 per cent water. So, some 200 grams are being sold at a higher price,” he said. 

Market link: a challenge

Similarly, moringa leaves are dried at a controlled temperature using the dryer in Medak. This also helps in retaining the colour. 

In Tamil Nadu, the Murugappa Chettiar Polytechnic college in suburban Avadi has procured the dryer, which will be installed at its research centre to improve the livelihood of farmers. Crops that are likely to benefit from the dryer are bitter gourd, chilli, neem and moringa.

Despite the success of the dryer, the challenge is market linkage to get buyers for dried agri-produce. “Organisations such as Khadi Gramodyog and Fabindia could consider sourcing dried fruits such as mango or banana since they have the network to source products from the rural community,” Jain said. 

The National Research Centre for Banana (NRCB) in Trichy has installed 2-3 dryers to conduct research on the drying of banana varieties.

Pluss Advanced Technologies has spent ₹2-4 crore over the last 2-3 years to develop the dryer, Jain said, adding that his firm was also making portable boxes that maintain a constant temperature. 

It will work like a small cooler keeping the temperature below 10 degrees Celsius for 8-10 hours so that farmers or vendors can carry it in their vehicles. It will serve as a sort of cold chain at the farm level, he said. 

COMMENT NOW