An Experimental Study of a Solar Tomatoe Dryer Using Sierpinski Corrugated Carpets
Received: 15 December 2025 | Revised: 14 January 2026 | Accepted: 28 January 2026 | Online: 9 February 2026
Corresponding author: Lohdy Diana
Abstract
Solar dryers commonly have low heat transfer rates and non-uniform temperature distribution, which leads to reduced system efficiency. The performance of a solar dryer depends heavily on the design of the absorber plate, especially its ability to effectively capture and transfer solar heat. This study aims to enhance the efficiency of solar drying systems using tomatoes as the drying medium to provide a practical post-harvest processing solution for Indonesian farmers, who may experience significant financial losses during periods of drastic tomato price decline. The study used a Sierpinski carpet, a complex geometric structure, examining three fractal ratios (RF), with values of 1.0, 0.75, and 0.6. Experiments were conducted in a controlled laboratory setting using a solar simulator. Their results indicate that the Sierpinski V-wave solar collector with an RF of 0.6 achieved the highest thermal efficiency, obtaining a maximum value of 37.6%. Additionally, variations in radiation intensity were found to significantly influence the absorber plate temperature for the V-wave configuration. Compared with the other configuration, the maximum absorber plate temperature increased by approximately 9–12% among all evaluated designs. Overall, the results demonstrate that applying fractal-based Sierpinski carpet absorber plate designs, particularly with an RF of 0.6, can significantly improve heat absorption and temperature distribution, increasing the efficiency of solar air heaters.
Keywords:
solar energy, sierpinski carpet, absorber plate, thermal performance, efficiencyDownloads
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Copyright (c) 2026 Lohdy Diana, Arrad Ghani Safitra, Eny Kusumawati, Firman Yunan Saputra, Aji Sukma Famuja Al Mali’in
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