Abstract The biomass-based dryer of agricultural produces is a reliable and consistent drying solution for the regions with abundant rainfall to reduce post-harvest losses. It is known that performances of dryers vary depending on the use of energy storage materials and associated thermal profiles. This article proposes the design of a biomass-fueled natural convection dryer and the thermal stress analysis of its structures based on the space-time geometry considering multidimensional temperature fields. We present the computational analysis of the thermal profiles of the dryer integrating the energy storage materials. The experiments are conducted under different conditions such as, (a) without thermal storage materials, (b) using paraffin wax or pebbles as energy storage materials, and (c) using both the energy storage materials in a mix. Results indicate that combining thermal storage materials yields maximum heat retention, maintaining higher temperatures for longer time duration. Thermal stress analysis confirms that all dryer components remain structurally safe under operating temperatures, with manageable thermal stresses and adequate allowances for expansion ensuring stable and reliable performance. Furthermore, we present the topological analysis of heat distribution profiles of drying trays placed in the drying chamber providing analytical insights. We show that there is an interplay between various uniformities of thermal profiles and the topological formulations exposing several interesting properties, which would lead to the improved design for better utilization of available thermal energy in the drying chamber.
Deb et al. (2026) studied this question.