Performance Evaluation of a Novel Hybrid Solar‐Assisted Infrared Dryer for Mizo Ginger Using Drying Kinetics, Mathematical Modeling, and Quality Analysis

Mizoram ginger, due to its high moisture content (80%–88% wb), is extremely perishable due to a lack of proper post‐harvest techniques, and as traditional open sun drying is ineffective, this study aims to develop an energy‐efficient, low‐cost solar‐assisted infrared dryer and investigate the drying of Mizo ginger. A low‐cost solar‐assisted infrared dryer was designed using the AutoCAD software and was fabricated. The Mizo ginger was dried in the developed dryer. The experimental data were fitted to six mathematical models to find the best‐fitted model. The ginger qualities, such as essential oil, oleoresin, and crude fiber content, were analyzed ( p < 0.01). The drying at 45°C in the developed dryer has a high essential oil content of 1.195% ± 0.001%, and oleoresin content of 4.02% ± 0.008%. Drying at 65°C in the developed dryer retained a high crude fiber content of 5.776% ± 0.005%. Mizo ginger dried using the developed dryer showed a high drying rate of 0.0805 (g water/(g dry matter.min)) at a temperature of 65°C. Wang and Singh was best fitted for the drying using the developed dryer at 45°C and 55°C with R 2 = 0.991 and R 2 = 0.990, respectively. Medili et al. is best‐fitted for the controlled drying and 65° of the developed dryer with R 2 = 0.996 and R 2 = 0.999, respectively. The developed dryer has high drying efficiency, 62.51%, and is economically feasible. The developed solar‐assisted infrared drying showed good retention of quality, drying behavior, and time saving, thereby giving better drying efficiency.