Title: Energy exergy and environmental analyses of mango leather drying in greenhouse solar dryer with evacuated tube collector and finned tray

Authors: Amit Shrivastava; Manoj Kumar Gaur; Parul Saxena

Addresses: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Madhav Institute of Technology and Science, Gwalior, 474005, India ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, Madhav Institute of Technology and Science, Gwalior, 474005, India ' Department of Computer Applications, Madhav Institute of Technology and Science, Gwalior, 474005, India

Abstract: This research evaluates the performance of a hybrid greenhouse solar dryer (HGSD) combined with an evacuated tube collector (ETC) for drying mango pulp. The experiments were conducted in June 2021 using a finned aluminium tray placed inside the drying chamber. The system demonstrated significant environmental advantages, including the mitigation of approximately 86.21 tons of CO₂ emissions. The average exergy efficiency was 4.62%, with a corresponding sustainability index of 1.048. The energy payback period was calculated as 3.98 years, and the carbon credit earned $817.31. The findings highlight the system's potential for optimisation to improve efficiency and sustainability.

Keywords: mango leather; energy balance; exergy balance; solar energy; greenhouse.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEX.2026.151862

International Journal of Exergy, 2026 Vol.49 No.2, pp.96 - 111

Received: 16 Jun 2025
Accepted: 28 Sep 2025
Published online: 24 Feb 2026 *

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