The Walk Passive Solar Food Dryer

Over the years we=ve tried about every solar dryer

design imaginable. The only common factor in all those
attempts was their very limited usefulness here in the
humid upper Midwest. None of them worked reliably
using only passive solar energy. Some designs relied on a
crutch, either a fan during the day or electric backup heat
at night. Most of them mimicked electric dryers with
multiple screens, one above the other, which means that
the warm air must rise through several layers of moist
produce. Some didn't work at all if not tracked to face the
sun directly throughout the day. It was with this
background that the "idea light" came on in Larisa's head.

The Hot Tin Roof Experiments

One day (in 1985) we needed to dry a bunch of

greens and the current solar dryer was full (a couple of
handfuls was its full capacity). We had an old window
screen lying around and a corrugated metal roof built
over our old mobile home. Using a ladder, Larisa placed
the screen on the roof then put the greens on it. She
wanted to warm the food while keeping the sunlight out
so she covered it with a piece of black cloth. Then, to
keep everything from blowing away or being bothered by
flies, she covered it with the storm window that had been
stored with the screen.
Later that afternoon we thought we'd check on the
experiment. The greens in the old dryer were still quite
limp so Larisa crawled up the ladder to take a look at the
stuff on the roof. Much to her surprise, the roof-top
greens were crispy dry! It looked like we had finally
stumbled on something that worked.

Basic Design Principles

We found through experimenting that the primary
components for this idea were:
glazing (glass or greenhouse plastics)
black surface (fabric or metal)
screen to hold food
airspace under food screens
reflective surface tilted toward the sun
The sun shines through the clear glazing onto the
black surface, causing it to heat up. This heat is radiated
from the black surface and onto the food screen below it.
The shiny, sloped metal roofing that everything rests
upon reflects heat back up toward the food. Also, its
corrugations provide an airspace under the screen for
moisture-laden air to circulate up the slope and out of the
dryer by natural convection. The food is not exposed to
sunlight and retains its color. This combination of design
factors also met the design criteria of what we thought
would be the ideal dryer:
utilizes passive solar energy
has no moving or electrical failure-prone parts
no sun tracking is required
the food is not exposed to sunlight
enough tray space for large batches
moderate temperatures to dry quickly
easy to use and clean
absolutely must work reliably
partially dry food stays in dryer overnight

stable in windy locations

critter and bug-proof, for the most part

Building the Radiant Solar Dryer

Using the basic principles and design criteria

established from our experiments, we built a 4'x12', waisthigh "shed".
The metal roofing on this shed has
corrugations that run north to south. The roof angle is
approximately 12-15 and slopes towards the south.
This gives enough elevation so the warm air will rise but
not so much that the food will slide downhill. The
storage space underneath can be used to stack firewood
or store garden accessories.
Our dryer, with nearly 48 square feet of tray space,
can preserve enough food for a large family or a group of
smaller families.
A good "starter" size dryer is 4' by 4' with four 2' x 2'
trays. You can make more modules of this size later if you
need to add capacity. The 4 foot size from top to bottom
allows food to be reached from either side yet is wide
enough to achieve sufficient hot air flow. On a fully sunny
day, at noon, with nothing in the dryer, the temperature
can easily reach 155 F. in the upper tray. When a full
load of wet sweet corn kernels goes in, the same spot
may only reach about 120 F., which is great for really wet
food. The lower tray will have correspondingly lower
temperatures. If the top to bottom dimension is larger
than 4 feet, there is potential for cooking or scorching
food, particularly when the ambient air temperature is
already sweltering.
Glazed Heat Collector Cover
The function of the glazing is to create more infrared
energy (heat) from the sunlight that passes through. It is
also the weather-proof cover for the dryer.
The glazing we first used was Kalwall TM 40 mil
fiberglass reinforced polyester greenhouse glazing. It
holds up better than glass in hail storms and weighs
much less, but the surface deteriorates over the years,
becoming more clouded and less translucent. We now
prefer polycarbonate or LexanTM corrugated greenhouse
glazing (not the twin-wall, insulated type, but the
single layer kind). This material costs about as much as
KalwallTM but looks to have a much longer lifespan and is
even tougher against hail.
The corrugations do not
significantly affect the performance of the collector so the
ends of the ribbed channels can remain open, but you
may decide to close them in with the product's matching
sealing strips to keep out bugs and dirt.
Recycled glass will also work, however it can be
quite heavy and there is more risk for breakage, but if it's
what you have, it's worth considering. Steer clear from
using old windows that may have lead paint on the
frames. Recycled glass shower or bath doors with metal
frames can be put to good use. You may have to adjust
the rest of the design to accommodate the size of your
materials.
One material to stay away from is acrylic glazing.
Although much cheaper initially, the heat causes it to
become very brittle, requiring replacement in a few years.
The wooden framework has the glazing fastened to
the top side and the heat radiator material attached to
the bottom side.
The cover framework can be

constructed from 2"x2" mitered cedar or other untreated,

but rot-resistant wood.
Heat Radiator
Instead of the black cloth used in the original
experiments we now use a layer of aluminum, painted
with barbecue (BBQ) black paint (a high temperature
tolerant, flat black paint) on both sides, stapled to the
underside of the cover framework. Sheet steel (28 gauge
or lighter not galvanized so paint will adhere) or used
Aprinter plates will also work, but aluminum flashing is
the most easy to find, available in 2-foot widths. The
black metal heat collector is more convenient to use, less
messy, more efficient, and probably less expensive in the
long run than black cloth which can fade or shed fiber
particles over time.
The top of the metal is painted black to absorb the
sun's heat and the bottom is also painted to radiate that
heat onto the food. The collector must be black on both
sides to transfer the heat through toward the food.
We prefer using a brush-on form of BBQ black paint
versus spray cans. Two coats will give good coverage.
BBQ paint usually contains carbon black, clay, and some
type of polymer or resin that turns into a carbon-rich film
when you put the empty dryer out in the sun. Its solvent
usually isn't low-VOC so it's essential to allow several
days in the sun for the paint to off-gas before use.
Food Trays/Screens
The food trays are 2 foot square screens made from
mitered cedar 2"x2"s with a 3" deck screw in each corner.
The lower inside edge of the frame is cut away (1/8 deep
dado cut) so that the screen is recessed and does not
extend out to the frame's edge. This eliminates the
possibility of screen edges snagging clothes when you
lean against the dryer. We weren't able to find 2x2s, so
we ripped 2x4s in half. As you cut each piece, lay out
the miter cuts for the next piece starting from the last cut.
With the overlaps in these angled cuts, there will be a bit
of scrap leftover from an 8' board which is good in case
there's checking or a crack at one end.
The screen is stainless steel which, although costly,
is easy to clean, provides a non-toxic surface for the food,
and should last a lifetime. The screen that we used was
12 mesh, .018, type 304. Our friends used 10 mesh, .023
which is a little more open and works just as well. The
mesh size refers to the number of wires per inch, the
other measurement is the size of the individual wires, and
the type is the alloy content. Anything approximating
window screen will work. For many years, we referred
folks to a couple of industrial manufacturers of screen or
suggested they check with local metal shops to find
screen. We finally decided to buy 4'x100' rolls of the
screen and offer it for sale on our website since locating
affordable screen was usually the stumbling block that
kept folks from building the dryer. You can purchase
directly from the factory if you have a group that can
share a roll of the screen check the internet for sources
with the best price.
A bead of hi-temperature food-grade silicone caulk
keeps food particles from getting stuck between the
wood frame and the screen. Any 100% silicone caulk is
usually listed as food grade (in extremely tiny print), since

Cover: Glazed Heat Collector/Radiator

Food Trays: Framed Screens
Base: Airspace & Reflector

the only thing in it other than the silicone is acetic acid,

which gives off a vinegar smell as it drys.
Our original experiments used fiberglass window
screen, but we have since discovered that it is coated
with polyvinyl chloride that is stabilized with several
substances, one of which may be lead. Please, do not
place food in direct contact with any material that is
not absolutely food safe. (For other alternatives to
stainless steel, see our book Feeding Ourselves.)
Base Framework Airspace & Reflector
The base framework has a reflective metal surface
attached to its top.
The metal should either be
galvanized steel, plain aluminum, or painted white to
reflect the infrared heat up toward the food trays. If you
use corrugated roofing for this purpose, it will provide the
necessary airspace under the food trays. The ribs on the
corrugation need to run in a north/south orientation.
Metal without ribs may be used, but you'll need to
provide wood strips for the screens to rest on, creating an
air channel.
Legs and Other Hardware
The cover framework is attached to the dryer base
with T-strap hinges and a hasp latch. Right-angle
brackets are fastened to the south edge of the roofing to
keep the trays of food from sliding off the downhill side.
The legs are metal fence posts driven into the ground
and attached to the side of the base with U-bolts. This
option will not rot and can stand up to strong winds.
Wood Sealants
The under-framework of the base is all treated wood
and needs no other sealants (ACQ treated lumber is more
environmentally safe than the older formulas).
All of the cedar is coated with a homemade sealant:
melt 1 pound of paraffin, remove from heat and vigorously
stir in 3 quarts boiled linseed oil and 1 cup of gum spirits
turpentine. When cool it looks like crystallized honey.
Apply liberally with a brush. (This is also great for
window sills or exterior trim where you want water
repelled.) Re-coat in subsequent years when needed. An
alternative wood sealer can be made by mixing 20 parts
of boiled linseed oil to 1 part of beeswax (this is mix can
be used on bee hives instead of paint). An even more
green option is beeswax applied melted to the wood,
before the screen is attached, then ironed into the wood
with an old iron (just like hot-waxing skis).
Excerpted from Feeding Ourselves The Four-Season Pantry
from Plant to Plate by Larisa Walk & Bob Dahse.
Available from [Link].