In order to solve a series of problems with kelp drying including long drying time, high energy consumption, low drying efficiency, and poor quality of dried kelp, this work proposes the design of a novel greenhouse double-evaporator solar-assisted heat pump drying system. Experiments on kelp solar-assisted heat pump drying (S-HP) and heat pump drying (HP) under the condition of irradiance of 100-700 W/m2 and a temperature of 30, 40, or 50 °C were conducted and their results were compared in terms of system performance, drying kinetics, and quality impact. The drying time was reduced with increasing irradiance or temperature. The coefficient of performance (COP) and specific moisture extraction rate (SMER) of S-HP were 3.590-6.810, and 1.660-3.725 kg/kW·h, respectively, roughly double those of HP when the temperatures are identical. The Deff of S-HP and HP were 5.431 × 10-11~11.316 × 10-11 m2/s, and 1.037 × 10-11~1.432 × 10-11 m2/s, respectively; additionally, solar radiation greatly improves Deff. The Page model almost perfectly described the changes in the moisture ratio of kelp by S-HP and HP with an inaccuracy of less than 5%. When the temperature was 40 °C and the irradiance was above 400 W/m2, the drying time of S-HP was only 3 h, and the dried kelp maintained the green color with a strong flavor and richness in mannitol. Meanwhile, the coefficient of performance was 6.810, the specific moisture extraction rate was 3.725 kg/kWh, and the energy consumption was 45.2%, lower than that of HP. It can be concluded that S-HP is highly efficient and energy-saving for macroalgae drying and can serve as an alternate technique for the drying of other aquatic products.
Keywords: design; drying kinetics; heat pump; kelp; solar drying; system performance.