EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES OF TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY CONDITIONS INSIDE THE SOLAR DEVICE FOR MULBERRY SILKWORM COCOONS PICKLING

Abstract

This work reveals relevance of using solar energy, in particular, for exterminating silkworm cocoons. Findings from experiments made to study the temperature- and humidity conditions inside a greenhouse-type solar device have been presented. Changes in temperature and humidity inside the solar device during extermination of silkworm cocoons were measured using known methods and verified tools. The retrieved findings enabled developing a mathematical formula and calculating the amount of moisture evaporated from cocoons during the process of extermination of silkworm cocoons in the solar device, and the results of the calculation are being presented, too. The findings showed that the effect of insignificant amount of thermal energy consumed for evaporation of moisture from the cocoons during their heat treatment, on the overall thermal balance of the device can be neglected. Changes in humidity of cocoons with pupas exterminated in the solar device and in a cocoon drying unit used in manufacture for processing of cocoons, are being presented. The results showed that despite little loss of moisture in cocoons pupas of which were exterminated in the solar device, the time to reach the humidity of cocoons to an air-dry state is the same as for cocoons pupas of which were exterminated with hot air in a cocoon drying unit. Further the cocoons can be packed into bags for long-term storage until unwinding at silk-reeling factories.