Construction of a combined saffron dryer with parallel airflow for the first time in the country June 11, 2024

According to the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center of Bozorgmehr University of Qaenat, on the morning of Sunday, June 9, 2024, coinciding with Environment Week, the first combined saffron dryer with parallel airflow in Iran was unveiled at Bozorgmehr University of Qaenat in the presence of local and provincial officials.

At the beginning of the ceremony, Dr. Seyyed Ehsan Shakib welcomed the guests and honored the memory of the martyrs of service, especially Martyr Ayatollah Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi. He then outlined the capabilities of Bozorgmehr University of Qaenat and highlighted key achievements in recent years. Referring to the recently signed memorandum of understanding between Bozorgmehr University of Qaenat and Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, he emphasized that in the near future, more valuable initiatives aligned with the region’s needs—particularly in the fields of barberry and saffron—will be undertaken.

Dr. Mohammad Hassan Majidi, the honorable head of South Khorasan Science and Technology Park, elaborated on the role of technology in various development sectors for the benefit of the attendees.

Following this, and coinciding with the unveiling of the mentioned device, Dr. Hamid Mortezapur, faculty member of the Mechanical Engineering Department at Bozorgmehr University of Qaenat and inventor of the combined saffron dryer with parallel airflow, explained the motivation behind its creation, its operating mechanism, and its key features. According to Dr. Mortezapur, the ability to control temperature, airflow regime, and humidity, along with higher quality dried saffron compared to existing models and lower energy consumption, are among the most prominent features of this device.

He added that the device is capable of drying 40 kilograms of saffron per day, with a capacity of 10 kilograms per approximately 6-hour cycle, and that its capacity can be increased depending on conditions. He stated that enhancing the capabilities of small-scale home businesses was one of the main reasons for building this device, and emphasized that its use in related large-scale industries could also play a significant role in delivering higher quality alongside lower energy consumption. 

Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Industry & Society Relations Group of Bozorgmehr University of Qaenat