Evaluation in product quality and potential of in-store corn drying
1997
Pipatana Amatachaya | Somchart Soponronnarit | Somkiat Prachayawarakorn | Adisak Nathakaranakule | Sitthichai Inchan (Rajamangala Institute of Technology. North-Eastern Campus, Nakhon Ratchasima (Thailand))
Objective of this research is to study the feasibility of in-store corn drying, 5*5*1.5 m (width x length x height) with 30 ton capacity, by considering corn quality and economics. Ambient air with flow rate of 5.44 cubic m/min-cubic m of corn was forced through corn bulk. Corn samples were collected at the bulk surface, 30 cm, 75 cm and 120 cm depth. The experimental results showed that the percentage of corn kernels infected with Aspergillus flavus was slightly increased as compared to reference samples while the amounts of aflatoxin B-1 produced were nearly the same as those existed at initial stage. When moisture content of corn decreased from 19 percent wet-basis to 12.5 percent wet-basis, drying time was approximately 20 days and electricity consumption was 15 k W-h/ton of corn (US$ 0.9/ton of corn). The economics analysis showed that there were no pay-back periods for two case studies, in-store drying and sun drying. Result from sensitivity analysis showed that cost of project was sensitive to net present value.
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