Diesel and gas fuel trials for curing tobacco.
1988
Ryan I.A. | McAndrew T. | Loccisano O.E.
During 1986, on-farm tobacco curing trials across 4 harvest positions were conducted in Powell type bulk curing barns with gas and modified diesel heating systems. It was established that curing with a gas heating system costs about 1.8 times that for a modified diesel heating system at the present net fuel costs of 37.0 Australian cents per L. for LP gas and 29.7 cents per L. for diesel. Actual costs, expressed as cents per kg cured conditioned leaf, were 72.5 cents per kg and 38.0 cents per kg at the first pick, ranging down to 27.8 cents per kg and 15.7 cents per kg at the fourth pick for gas and modified diesel barns respectively. The efficiency (gross latent heat of vaporization divided by gross input energy from fuel) was similar from both heating systems. Therefore the relative curing costs attributed to curing fuel are close to the net energy cost ratio for gas to diesel. Curing fuel consumption decreased as the harvest progressed up the stalk with lugs (bottom leaf) requiring about 2 to 2.5 times the fuel of upper plant positions.
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