Dryer facility using hot air exhaust from an air-conditioner
2012
Torres, R. | Henry, A. | Vial, L., International Rice Research Inst., DAPO 7777, Metro Manila (Philippines). Crops and Environmental Sciences Div.
One of the major postharvest problems in rice production is drying of the harvested material. Storing of crop harvest with high moisture content can result in seed germination under storage, growth of molds, rotting, seed viability deterioration, total seed damage, or reduction in the quality and price of grains. Drying facilities are usually unavailable to farmers, inefficient,or too costly to use because they require costly fuel or energy source. In research, drying of plant samples from a 3-hectare experimental field can cost more than half a million pesos for one crop season alone using a kerosene-fueled flat bed dryer. Emissions from the chiller condenser blower of a centralized air-conditioner were tested as a source of hot and dry air stream for a rice dryer facility. A duct was installed to convey hot air stream from the air-conditioner exhaust to a modified shipping container. Separate grain and whole plant samples were put into nylon screen bags and distributed in the shelves inside the van. Although temperature and relative humidity were similar at locations near the hot air inlet, at the midpoint, and at the far end (near the air outlet) of the container, samples nearest to the air inlet dried more rapidly. The drying or change in relative moisture content was higher in seeds with higher initial moisture content. The initial moisture content of seed samples ranged from 13.2 to 15.7%, which had a corresponding relative moisture content change of 9.85 and 17.8% after drying with these setup. This drying facility using dry air exhaust from an air conditioner was effective in drying both whole plant and seed samples. The advantages of this facility are almost zero operating cost, effective drying, no need for fuel that would add to air pollutants and safety (is not a fire hazard).
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