Pneumatic conveyor drying of agricultural seeds by using a Vertical Spiral pipe

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to test and study the variables, including hot air velocity, solid mass flow rate, drying temperature, and pressure drop in the drying pipe that influence of moisture content of paddy rice grain, cassava particles, corn and peanut seed with the vertical spiral pipe pneumatic conveyor drying combined with hot air from the electrical heater. Moreover, the energy consumption of each material was also studied. According to studies at the 95 % confidence level, it has been found that the pressure drop in vertical spiral pipe of four materials is similar to increase. Also at the constant air velocity, the solid mass flow rate was increased the pressure drop is increase. For the influence of drying temperature on moisture content of all four materials, it was found that at constant solid mass flow rate, the drying temperature increases, the trend of moisture changes is increase similar for all four materials. From the study of paddy rice grain and cassava particles, at the minimum solid mass flow rate of 0.03 kg/s, drying temperature of 90 ๐C, drying air velocity of 20 m/s the moisture content was highest at 7.73% (w.b) and 13.16 % (w.b) with the minimum energy consumption of 4.09 MJ/kgwater and 1.39 MJ/kgwater, respectively. For the corn and peanut seed at the minimum solid mass flow rate of 0.03 kg/s, drying temperature of 70 ๐C, drying air velocity of 20 m/s the moisture content was highest at 2.64% (w.b), and 2.04 % (w.b) with the minimum energy consumption of 6.94 MJ/kgwater and 8.99 MJ/kgwater, respectively. It is also found that if the materials are in the system too long, the damage of particles is similar increase for all materials.