DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF AN INTELLIGENT ROTARY TUBE PADDY DRYER THAT UTILIZES A COMBINATION OF ENERGY FROM RICE HUSK GASIFIER AND BIOMASS PELLETS
Keywords:
Rice dryer, Rotary pipe, Gasifier, Automatic control systemAbstract
This study focuses on the design and development of an intelligent rotary tube paddy dryer that utilizes a combination of rice husk gasifier and biomass pellets for a continuous drying process. The aim is to improve energy efficiency and enhance the quality of paddy rice. A community rice mill was selected as the case study area. The developed dryer has a production capacity of 500 kg/hour and can precisely control the temperature and humidity of the hot air via a sensor system and microcontroller, reducing errors caused by manual control. Field testing used paddy rice with an average initial moisture content of 25–28% wet base (w.b.). Drying temperatures were set at 70, 80, 90, and 100 degrees Celsius, and the hot air flow rate was adjusted to 50 m3/min. Experimental results showed that the dryer could reduce the moisture content of paddy rice to a standard level of 14–15% w.b. within 5–6 hours, achieving an average drying efficiency of 85–88%. The average fuel consumption rates of rice husk and biomass pellets were 0.138, 0.117, 0.0984, and 0.0888 kg/kg of paddy rice, respectively. Compared to drying using LPG fuel and manual control, the developed system reduced energy costs by approximately 18–22% and also reduced temperature fluctuations during the drying process, resulting in significantly better yield quality. Analysis revealed that the optimal drying temperature was 90°C, providing an optimal balance between drying time, energy consumption, and rice quality. This resulted in an average increase of 3–4% in whole kernels and a reduction in grain cracking compared to traditional drying methods.
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