DESIGN OF MECHANICAL FLAT - BED DRYER

ASSUMPTIONS:

Initial Palay Weight, Wi : 500 Kgs.

Initial Moisture Content, Mci : 24 %
Final Moisture Content, Mcf: 15 %

Drying Properties:

Atmospheric Air: Inlet Air: Outlet Air:

Relative Humidity: 70 % 75
Temperature: 20 °C 42 °C 25
68 ºF 107.6 ºF 77

Abs. Humidity, H: 0.0102 Kg./Kg dry air 0.0149

Enthalpy, E: 11 Kcal/Kg. 16.1
Abs. Volume, Va: 0.908 cu.m./kg.

1.) Calculate for the Water Removed:

Ww = Wi - Wi(1-Mci)/(1-Mcf) 52.94 Kgs. of Water

at 8 hours drying operation: 6.62 Kgs./hour

2.) Calculate air volume required to remove the water from the grain:

G = Ww/(H2-H1) 1,408.01 Kgs./hour

Q = G*r 1,278.47 cu.m./hr.of dry air

0.36 cu.m./sec.of dry air

751.90 cu.ft./min.of dry air

3.) Calculate the Heat energy required:

q = G(E2-E1) 7,180.85 Kcal/hr.

4.) Calculate/Determine the amount of fuel to Dry the Palay @ 14% MC for 8 hours.

Sr Fuel Approx heating value Kcal/Kg

Fuel Reqt.
Natural
Dry State
State Kg/8-hr.
A BIOMASS      
1 Wood 1500 3500 16.41
2 Cattle dung 1000 3700 15.53
3 Bagasse 2200 4400 13.06
4 Wheat and 2400 2500
rice straw 22.98
5 Cane trash, 3000 3000
rice husk,
leaves and 19.15
vegetable
wastes
6 Coconut 3500 3500
husks, dry
grass and 16.41
crop residues
7 Groundnut 4000 4000
shells 14.36
8 Coffee and 4200 4200
oil palm 13.68
husks
9 Cotton husks 4400 4400 13.06
10 Peat 6500 6500 8.84
B FOSSIL      
FUELS
1 Coal   5500 10.44
2 Coke   6500 8.84
3 Charcoal   7000 8.21
4 Carbon   8000 7.18
5 Fuel oil   9800 5.86
 6 Kerosene   10000
and diesel 5.74
7 Petrol   10800 5.32
8 Paraffin   10500 5.47
9 Natural gas   8600 6.68
10 Coal gas   4000 14.36
11 Pressure   860
Drop 66.80 Kw/8-hr.
12 Bio   5350
kgs. of
gas(Kcal/cu
mtr) (12 kg of dung
dung 128.85 (e.g.swine
produces 1
cu. Mtr gas)
manure,
etc) reqd.

5.) Calculate the Drying Bin dimension:

Air Flow Pressure

Rate per drop per Area of a
unit Area of Foot depth Drying Bin Drying Bin dimension
Drying Bin, of Grain, Required:
Q: Ph:

Square Foot
CFM/sq.ft. Inches, Water Width,m. Length, m.
of Grain

12.50 3/16 60.15 1.50 3.73

14.00 1/4 53.71 1.50 3.33
17.00 5/16 44.23 1.50 2.74
21.00 6.5/16 35.80 1.50 2.22
24.00 1/2 31.33 1.50 1.94
28.00 5/8 26.85 1.50 1.66
30.00 10.5/16 25.06 1.50 1.55
%
°C
ºF

Kg./Kg dry air

Kcal/Kg.
1.) Calculating the Moisture Ratio:

MC, %: 24.00

MR = (MC - Mce)/(Mci-Mce) 1.00

MR = e^(-x)(t^y) -0.5214519034 0.593658

Where: x = 0.026 - 0.0045h + 0.01215T 0.521452

Y = 0.013362 +0.194h - 0.000177h^2 + 0.009468T 13.12372

2.) Calculating the Drying Time:

td = M/V(ha-hea) 3.30 Hours

t0.5 = td/Y 0.25

DM = V*Cp*t0.5*(Tdh-Twa)/Ln/(Mco-Mce)