DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION

“Kukum”Copra
Dryer
Types of Kukum Dryers

2,000-Nut Capacity 4,000-Nut Capacity

10,000-Nut Capacity 2
 Some Features of
Cargill Kukum Dryers
• The flue tube is made of 4 oil drums used to transmit heat by
convection.
• Drum is mounted from base line 40 cm at the front and 70 cm at
the rear.
• It has 2 hollow blocks saddles installed to support the flue tube.
• It has steel guide rings to allow easy replacement of worn-out
drums.
• It has 8 air vents- 4 hollow block- sized vents on both sides of the
heating chamber.
• Inspection door- one on each side of the heating chamber.
• Roofing guard to protect G.I. sheet roofing.
• 5-Piece concrete chimneys.
• Could dry a batch of split nuts at an average moisture content of
10.5% in two12-hour firing.
***

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The site for Kukum installation

• Air or wind is the main consideration in kukum site selection;

its availability
movement (the higher the air velocity the faster the drying rate)
and direction.

• Preferably to be situated on a higher ground.

• Free from obstructions on the sides.
• Front of kukum dryer should be facing the source
of the dominant air during daytime.

***

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The Area for the Heating Chamber

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Lay-out the area

The lay-out area should

accommodate the 4m width and
3.6m length heating chamber floor
area or will allow the 10m width
and 6.1m total floor area (61sqm)-
4,000-nut kukum.

Provide allowance of 1.5 to 2.0 m

on each sides for the working area.

The nylon rope used during the lay-out should not be removed until
such time that the construction of the heating chamber is completed.

***

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Constructing the Heating Chamber

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Mounting the Flue Tube- Drum Heater
Drum front elevation is 40 cm.

Make sure to follow the right

Drum rear elevation is 70 cm.
inclination.

From the side, the flue tube is 71 cm.

Allow 4” space between the rear end

of the drum and the rear wall.

***

8
The Saddle Support
Front saddle is 30 cm.

Remove braces only when saddles are

properly installed.
Rear saddle is 95 cm.
Spacing ensures that flue tube can be easily
pulled-out.

Saddles should be reinforced using round

bars.

Make sure that drum elevation is maintained

at 40cm-70cm-10cm-71cm.

Width of saddle is 32 inches and should wrap

half the drum circumference.
***
9
The Air Vents

Four air vents are installed on each side

of the heating chamber. Each is of hollow
block size (8” x 16”).

Piling of hollow blocs for air vents should

start from front backward, the same on
both sides.

Air vent size should neither be reduced

nor increased to allow entry of sufficient
volume of cold air.

***

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Steel guide rings
Front Steel Guide Ring

Rear Steel Guide Ring

Steel guide rings allow easy replacement
of worn out flue tube. These are spaced
2” from drum.

Raw mixture is filled on these 2” spaces

from the inside and from outside of the
wall. ***

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Inspection doors

Inspection doors are situated a hollow

block from front and 2 hollow blocks
from base line.

These doors can be opened outward

and backward.

These function as inspection doors as

well as entrance to the heating
chamber.

Provide nosing at the inspection doors

to prevent hot air from escaping.

***

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The bed for drying

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The floor joist

The top of floor joist should be 1.90m

from base line.

Floor joist should be made from

matured coco, gemilina or ipil-ipil
lumber.

It is suggested that floor joist shall

pierce through the drying bed walls for
added chamber strength.

Avoid joined lumbers as floor joist.

***
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The drying bed

Three more piles of hollow blocks should

be installed as walls of the drying bed.

Drying bed height is 0.61m from bed

floor to top of bed walls.

Its flooring can be made of 1 ½ inch

matured bamboo slats, spaced 1 ½ inch
apart.

Lumber or corrugated round bars can be

used instead of bamboo slats.

***

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Roofing guard

Roofing guard extends 0.8m forward, 1.75m high

and 0.10m top thickness.

It enables to grasp a good volume of air to speed

up combustion of husks fed at the drum brim.

***
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The concrete chimney

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The 5-Piece Chimney

Chimneys are installed to free dried nuts from

smoke contamination.

A chimney is now made up of 5-pc, 6-inch

diameter 0.80m length concrete pipes, concrete
elbow and a china hat.

All 5 pipes should be installed tight fit to each

piece to prevent smoke “back firing”.

***
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Chimney support is 81cm width and 81cm length and
filled the support with soil.
A raw cement-sand mixture should cover the elbow.
A cap should be provided to cover the end of the elbow.

***

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De-husking and Splitting Area

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