Effect of Drying Temperature on Paddy Drying by Rotary Drier

Abstract

The objective of this research is to study the effect of drying temperature on drying paddy at low temperatures. White jasmine KDML105 paddy at an initial humidity of 30 – 35 % is dried by hot air in a rotating cylindrical tank until the final moisture content of the paddy after drying does not more than 15% (d.b.). The experiment examined the effects of three drying temperatures (40, 50 and 60 °C) that affect drying kinetics, drying rate, and paddy-specific energy consumption. The study found that when the drying temperature increased, the moisture and moisture ratio of paddy grains are reduced to an exponential function curve. The slope of the curve at high drying temperatures is steeper than at lower drying temperatures. As a result, high-temperature drying takes less drying time than low-temperature drying. If the same final humidity is considered, the effect of drying temperature on drying rate and specific energy consumption was found to have maximum values of 0.296 kg/h and 11.90 MJ/kg, respectively, at a drying temperature of 60 °C. If the results of this study are used to develop a control system for paddy drying machine, it will ensure that the paddy meets the desired quality and that the energy used in the drying process is appropriate.