Performance Analysis and Drying Kinetics of Maize in an AflaSTOP Dryer

• 作者: Ernest Owusu-Sekyere George Obeng-Akrofi Joseph O. Akowuah Dirk Maier
• 来源期刊: 应用科学(英文)
• 学科: 农学
• 关键词: AflaSTOP Dryer Maize Drying Thin Layer Drying Kinetics Drying Efficiency
• 年，卷（期）: 2021,（3）
• 页码范围: 327-342
• 页数: 16页
• 分类号: S51

摘要

The performance of an AflaSTOP dryer which utilises biomass energy for drying maize was investigated. The drying behaviour of maize grains in the dryer was also investigated using ten (10) thin-layer mathematical models. The models were compared based on coefficient of determination (<em>R</em>²) and Root Mean Square Error (<em>RMSE</em>) values between experimental and predicted moisture ratios. At an average drying air temperature of 50<span style="white-space:nowrap;">&#176;</span>C and drying air velocity of 2.5 m/s, maize at average moisture content (MC) of 17.5% (wb) was dried to an average MC of 11.5% (wb) in three (3) hours. The drying and thermal efficiency were calculated as 81.1% and 29.6% respectively. Overall, drying took place in the falling rate period. The Logistics model was best to describe the thin-layer drying kinetics of maize in the dryer with <em>R</em>² value of 0.9902 and <em>RMSE</em> value of 0.04908.