Mechanical Dryer

Drying reduces grain moisture content to a safe level for storage. It is the most critical operation
after harvesting a rice crop.

When rice is harvested, it will contain up to 25% moisture. High moisture level during storage
can lead to grain discoloration, development of molds and increase the likelihood of attack from
pests. It can also decrease the rate of germination of the rice seed.

It is important to dry rice grain as soon as possible after harvesting. Delays in drying, incomplete
drying or ineffective drying will reduce grain quality and result in losses.

Mechanical dryers
In this system, mechanical dryers are used to remove water from wet grains by forcing
either ambient air or heated air through the grain bulk. This is done through:

o Low temperature drying controls the relative humidity rather than the
temperature of the drying air so that all grain layers in the deep bed reach
equilibrium moisture content.

In-bin layered dryer produces high quality grains but requires long
drying time.

o Heated air drying employs high temperature or rapid drying. The drying process
is terminated when the desired final moisture content is reached.

Batch-in-bin dryer can be used by farmers, contractors and small rice

mills.

Re-circulating batch dryer can be used by commercial rice mills and

cooperatives.

Continuous-flow dryer not very common, but used by some large

milling enterprises that handle large volumes of wet paddy.

Batch-in-bin dryer (Heated air drying)

The small capacity version of the batch-in-bin dryer, otherwise known as the flat-bed
dryer, has been developed for farm- or village-level use. Its capacity is of the order of 1-3
tonnes/day with drying times of 6-12 hours.
 In order to prevent excessive moisture gradients through the bed, the depth of grain in the
bin is relatively shallow, 0.4-0.7 m. and the air velocity is usually of the order of 0.08-
0.15 m/s for maize and 0.15-0.25 m/s for paddy.

The temperature of the air is selected according to the desired safe storage moisture
content of the grain. For the drying of paddy in tropical areas an air temperature of 40-
45C is usually used, with a heater capable of raising the air temperature by 10-15C.
With such bed depths and air velocities the pressure drop over the bed is relatively low,
250-500 Pa, and therefore simple and inexpensive axial-flow fans can be used. Typically
power requirements are 1.5-2.5 kW per ton of grain for a belt-driven fan powered by a
petrol or diesel engine.

Re-circulating batch dryer (Heated air drying)

This type of dryer avoids the problems of moisture gradients experienced with bin dryers
by re-circulating the grain during drying. The dryer is a self-contained unit with an
annular drying chamber, 500 mm thick, around a central plenum chamber, a fan and
heater, and a central auger for transporting the grain from the bottom to the top. When
drying is complete the grain is discharged from the top.

Air temperatures of 60-80C are employed with air flowrates of 0.9-1.6 m3/s per tonne of
grain, twice that used in flat-bed dryers. However, since the grain is only exposed to the
flow of hot air for relatively short times within each cycle, too rapid drying rates are
avoided and moisture distribution within individual grains is equalized during the period
the grain remains in the non-drying sections at the top and bottom of the dryer. Control of
the drying rate can be effected by adjusting the auger speed to regulate the flow of grain
through the dryer.

The capital cost of re-circulating batch dryers is considerably greater than batch-in-bin
dryers because of their greater complexity and incorporation of handling and conveying
devices. However, throughput is greater due to the shorter drying times and the quality of
 the dried grain is likely to be higher. Re-circulating batch dryers require trained operators
for successful operation and therefore are not generally suitable for operation by small-
scale.

Continuous-flow dryer (Heated air drying)

Continuous-flow dryers can be considered as an extension of re-circulating batch dryers.
However, rather than the grain re-circulating from bottom to top, as in the latter, the grain
is removed from the bottom, in some systems, cooled, and then conveyed to tempering or
storage bins. In their simplest form continuous-flow dryers have a garner (or holding) bin
on top of a tall drying compartment. With some dryers a cooling section is employed
below the drying compartment in which ambient air is blown through the grain. At the
bottom of the dryer is the flow control section that regulates both the circulation of grain
through the dryer and its discharge.

At the bottom of the dryer is the flow control section that regulates both the circulation of
grain through the dryer and its discharge.

There are three categories of continuous-flow dryers based on the way in which grain is
exposed to the drying air:

Crossflow - in which the grain moves downward in a column between two perforated
metal sheets while the air is forced through the grain horizontally. Dryers of this type are
relatively simple and inexpensive, but, unless mixing systems are incorporated, moisture
gradients are set up across the bed;
 Counter-flow - which employs a round bin with an unloading system at the base and an
upward air flow. These dryers are relatively efficient since the air exhausts through the
wettest grain. Bed depths of up to 3-4 m can be used;

Concurrent flow - which is the reverse of counter-flow drying in that the air moves down
through the bed. High air temperatures can be used since the air first comes into contact
with wet, and sometimes cold, grain. Drying is rapid in the upper layers but slower at the
bottom with some tempering action. Bed depths of at least a metre are used;

Probably the most commonly used continuous-flow dryer is the crossflow columnar
dryer, which can be classified as non-mixing and mixing types.

In-bin layered dryer (Low temperature drying)

with ambient air can be performed with confidence in locations where the relative
humidity of the air is less than about 70%. An initial layer of grain, 0.6-0.9 m deep, is
loaded into a storage bin, 5-10 m deep, and further layers are added as drying proceeds.
Over-drying of the grain is minimized because of the low air temperature. Careful and
skilled management is required to ensure that each layer is dried before the succeeding
layer is loaded into the bin.
 A dryer typically consists of three main components and often has some additional
accessories.

Main components

1. Drying bin

2. Fan

3. Air distribution system and Air heater

Optional

1. Conveyors

Accessories

1. Moisture meter

2. Dust separator

In addition, dryers can have various accessories for automatization and monitoring of the
drying process.
Drying bin with plenum chamber (Fixed bed dryers)

Bin
Used to hold the grains.

Circular drying bin (Fixed bed dryers)

Advantages

Self supporting structure

Simple plenum chamber

Short air delivery pathways

Disadvantages

Uneven air velocity

Air velocity highest atthe inlet.

Reversible air flow dryer (Fixed bed batch dryer)

 Reversal of air flow.

Reduced moisture gradient.

No mixing needed.

Re-circulating batch dryers (Air distribution system)

Cross flow

Grain moves downwards, air across

Less hindrance of grain flow, works better with wet paddy with high amount of
straw and chaff

Mixed flow

Air flows from inlet to outlet ducts

Ducts are shaped so that they mix the grain

Better mixing leads to better quality

Fans
 Used for moving air though the dryer and the grain.

Air distribution system and Heating system

Used for distribution and pre-heating the drying air.

Air distribution system

Pressure system Suction system

Type of dryers Fixed bed batch Dryers with moving grain, re-circulating batch and continuous flow

Air tightness of bin Fixed batch can be made airtight Moving mechanical parts make sealing difficult
easily, large outlet

Heater Before fan Before dryer inlet

Fan High temperature resistance needed, Lower temperature resistance

sometimes exposed to flames

Dust Stays mainly in fixed bed, set free Sucked out with the drying air
when unloading
Heating systems

Pre-cleaner (Accessories)
Fines in rice create dust during the loading and drying process and reduce airflow through
the rice grain.

Pre-cleaners usually consist of

scalper that lets through the grain but retains straw

a smaller second screen that removes small stones and other impurities

air aspirator for sucking out dust and light empty grains
Elevators and Conveyors (Accessories)
For horizontal and vertical transport of grains:

Loading

Circulation

Discharge

Need to be matched to the capacity of the dryer.

A properly designed bucket elevator for a re-circulating batch dryer can easily
reach capacities of 10t/h.

Moisture meter (Accessories)

Monitoring grain moisture to avoid

over drying

incomplete drying

Over drying

Unnecessary weight loss

Reduced milling yields

Incomplete drying causes qualitative and quantitative losses from

fungal growth

insect activity

respiration
Dust collection system (Accessories)
Grain handling will create dust, making working around a grain drying hazardous.

Need for dust collection systems

Cyclone

Need to be properly sized depending on the dryer specifications.