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Modeling of Ear-maize Bed Shrinkage During Drying

MT Islam
Principal Scientific Officer
Bangladesh Rice research Institute, Gazipur-101, Bangladesh

MA Zami
Senior Scientific Officer
Bangladesh Rice research Institute, Gazipur-101, Bangladesh

MD Huda
Scientific Officer
Bangladesh Rice research Institute, Gazipur-101, Bangladesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Seed maize is dried on the ear. The ear dried maize was investigated experimentally at a commercial seed-processing facility. Twenty four experiments were carried out over a period of six weeks in the year 2001. The initial moisture content varied from 26 to 38% (w.b.), and the final moisture content from 12 to 14% (w.b.). A simulation for the ear-maize bed shrinkage during drying is developed. RMSE for without the shrinkage model is ±33h with the biasness of +30h, whereas, these are ±9.8h and -3.9h, respectively for with the shrinkage model. Therefore, predicting drying time shrinkage model showed better performance.

Keywords: Seed maize, Ear-maize drying, Maximizing dryer, Capacity, Minimizing dryer cost

Location: Southest Michigan and Bangladesh

Start Date: 15-01-2001

End Date: 30-12-2001

Program Area: Farm Mechanization

Commodity: Drier, Drier

Objectives:

To develop a linear shrinkage model for a commercial ear-maize dryer with a view to predicting the moisture content and drying time.

Methodology:

An experiment was conducted to develop a linear shrinkage model for a commercial ear-maize dryer with a view to predicting the moisture content and drying time. A seed-maize dryer consists of a series of two (connected) in-bin dryers. In half of the unit, air is forced from the bottom to the top of a bin (the so-called up-air); in the other half, the drying air is blown through the bed of ear-maize in the opposite direction (the so called down-air). The period of up–air drying lasts 30-50h and of down–air drying 30-50h depending mainly on the initial moisture content of the ears. The drying air temperature used for the up-air is 35-41 °C, and for the down-air 41-46 °C; both are dependent on the known sensitivity of a given maize hybrid to loosing viability during drying. The airflow rate is 15-40 m³/m²min for both the up-air and is mainly a function of the initial depth of the wet ear-maize (2-3 m) in the bins. The drying tests were conducted at a commercial seed-maize processing facility in southwest Michigan over a 6-weeks period in the fall of 2001. The initial ear-maize moisture content (IMC) during the 24 tests varied from 26 to 38% (w.b.); the final average moisture content varied from 12 to 14%. The bed-depth was measured and recorded using a plumb-bob and pulley system. Three plumb bobs were bung from the roof of each bin. At 8 h intervals, the plumb bob was lowered to the bed surface, and the length of rope holding the plump was measured. A total of 51 data points in 7 sets were recorded from the depth change recording experiment. Thirty three data points were used to develop the shrinkage model and 18 were used for validation.

Source of Information: The Agriculturists, 4(1&2), 2006: 133-140

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

A linear shrinkage model was developed and was validated with experimental data collected from the commercial ear-maize dryer. It was found that the ear-maize drying model with the shrinkage model incorporated in it showed an improved performance in predicting the moisture content and the drying time.

Knowledge Management: Journal