Estimation of the Energy Consumption of the Rice and Corn Drying Process in the Equatorial Zone

Abstract

Drying is considered one of the industrial processes that requires more energy than other processes, being a topic of much interest to the agricultural sector, especially the evaluation of energy consumption for rice and corn dryers. To meet this goal, an overview survey matrix and protocols for temperature measurements of dryers were developed. The study evaluated 49 rice dryers and 14 yellow corn dryers. As a result, it was determined that the oversizing of the fan/extractor and the dryer engine generates a high energy consumption, added to the lack of insulation in the heat ducts. Therefore, the drying productivity index is very low in dryers using liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) being 0.14 dollar/quintal for rice and 0.27 dollar/quintal for corn and using biomass reaches 1.4 dollars/quintal. In relation to energy losses, these account for more than 55%. Inadequate energy management in drying processes directly influences the marketing chain of products, the losses of which are caused by fluctuations in the price of rice and corn on the domestic market, with the agricultural sector having to generate an energy efficiency plan.