The moisture content of agrocrops is normally high during the harvest. It is necessary to
bring down the moisture level to a safe desired value for storage and further processing for which
a suitable dryer is required. We have developed a very effective drying system, - Fluidized Bed (FB) Dryer for
overcoming t
he moisture problem in which harvested/wet seeds are dried with artificially heated
air. Fluidized Bed offers many inherent advantages which make it superior to other types of
dryers besides sundrying. Several lab/experimental pilot units of Fluidized Bed (FB) dryer and Spouted Bed (SB)
dryer have been developed which have been extensively tested for drying of different crops such
as paddy, maize, mustard, sunflower, soybean, groundnut etc and other agrocrops. A 2 TPH FB
dryer plant has been designed, commissioned in the lab, tested and demonstrated. Fluidized bed dryer basically consists of the following :
i. Hot air supply arrangement (combustion chamber and FD blower)
ii. Drying chamber
iii. Material handling system (bucket elevator, feeder)
iv. Cyclone, refeeding and discharge ductings
v. Cooling chamber, if required. Air preheated by combustion of fuel is supplied by the FD blower into the dryer chamber. A suitably designed distributor plate uniformly distributes the hot air flow which interacts with
the wet seeds in the drying chamber during the process of fluidization. The resulting enhanced
heat and mass transfer leads to effective drying of the seeds. The hot exhaust gas is partially
refed to the air intake point for proper heat utilization and the rest is discharged. The dried seeds
which are hot compared to ambient is sometimes cooled in a cooling chamber through
interaction with ordinary air, and is finally discharged for delivery. TECHNO-ECONOMIC INFORMATION
Title of the Technology : Fluidized Bed Dryer for Oilseeds
Areas of application : Drying of oilseeds like Mustard, Sunflower, Rape seeds,
Groundnuts, Paddy, Wheat, Pulses, Cereals. Tea, spices etc etc
in the post-harvest phase. Degree of development : * Design and drawing made, prototypes fabricated and a
2 TPH FB dryer plant for mustard seed installed and
commissioned.
*Experimentation carried out with different types of
oilseeds such as mustard, sunflower, soybean,
groundnut etc and other grains (paddy) maize for design
data generation.
*Extensive tests carried out on the pilot units and on the
2 TPH plant for performance evaluation.
*Further testing is carried out as and when necessary. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION OF SEMI- COMMERCIAL DEMONSTRATION
PLANT IN CMERI
Capacity : 2 TPH
Material : Mustard Seeds
Moisture reduction : From initial 22-24% to final 10-12% (by wt)
Fuel Consumption : Around 20 litre of LDO/hr, we use rice husk/agri waste
as fuel with Husk Burner
Electrical Power • 30 KW for 2 TPH designed plant.
⇒ Specification can be suitably modified to meet customers' requirements. TECHNO-ECONOMIC ADVANTAGES/PARAMETERS
⇒ Better product quality - Uniformity in moisture content and temperature of the output
⇒ Rapid drying rate compared to conventional drying processes
⇒ Simultaneous cleaning
⇒ Compact in size
⇒ Low operating cost
⇒ Not much skill is required
⇒ Minimum maintenance
DEGREE OF DEVELOPMENT :
• Design completed and : ∗ Design & Drawing Completed
Specific performance ∗ Prototype made
achieved ∗ Extensive performance evaluation carried out
∗ Testing is carried out for data generation for
different oilseeds and grains
∗ Further testing is being carried out as and when
necessary. PRESENT DEMAND IN THE :
COUNTRY (Basis of Information)
Basis & Presumptions (Details like : Presently total oilseed production in the
Single/double shift, rate of interest on country is around 250 lakh Ton per year
which is a quantum jump over that of the
last few years. Accordingly
demand of such units considering the
advantages is quite high. Presently 4000
units of 2 TPH may be required. The
demand may increase. Feasibility Report : Feasibility of drying was initially studied
(with relevant datas to be submitted) through available information in literature
and our experience of working with
fluidized bed systems. STATE OF ART COMPARISON
(Advantages with existing product)
• The seeds are maintained in a fluidized condition in a FB drying system, whereas in a fixed
bed and in sundrying, seeds are static on the bed. So drying in FB System is faster than the
other two.
• The product quality in terms of uniformity in moisture and temperature is better in FB
Drying System than Fixed bed drying and Sundrying.
• Rate of moisture removal in FB Dryer is faster than in Fixed bed and in Sundrying.
• Space requirement in FB Dryer is small as compared to Fixed bed and SUNDRYING
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