The aim of this study was to size up and evaluate a fixed bed experimental silo-dryer-aerator with four static grain drying cells for segregation lots, through simulations with mathematical equations and a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) system. The average specific energy consumption of the dryer was 2,998.56 kJ kg-1 of evaporated water. At the global scale, the amount of heat needed to complete a grain drying was 22,283.84 kcal (5,325.96 kJ kg-1) and the amount of heat required to complete the cooling of a stored grain mass was 3,525 kcal (842.49 kJ kg-1). The drying equipment responded positively to the dynamic aspects of air, distribution, flow, pressure, speed and heating. The results obtained allow us to conclude that the silo-dryer-aerator prototype was characterized as a viable and sustainable tool, making it possible to perform the drying and storage of grains in standardized and segregated lots, according to genetic characterization, minimizing quantitative and qualitative losses.
A B S T R A C TThis study aimed to verify the capacity of silo-dryer-aerator prototype equipment operating as a silo-storage-aerator for soybean quality analysis. Soybeans with water content of 17% (wet basis -w.b.) were dried and stored in a silo-dryer-aerator system that was designed using a drying chamber, four independent storage cells, and a static capacity of 164 kg. Another batch of grains was stored in a silo-storage-aerator with a capacity of 1,200 kg. The experiment was set up in a completely randomized factorial 5 × 4 experimental design including five grain batches stored after being dried at 30, 40, and 50 °C (mixed grains were dried at three temperatures) in the silo-dryer-aerator cells and one mixed grain batch stored in the silo-storage-aerator system under ambient air conditions for four storage times (zero, one, two, and three months). There was no difference between the grains stored in the silo-dryer-aerator and silo-storage-aerator at the end of the three-month storage in terms of the physico-chemical quality. The storage time associated with drying at 50 °C caused a reduction in the physical-chemical quality of the grains. The silo-dryer-aerator system was presented as a possible alternative to store soybean (Glycine max L.) grains.Silo-secador-aerador experimental para armazenagem de grãos de soja R E S U M O Objetivou-se com este estudo verificar a capacidade de um equipamento protótipo silosecador-aerador, operando como silo-armazenador-aerador para análise da qualidade dos grãos de soja. Os grãos de soja com teores de água de 17% (b.u.) foram submetidos à secagem e armazenagem em um sistema de silo-secador-aerador, projetado com uma câmara de secagem e quatro células independentes de armazenagem, com capacidade estática de 164 kg. Outro lote de grãos foi armazenado em um silo-armazenador-aerador com capacidade de 1.200 kg. O experimento foi montado em um delineamento experimental inteiramente casualizado, fatorial 5 x 4, sendo cinco lotes de grãos armazenados após a secagem com temperaturas do ar de secagem (30, 40, 50 °C, grãos misturados na secagem com as três temperaturas), nas células 1, 2, 3 e 4, respectivamente, do sistema silo-secador-aerador e um lote de grãos misturados e armazenados no sistema silo-armazenador-aerador nas condições do ar ambiente, quatro tempos de armazenamento (zero, um, dois e três meses). Observou-se que não houve diferença entre os grãos armazenados no silo-secador-aerador e no silo-armazenador-aerador quanto à qualidade físico-química ao final dos três meses de armazenamento. O tempo de armazenamento associado à secagem a uma temperatura de 50 °C proporcionou uma redução na qualidade físico-química dos grãos. O sistema silo-secadoraerador apresentou-se como uma alternativa viável para o armazenamento de grãos de soja.
ABSTRACT. The aim of this study was to validate an experimental prototype dryer with a thick-layer fixed bed and determine the quality of the dried soybean grains. The drying system was designed as a chamber with four independent drying cells, with a capacity of 164 kilograms, an air ventilation system and heating with electric heaters. This prototype was used for soybeans with an initial water content of 17% (w.b.). The samples were collected from the top, middle and bottom of the four cells to evaluate the quality of the grains. The experimental design was completely randomized factorial (3 x 4 x 3), with three temperatures settings for the drying air (30, 40, and 50°C), four drying cells and three evaluation positions (upper, middle and lower). The grains did not undergo quality changes as a function of the drying cells. In the upper part of the drying cells, there was a reduction in the specific grain mass (851 kg m -³), an increase in electrical conductivity (140.02 μS cm, reduction in germination (63%) and oil content (7%) compared with the middle and lower dryer positions. The experimental prototype of the fixed bed dryer allowed a uniform distribution of the heated air in the drying cells, which was effective in the drying operation and in maintaining the quality of the soybean grains.Keywords: control and optimization of the drying; loss reduction of grain quality in the drying; yield of the drying processes.
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