Design and Development of Peltier Assisted Infrared Drying Based Soil Moisture Content Device

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to design and develop an alternative moisture content device, based on infrared heating and Peltier dehumidifying. Infrared heating is an alternative heating method which is commonly used is industrial drying. Compared to the convective drying it has some advantages such as, short drying time, less energy consumption, uniform dispersion of the temperature, ease of control and space saving. Peltier elements are thermoelectrical ceramics which are widely used in industry for cooling and heating purposes. In this study, an instrument which allows the soil sample to fast-drying, and continuous recording of the mass of soil during drying, has been developed. Evaporation of the soil moisture is provided by an infrared heater. Mass change in the sample was measured by a load cell. To isolate from the room humidity, heating and weighing were done in a cabinet. A dry air circulation module has been improved, which allow humid air to dry in the Peltier condenser and send dried air back into the cabin. An electronic card was developed for automatic control and data logging. 27 soil samples were prepared at different water contents and were dried in both an oven and in the new device. Results showed that the water content values are in good agreement. Drying in new device has been completed within 10−25 min. Energy consumption is 90−97% less than that of the conventional oven.