Design and Performance Evaluation of Hot Air-Microwave Continuous Belt Dryer for Drying Block Rubber STR 20

Abstract

This aim of this research study was to examine the design and construction, as well as to test the performance of hot air-microwave continuous belt dryer machines for drying block rubber STR 20. This industrial type of machine is divided into three major systems: 1) the hot air system, 2) the microwave heating system, and 3) the drying room and conveyor systems. The experiments in this study have shown that the machine can produce heat in the temperature range covered to dry block rubber and the temperature is precise enough within a range of 100 to 130°C (±0.5°C). Security experiments on the microwave leakage have shown that it does not exceed the standards of the HHS (no more than 5 mill watts per square centimeter). Performance experiments have indicated the heat distribution was 83.46 percent which is over 65% of what is considered normal, and the power of the microwave was measured by testing was the value of 24.42 percent of the magnetron wattage used.