Abstract
Abstract. Drying is an essential post-harvest operation before storing and processing of paddy. Delayed drying incurs post-harvest and quality losses of paddy. BAU-STR dryer using rice husk briquette as a heat source was developed earlier by the Feed the Future, USAID and ADMI, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA sponsored Post Harvest Loss Reduction Innovation Lab (PHLIL)-Bangladesh project to overcome the problems. LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) is a clean gas which is available in all over Bangladesh and could be a clean and easy source of producing hot air for BAU-STR dryer. The objective of this study was to develop LPG based heating system and conduct technical and economical performances of BAU-STR dryer. The experiment was conducted during 25 November, 2019 to 11 December, 2019 (Aman season) at the workshop of the Department of Farm Power and Machinery, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh. Paddy variety BRRI dhan49 was collected from the BAU farm to conduct the experiment. LPG heating system was developed for BAU-STR dryer using locally available LPG cylinder and burner incorporated in modified local stove. The dryer performance was evaluated by setting two different heating units (rice husk briquette and LPG based) and two blowers (Vietnamese and locally manufactured blowers) combination. Treatment 1 (T1), treatment 2 (T2) and treatment 3 (T3) were briquette plus locally manufactured blower, LPG plus Vietnamese blower, and LPG plus locally manufactured blower, respectively for the study. Each treatment was repeated for 3 times. The temperature was maintained at 42±0.5˚C for drying paddy. The moisture removal rate was found 2%MC/hr, 2%MC/hr and 2.1%MC/hr for T1, T2 and T3, respectively. The drying efficiency was found 53.92±1.58%, 64.11±2.9% and 68.97±0.38% for T1, T2 and T3, respectively. The operating cost was estimated 0.78 BDT/kg, 1.13 BDT/kg and 0.89 BDT/kg for T1, T2 and T3, respectively. Average milling recovery was 75.54±1.92%, 75.99±1.44% and 75.51±1.12% for T1, T2 and T3, respectively. It is evident from the technical, financial and milling quality analyses that the BAU-STR dryer using LPG as a clean heating source with locally manufactured blower would be best option for the farmers, seed producers and small traders in Bangladesh.
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