Influence of a New Energy-Saving Drying Method on the Quality of Corn Seeds

Kyrpa Mykola,Kupar Julia,Kulyk Vіctor,Stasiv Oleg

doi:10.11648/j.ajaf.20210901.11

Abstract

Drying corn, especially seeds in cobs, requires much higher energy consumption compared to other cereals. Therefore, there is a need to find and study new methods of energy saving. Our work’s objective was: to analyze energy-saving methods of drying corn seeds in chamber corn dryers; to investigate the effect of a new corn cobs drying method on the sowing and yield properties of seeds. The new method is energy-saving and based on the use of a SKP chamber corn dryer in combination with a heat generator for biomass burning. We researched and characterized the known energy saving methods in the process of drying in SKP type chamber corn dryers, such as: two-stage drying of cobs with additional drying in grain; return of spent coolant to the drying zone (recirculation); application of maximum allowable heating temperatures (intensive drying). We established the influence of energy-saving drying methods on the quality of corn seeds. To study the effect of the new drying method on the technological, sowing and yield properties of corn seeds, we used a typical chamber dryer for corn SKP-10 in combination with a heat generator TPG-1/25 for biomass combustion. During the drying process on the energy-saving complex, cob samples were taken to determine the quality of seeds. The control level was seeds dried in a laboratory dryer at a temperature of 39°C with forced air circulation and indoors at a temperature of 20-25°C. Moderate drying temperature, what provide a new energy-saving complex, reduces seed injury by thermal cracking, which is from 2 to 5%. Sowing qualities and yield properties of corn seeds dried in the new complex were at the control level, and in some cases exceeded it. Thanks to the use of a new method of drying, you can completely abandon the expensive traditional fuel, while offering high technological properties and seed quality.

Highlights

There are various technical and technological techniques aimed at energy savings in corn cobs drying, they include: two-stage drying of cobs with additional drying in the grain [13], return of spent coolant to the drying zone [14]; application of maximum allowable grain heating temperatures [15, 16] (Table 1)
The literature sources analysis shows that the greatest contribution to the development of new methods of drying and energy saving techniques was made at the Institute of Grain Crops of NAAS Ukraine and at Odessa National Academy of Food Technology
Significant energy savings can be achieved by drying corn seeds in a two-stage method; it includes drying corn cobs in SKP-6 chamber corn dryer to a grain moisture content of 2022%, cobs threshing and grain drying to a moisture content of 12-13% at mild temperatures using a mine dryer of 2DSP32ОТ type

Summary

Introduction

Drying of seed corn requires much higher energy consumption compared to other grains, which is due to the peculiarity of its structure, namely the strong shell and deep embryo [1, 2].This process determines the reduction of seed moisture to a safe dry state without loss of quality, its resistance to storage and cost [3, 4].the need to find and create new energy-saving drying methods is one of the current problems of post-harvest processing of seed corn in cobs [5, 6].The problem is exacerbated by the fact that such drying must be carried out in special chamber corn dryers, at relatively low temperatures, which do not allow injury to the seeds [7,8,9].The main regulated method of drying corn seeds is carried out in chamber dryers and requires significant energy consumption due to special conditions [10].Its technical and technological parameters are as follows: temperature regime of 35–50°С depending on the cobs moisture, sequential starting of chambers in operation, noncyclic drying schedule, reversal, i.e. change in the direction of drying chambers purging [11]. Drying of seed corn requires much higher energy consumption compared to other grains, which is due to the peculiarity of its structure, namely the strong shell and deep embryo [1, 2]. This process determines the reduction of seed moisture to a safe dry state without loss of quality, its resistance to storage and cost [3, 4]. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that such drying must be carried out in special chamber corn dryers, at relatively low temperatures, which do not allow injury to the seeds [7,8,9].

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Conclusion