Real-time monitoring of peanut drying parameters in semitrailers

Abstract

ABSTRACTKnowledge of peanut drying parameters, such as temperature and relative humidity of the ambient air, temperature and relative humidity of the air being blown into the peanuts, and kernel moisture content, is essential in managing the dryer for optimal drying rate. The optimal drying rate is required to preserve quality and desired flavor. In the current peanut-drying process, such parameters are elusive in real time and are either not measured or only measured periodically by an operator. A peanut-drying monitoring system, controlled by an embedded microcontroller and consisting of relative humidity and temperature sensors and a microwave peanut moisture sensor, was developed to monitor drying parameters in real time. It was deployed during the 2014 peanut harvest season at a peanut buying point in central Georgia, USA. It was placed in 45-ft (13.7-m) drying semitrailers to monitor in-shell kernel moisture content, temperature of the drying peanuts, temperature, and relative humidity of the exhaust air from the peanuts and relative humidity of the air being blown into the peanuts in real time. In-shell kernel moisture content was determined with a standard error of performance of 0.55% moisture content when compared to the reference oven-drying method. Data from drying parameters were time-stamped and stored on a CompactFlash card every 12 s and were used to assess the efficiency of dryer control settings. Ambient air conditions were measured by an on-site weather station. Results of the study support the value of such a monitoring system and show that implementation of the system for dryer control has the potential for saving a buying point, in the current economical context, as much as $22,000 annually in costs of electric energy and propane.