Analysis of Grain Drying Using the Pressure the Flow of Air Heat Forced Convection Method

Farmers in Merauke traditionally dry rice using an old method, which involves spreading the grains in an open field under the hot sun.This drying process can take up to 14 days and sometimes requires additional labor for assistance.The research focuses on designing a rice grain dryer that utilizes the pressure of hot air or gas generated from the combustion process in a furnace.The objectives include developing an effective grain drying system, employing the Pressure Flow Heat Forced Convection method as the air heating mechanism for the drying chamber, determining the moisture content reduction percentage using both free and forced convection over the drying period, and calculating the efficiency of the forced convection drying system.The analysis revealed that heat transfer within the hot air/fluid section of the pipe occurred at a temperature of 375 K, with a convective heat transfer coefficient outside the pipe of 10.2251 W/m .This resulted in a straight heat transfer rate of 84.87461 W/m .At a motor rotation speed of 1725 rpm, the moisture content in 12,000 kg of rice grain was reduced by 11%, calculated as follows: initial moisture content of 25% minus the target of 14%.