The improvement of corn grain drying using air dehumidification: Energy consumption evaluation and techno-economic analysis

Freshly harvested corn contains high moisture content, thereby requiring a drying process to prevent quality degradation. This research aimed to improve the conventional drying process by adding an air dehumidification process with solid desiccant. Corn grains were dried at various temperatures (40, 50, 60, and 70 ℃) and two airflow rates (10 and 15 m/s) at a 20–25 kg capacity. As indicators, the drying time required and energy consumption were evaluated. Research showed that air dehumidification was able to shorten the drying time, thereby reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions. At a low drying temperature (50 ℃), air dehumidification showed a higher impact on moisture removal and shortened the drying process. Furthermore, the techno-economic aspect was evaluated. The research showed that the drying process with an adsorbent was most efficient at 40 ℃ and an air velocity of 15 m/s. In this condition, the benefit-to-cost ratio (B/C ratio) was 1.23, and the payback period was 1.41 years.