Bicol University

College of Engineering

2nd Semester, A.Y. 2017-2018

MECHANICAL RICE
DRYER: COCONUT SHELL
CHARCOAL AS A SOURCE
OF HEAT

Submitted by:

Aeron James Campit

Kier Russell R. Emalada

Jason P. Espenida

Submitted to:

Engr. Jason Anthony B. Consulta

INTRODUCTION

Agricultural development in Philippines for several decades has focused on

increasing the supply of staple foods, particularly rice, in order to eliminate food

shortages. Rice is the staple food of Asia and part of the Pacific. Over 90 percent of the

world’s rice is produced and consumed in the Asia-Pacific Region. Low-income farmers

often cannot afford to adopt this technology, and in any case may benefit more from

technology which emphasizes on-farm resources and low risks, rather than maximum

yields.

Variations in production between countries are related to the amount of fertilizer

used in rice production. For countries which are trying to increase rice production and

maintain rice self-sufficiency, there is the difficult question of whether to help farmers

practice high-input agriculture by offering supportive programs such as fertilizer

subsidies, improved irrigation, a guaranteed purchase price etc., or whether alternative

policies might be more effective. 1

Introduction of more efficient technologies for handling, drying, storage and

milling rice at the village level is essential to reduce post-production losses (PPL).

Drying is one of the most important processes involved in the postharvest handling and

processing of agricultural and food products. 2 The present impressions are that post-

production is labor intensive, as the operations involve harvesting hand-reaping, field

sun-drying before threshing, threshing by trampling, and wind winnowing. This results in

poor quality milled rice including grain discoloration. The physical losses are more in
wet season harvests, with problems in drying, and the use of antiquated mills. This topic

tackles more about the efficiency of the design about using coconut shell charcoal as a

substitute fuel for heating or drying rice and to compare the efficiency of charcoal than

the other fuel. Shell Charcoal is an important product obtained from coconut shell. Shell

charcoal is used widely as domestic and industrial fuel. It is also used by blacksmiths

and goldsmiths and in laundries. Shell Charcoal is also used to produce activated

carbon. Activated Carbon produced from coconut shell has certain specific advantages

as the raw material can adsorb certain molecular species. 3

Basic beliefs are that people in communities whose livelihood is affected are

likely to provide their own motivation for change to ensure increased benefit for

themselves. It is also believed that the local farmers and entrepreneurs are, therefore,

to be given the opportunity to define their post-production needs and to be consulted in

the selection of appropriate technologies. But one must also bear in mind that

community organizations are required to make concerted efforts in the introduction of

new technologies.

Development of more location specific technology for crop management as well

as technology transfer and adoption, coupled with manpower development in

appropriate areas, has to be handled by the countries themselves. The sharing, testing

and utilization of technology and knowledge across the national boundaries have to be

facilitated by Regional and International bodies through various networks supported by

them.
 Technical knowledge is an important factor in determining the adoption of

improved crop management practices and increased yields. Transfer of knowledge

intensive technologies has to receive priority. The bridging of knowledge gaps can

bridge yield gaps. New paradigms need to be added to transfer and use newer seed

and knowledge based technologies under new policy environments.

Technologies to decrease the cost of production and increase profitability must

be considered very seriously at the same time. Issues in poverty alleviation, social

justice and diversification in agriculture are inter-linked and should be handled at that

level. The Asia-Pacific Region has the resilience to meet its future demand and remain

a net exporter of rice, provided concerted efforts are continued with greater vigor and

thrust. 4

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

There are several problems besetting the rice industry in the country. This paper

aimed to propose a design of a machine efficient rice dryer to solve common problems

encountered by farmers like rice drying. It also aimed to determine the efficiency of the

rice drying machine available in the market compared to the propose design which

among these machine significantly affects rice efficiency production. Coconut Shell

Charcoal is an important product obtained from coconut shell and Activated Carbon

produced from coconut shell has certain specific advantages as the raw material can

adsorb certain molecules and because of its density retains good strength and physical

properties and it is the reason why a coconut shell charcoal is a good source of heat.

Simple statistical tools and production function were used in this study. The results
revealed that common problems encountered by rice farmers were: high cost of inputs,

low price of palay, lack of capital, labor problem, lack of postharvest facilities, pest and

diseases and irrigation system. The results also showed that lack of capital and pests

and diseases significantly affects production during wet season while irrigation system

is a significant factor for both seasons. 5

This implies that an increase in these factors would considerably reduce the

output. On the contrary, the coefficients of low price of palay and high cost of inputs,

though found highly significant, do not conform to the expected values. The implication

is that an increase in these variables would result to an increase in total output. For high

cost of inputs, one possible reason why this problem could lead to an increase in output

is due to farmers' efficient use of inputs such as fertilizer and pesticides. Similarly, low

palay price may imply that farmers who yields more encounters a problem with

unavailability of postharvest facilities and/or lack of drying pavements, thus forcing them

to sell their produce fresh despite its low price. Given the significance of these factors,

outcome of this paper may serve as a guide when government tries to refocus the

components of rice programs. Addressing the actual problems and needs of rice

farmers would enhance the agricultural productivity, thus leads us to rice, self-sufficient

country.

Similarly, linkage and support services among rice stakeholders should be

strengthened to prevent problems in rice farming. Rice drying is characterized by an

uneven evaporation of moisture. In the preheating period, most of the heat supplied to

the rice is used to heat the rice up, so very little evaporation occurs. Next, in the
constant-rate period, the rice is fully heating and water is evaporating from the surface

of the grain. Next, in the falling-rate period, the moisture from the surface of the grain is

nearly all evaporated and moisture from the interior of the grain must make its way to

the surface before evaporating. This drastically slows the rate of evaporation and

causes the rice grains to further heat up.

In designing this apparatus, the evaporation rate was calculated to estimate

drying time for different designs. The rice was assumed to have a constant rate of

evaporation. However, due to the falling-rate period, this assumption causes the

calculated drying time to be slightly lower than is should be to reach the desired

moisture content. The propose design is using coconut shell charcoal as a substitute for

the fuel because of it heat efficiency factor as a source of heat and as an environment

friendly fuel that doesn’t emit any toxic or sulfur gas. 6

SCOPE AND DELIMITATIONS

Rice-drying research is international, diffuse, important, and deceptively difficult.

This review presents current thinking, background, entrance citations to the literature,

and critical analysis for each of the most significant problems in rice-drying research, as

well as an overview summary and general recommendations. Discussion is limited to

mechanical drying with hot air. The literature examples are divided into four groups by

research approach: within-kernel experimental, small-sample experimental, theoretical,

and dryer design. While all areas have contributed and are expected to continue to do

so, the small-sample experimental approach is cited as appearing to have an untapped

potential for bringing about a quantum advance. Problems discussed include:

uniformity, fissuring sequence, stress and plastic flow, diffusion mechanisms,

temperature and other environmental factors, kernel vs. husk, controlled drying rate,

chemical changes, dryer design, timing of harvest, trade-offs, reliability of data, and

experimental design or approach.

There are several apparent economic benefits to using coconut shell charcoal

mechanical dryers to dry rice. These include an increased market value of the higher

quality product and the production of coconut charcoal for many small coconut farmers,

more secure income from reduced weather risks for rice farmers, and the ability to

process more grain in a given amount of time. In addition, most markets sell rice by

weight or by volume. Drying reduces both the weight and volume of the paddy.

Generally, in order to justify the cost of drying rice mechanically, the increased profit

due to higher rice quality must outweigh the cost of installing and running the machine

as well as the loss in weight or volume of the paddy. Taking into account other

economic considerations including maintenance, depreciation, and interest, it is very

difficult to break even over the lifespan of a mechanical dryer in small-scale operations.7

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The goal of this design was to create an efficient mechanical rice dryer using

coconut shell as a source of heat/fuel for the furnace that could maintain rice quality at a

low capital and operating cost yielding a reasonably high dry time while remaining

accessible to small-scale processing. The fixed batch dryer (market available rice dryer)

produces good rice quality and has a fast drying time, however it has a high capital and

operating cost. These costs are primarily associated with the type of material used, fuel,
and complexity of the machine (requiring skilled laborers to repair). Because of the

number of units sold of the fixed bed dryers, the fixed bed dryer is obviously preferred.

Therefore, this design sought to optimize the current fixed bed dryer by incorporating

successful features of the circular batch dryer. 8

Larger scale coconut shell charcoal fueled rice dryers have a 4 - 10 ton capacity

approximately and it can be fueled by small furnaces, while the smaller scale circular

batch dryers are fueled by small coal, wood, or rice husk fires. Fixed bed batch dryers,

due to their large capacity, are often made of metal while the circular batch dryers are

often made from less expensive local materials such as bricks and bamboo. Both utilize

a metal wire mesh to keep rice in place while allowing warm airflow through batch. They

also both use inexpensive axial fans to propel air through the system. The redesigned

fixed bed dryer called coconut shell charcoal fueled rice dryer is made from less

expensive local materials, similar to the circular batch dryer. It is also fueled by burning

biomass in t9he form of coconut shell charcoal. This decreases operating costs and,

along with the appropriate heat transfer system, produces a higher temperature than the

circular batch dryers. 9

NOTES

1 Chaudhary, R. C. 1996. Internationalization of elite germplasm for farmers:

Collaborative mechanisms to enhance evaluation of rice genetic resources. In: New

Approaches for Improved use of Plant Genetic Resources; Fukuyi, Japan; pp. 26.

2 https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/advantages-coconut-charcoal-kim-vu
3 http://arstaeco.com/coconut-shell-charcoal/

http://fme.hcmuaf.edu.vn/data/drying%20research%20and%20extension.pdf

4 "Mechanical Dryers: Batch-in-Bin Dryers". FAO Corporate Document Repository.

http://www.fao.org/docrep/t1838e/T1838E0W.HTM

5 "Drying of High Moisture Paddy". FAO Corporate Document Repository.

http://www.fao.org/DOCREP/X5427E/x5427e0d.htm

6 Cassman, K. G.; Olk, D. C.; and Doberman, A. 1997. Scientific evidence of yield and

productivity declines in irrigated rice systems of tropical Asia. IRC Newsletter 46: 7 -27.

7 FAO 1997. Selected indicators of food and agricultural development in the Asia-Pacific

Region, 1986-96; FAO-RAP Publication No. 1997/23, 206 pp. Regional Office for the

Asia and the Pacific, FAO Bangkok, Thailand.

8 "Drying Research and Extension". Faculty of Agricultural Engineering and Technology,

Nong-Lam University, HoChiMinh City.

9
Pingali, P. L.; Hossain, M.; and R. V. Gerpacio. 1997. Asian Rice Bowls: The Returning

Crisis? IRRI-CAB International, 341 pp.