Target group Dryer Description

Low Cost Dryer (SRR and STR dryers)

Country: Vietnam
Source: Nong Lam University (NLU), Ho Chi
Minh City
Capacity: 1t
Drying time: 2 days
Cost: US$ 100 (1997)
Installed units in 2009: more than 1,400

Contact: NLU

Farm level

Solar Bubble Dryer (SBD)

Joint development, IRRI, GrainPro, University of

Hohenheim
Source: GrainPro Inc., Philippines
Capacity: 0.5t, 1t
Drying time: 1-2 days
Cost: US$ 1,000-2,000
Sold units in 2015: 50

Contact: GrainPro, IRRI

Drying
Vietnamese Flat Bed Dryer
contract
service Country: Vietnam
Source: Nong Lam University, Ho Chi Minh City
provider Capacity: 4-20t
Drying time: 6-8h
Drying rate: 1-1.5%/h
Small to Cost: US$ 1,500 (2009)
medium rice Installed units in 2009: more than 6,000
mills
Contact: NLU
Vietnamese Reversible Airflow Flat Bed
Dryer

Country: Vietnam
Source: Nong Lam University, Ho Chi Minh City
Capacity: 4-20t
Drying time: 6-8h
Drying rate: 1-1.5%/h
Cost: inquire
Installed units: most new installations

Contact: NLU

Maligaya Flat Bed Dryer

Country: Philippines
Source: NLU - PhilRice cooperation
Capacity: 4t
Drying time: 6-8h
Drying rate: 1/1-5%/h

Contact: PhilRice

PhilRice Reversible Airflow Flat Bed Dryer

Country: Philippines
Source: NLU - PhilRice cooperation
Capacity: 4-6t
Drying time: 6-8h
Drying rate: 1/1-5%/h

Contact: PhilRice

Cambodian Flat Bed Dryer

Source: NLU, Vietnam through IRRC

Capacity: 4t
Drying time: 6-8h
Installed units until 2009: 7
Installed units until 2012: more than 100

Contact: MAFF
 Myanmar 4t Flat Bed Dryer

Source: NLU, Vietnam through IRRC

Capacity: 4t
Drying time: 6-8h
Drying rate: 1-1.5%/h
Installed units until 2009: 7
Installed units until 2012: more than 350

Contact: Pioneer Postharvest Development

Group

Myanmar 1-3t Flat Bed Dryer

Source: Pioneer Postharvest Development

Group
Capacity: 1-3t
Drying time: 6-8h
Drying rate: 1-1.5%/h
Installed units: A few, mostly for demonstration

Contact: Pioneer Postharvest Development

Group

Indonesian Box Dryer

Source: ICRR, Sukamandi

Capacity: 3.3t
Drying time: 6-8h
Installed units until 2009: 200

Contact: Indonesian Center for Rice Research,

Sukamandi BPTP South Sumatra: Budi Rahario

Commercial Re-circulating Batch Dryer

Source: Various companies

Capacity: 4-20t/batch
Drying time: 6-8h
Large rice Drying rate: 1-1.5%/h
These dryers are available from different
mills and sources IRRI assisted in the development in
processors Vietnam and Cambodia
 IRRI Flat Bed Dryer

Source: IRRI
Capacity: 1t
Drying time: 6-8h
Note: This is a design from the 1970s.
Thousands of units were installed over the
years but the design is outdated. It can still be
used for drying seeds or demonstation
purposes since it can be made portable.

Contact: postharvest@irri.org

Small seed
dryers IRRI Seed Dryer

Source: IRRI, based on the Vietnamese SRR

dryer
Capacity: 200 kg
Drying time: 12-24h
Note: This is a prototype seed dryer for very
small seed samples. The IRRI design uses a rice
husk stove as heat source but that is very labor
intensive. A coal stove using brickets is more
appropriate.

Contact: postharvest@irri.org

Example of mechanical dryer

Mechanical drying systems

In this system, mechanical dryers are used to remove water from wet grains
by forcing either ambient air or heated air through the grain bulk. This is
done through:
 Heated air drying - employs high temperatures for rapid drying. The
drying process is terminated when the desired final moisture content is
reached. It uses the following types of dryer:

o Batch dryer - can be used by farmers, contractors, and small

rice mills

o Re-circulating batch dryer - can be used by commercial rice

mills and cooperatives

o Continuous flow dryer - not very common, but used by some

larger billing enterprises that handle large volumes of wet paddy

 Low-temperature drying or in-store drying - controls the relative

humidity rather than the temperature of the drying air so that all grain layers
in the deep bed reach equilibrium moisture content. This can be done using
the

o In/store dryer - produces very high quality grains but requires

long drying time, i.e., four days to two weeks

Read: Heated air drying versus low-temperature drying

 Solar drying - latest drying technology that is able to simulate sun

drying even during rainy conditions. This is done through:

o Solar bubble dryer - can be locally-built and used by

smallholder farmers

 Grain cooling - cools the grain to safe storage conditions instead of

drying it, allowing grains to be conserved for longer periods
New mechanical dryer in the pipeline

Rapid decrease in moisture content (MC) without affecting grain quality is among the
advantages of using the Rapid FIRE dryer that is now underway for public testing.
The study “Development of far infrared ray emitter rapid paddy dryer (Rapid FIRE)” led by
PhilRice Scientist Engr. Manuel Jose C. Regalado has shown promising results in drying fresh
paddy, which is seen to benefit traders, processors, and farmers during wet season.
This mechanical dryer targets a more cost-effective technology that uses lesser electricity,
promises better sun-drying simulation, and produces quality dried paddy and milled rice
outputs.
Initial results have shown that infrared ray or radiation transfer provides a rapid means for
heating and drying a thin layer of the rice paddy. In 2.5 min of exposure time to infrared, grain
MC could be reduced by 2.3 percentage points, i.e., from 16.4% to 14.1%. The ideal grain MC for
rice paddy is 14% for milling, and 12% for seed production.
“The Rapid FIRE dryer could reduce grain moisture content by up to 3 percentage points in an
hour. Flatbed and batch recirculating grain dryers can only reduce grain MC by 1.0 and 1.5
percentage points, respectively,” explains Engr. Regalado.
During a drying trial in 2016 wet season, Engr. Regalado’s team dried the 637-kg paddy harvest
(mixed varieties) from 24% to16% MC in four passes using Rapid FIRE. The dryer had a
throughput capacity of 780 kg wet paddy per hour, and exposure time to infrared ray was
about eight min per pass.
In another drying trial, 1 metric ton of paddy with 14.5% MC was dried to 12.3% MC in two
passes, with an average machine capacity of 800 kg/h, heat exposure of 13.5 min/pass, and MC
reduction rate of about 1 percentage point/hour.
In the two trials, far infrared ray was used as heat stimulator that gave off sun-drying-like effect.
Engr. Regalado’s team did not see any significant difference on milling recovery and head rice
yield between Rapid FIRE-dried and naturally dried paddy.
The dryer components were designed and assembled at the PhilRice’s Rice Engineering and
Mechanization Division using locally available materials and equipment. This project is funded
by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and
Development (PCAARRD).

MECHANICAL DRYING EQUIPMENT

PCARRD NTA MULTICROP DRYER
 PCARRD-NTA Multicrop Dryer

Description: The Multicrop Solar Dryer (MCSD) is a simple relatively low-cost technology. It consists of a
drying chamber whose roof and walls serve as solar collectors. Clear polyethylene plastic is used as
glazing. The energy absorbed by the collectors is emitted inside the MCSD. Unused heat during the day
is stored in the gravel bed/floor, as well as in the roof and walls for use during the night. When solar
energy is not enough to dry, the auxiliary heating system consisting of a furnace and a flue system is
used.
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Features:
 Saves up to 60% fuel wood when used for flue curing tobacco
 For the crops, solar energy alone is sufficient to dry rice, soybean, chopped garlic, corn, legumes,
saluyot leaves, and other commodities
 Can be used for drying fish and meat
 Raw materials are locally available at affordable prices
 Easy to build
 High rate of return on investment because of huge fuel savings, labor saving
 Reduced postharvest losses
 Improves the environment because of minimized fuel wood cutting
For more information contact: Agricultural Resources Management and Research Divisions, PCARRD,
Los Baños, Laguna Tel no. (049) 536-0014 to 0020 loc. 239/240, Fax no. (049) 536-0016 E-mail
Address: pcarrd@pcarrd.dost.gov.ph
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PCARRD-UPLB MULTICROP DRYER

PCARRD-UPLB Multicrop Dryer

Description: The UPLB multi-crop dryer can be use anytime of the day even rainy season with minimal
attention and tending. The dryer is low cost, easy to use and utilizes waste products for fuel. It is
applicable for use in both small farms and large plantations.
Features:
 Good Temperature control and distribution
 Minimal smoke emission
 High heat utilization efficiency
 Easy to operate and labor saving
 Can dry palay, corn, coconut, corn
For more information contact:Â
Agricultural Resources Management and Research Divisions, PCARRD, Los Baños, Laguna Tel no.
(049) 536-0014 to 0020 loc. 239/240, Fax no. (049) 536-0016 E-mail Address: pcarrd@pcarrd.dost.gov.ph
The Program Director, Agricultural Mechanization Development Program, Institute of Agricultural
Engineering, College of Engineering and Agro-Industrial Technology, University of the Philippines Los
BañosCollege, Laguna 4031 Tel Nos.: (063) 49-536-3606 or 536-2713 or 536-
3291Email: amdp@laguna.netÂ
 BPRE MOBILE FLASH DRYERÂ
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AMDP BPRE Mobile Flash Dryer

Description: The mobile continuous-flow flash dryer is a vertical, columnar-type, continuous-flow grain
(palay) dryer mounted on a trailer for easy transport. It uses the “flash drying† technique, fist stage
drying (the use of relatively high-temperature air) to rapidly dry palay with 24%-35% moisture content
(MC). The dryer is composed of a drying bin, blower, heater, loading and unloading systems, and carrying
frame.
Features:
 Dries wet palay (35% MC) to 18% MC in 15-20 minutes (at 18% MC, palay can be stored without
spoiling for three weeks)
 Easy to transport from one site to another using a je epney/truck or animal. Allows custom -drying
scheme that augments the end-user’s income
 Simple to operate and maintain
 Has a heat reducing feature that saves energy consumption by 35%
 Dries corn grains
 Easy to fabricate with locally available materials
For more information contact: The Executive Director BPRE, CLSU Compound, Muñoz, Nueva
Ecija Tel no. (044) 456-0213 Fax no. (044) 456-0110Â E-mail Address: webmaster@bpre.gov.phÂ

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 BPRE IN-STORE DRYERÂ

AMDP BPRE In-Store Dryer

Description: The In store dryer is a continuous-flow slow dryer. It is a vertical, flat bed type,
continuous-flow grain (palay) dryer mounted on a perforated compartments. It uses low temperature the
second stage drying to evenly dry palay after using the flash dryer usually 18-20% moisture content
(MC).Â
Features:
 Made of metal corrugated bin walls
 Divided into equal compartments
 Fully perforated floor
 Uses centralized air duct
 With movable stair/landing for manual loading
 With catwalks for easy access inside the compartments
 With magnetic starter and circuit breaker
 With kerosene burner and tank for supplemental heating
 With thermo hygrometer for easy operation
 With adjustable air gate regulated by a crank per bin
For more information contact: The Executive Director BPRE, CLSU Compound, Muñoz, Nueva
Ecija Tel no. (044) 456-0213 Fax no. (044) 456-0110Â E-mail Address: webmaster@bpre.gov.phÂ