The Paddy Drying Mobile Machine at the Back of the Tractor

Abstract

This research aims to evaluate the energy consumption and determine the affected the appropriate time for the rice paddy reduction process. It is based on the paddy dehumidifier with the hot air from heater at a velocity of 5 meters per second is blown into the room and flowed through the paddy at 50 degrees Celsius in the three hours per time for each test and the tests are randomly with moisture at every half hour in four layers. The Kor Kho 43 rice is used with moisture at 20 - 25 percent wet basis (w.b.) and the capacity is 500 kilogram of paddy rice per time. Results found that the average moisture content at the layers were decreased 17.65, 15.39 14.80, 13.05, 11.95 and 11.14 percent wet basis (w.b.), respectively. This study can conclude that the appropriate time was 2 hours with the moisture content at the layers were 12.01, 13.08, 14.25 and 14.21 percent wet basis (w.b.), respectively.  The total paddy yield was 13.05 percent wet basis (w.b.) and the sum of water evaporated was 47 kilogram. The totally energy was 29.828 kilowatt per hour, and the specific moisture extraction rate of water (SMER) was 1.576 kilogram per kilowatt per hour. The specific energy consumption (SEC) rate was 2.285 mega joules per kilogram. The fuel consumption rate with diesel was 4.25 liter per hour and the approximately cost was 0.46 baht per kilogram of the rice paddy. Finally, the tractor-mounted dehumidifier can help the farmers to save time and area for paddy drying.