DEVELOPMENT OF A PROTOTYPE DEHUMIDIFICATION TECHNOLOGY PROTOTYPE FOR AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS AND HIGH-VALUE BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS WITH APPRORIATE HOT AIR BY USING COMBINED HEAT SOURCES

Abstract

          The objectives of this research were to develop a moisture reduction prototype for agricultural produces and biomass-based material combined with heat technology suitable for the area to increase the production rate with a solar dryer, and to reduce the risk factors affecting the quality of dehydrated products caused by moisture accumulation during cloudy periods or nights. From the drying experiments of 400 kg of macadamia seeds with an initial moisture content of approximately 16-17% wb until, it became a dehydrated good with a moisture content according to the standard of drying products. Drying house with greenhouse principal technology combined with a biomass stove using fuel from macadamia shells was used with hot air tube principle by using energy from the solar cell power generation system which supplied to the 1 Kwh. and heat generating coil to increase the temperature as well. It was found that the working conditions were suitable when the temperature inside the incubator was 70 °C and the drying time was reduced from 72 to 96 hours to only 48 hours. System performance increases about 50%. The payback period of solar drying technology combined with a prototype of biomass-based heat technology in this study was about 1.37 years. Furthermore, the lightness solution of the macadamia was 73.63 ± 0.72 in drying process was most effective for product quality. The result of color measuring of the macadamia passed moist reduction process found that -a* is -2.28+-0.35. All the macadamia which passed the moist reduction process accordingly to the experimental condition contained microbes less than 25 colonies per 1 gram of sample (1:10 dilution factor). In addition to the test, the sample doesn't infect with mold or yeast. In terms of the containment of the alpha-toxin, the sample was kept for a month at 35 degrees Celsius and did not contaminate the Aflatoxin B1, Aflatoxin B2, Aflatoxin G1, and Aflatoxin G2. Therefore, the macadamia product met the qualifications of the Community Macadamia Product Standard of 2549 [1145/2549]