Encontro de Energia no Meio Rural

Abstract

OCACIA, Gilnei Carvalho, VILHENA, Paulo, LIBERMAN, Bernardo et al. Utilização de GLP na secagem do arroz. In Procedings of the 4th Encontro de Energia no Meio Rural, 2002, Campinas (SP) [online]. 2002 [cited 28 April 2024]. Available from: <http://www.proceedings.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=MSC0000000022002000200064&lng=en&nrm=iso> .

This paper presents an energetic analysis of rice drying in dryer storage cells, comparing experiments made using natural gas and air-conditioned through "LPG" combustion. The data was obtained from three of the five cells existing at the grain silos located at Estação Experimental do Arroz (EEA) - an experimental facility for the treating of rice - of the Instituto Rio-grandense do Arroz, in Cachoeirinha, Rio Grande do Sul, a southern state of Brazilian. In the first cell, named A, were stored up to 3,900 sacks of 50 kg from the variety IRGA-419, with 19.9 % of initial average moisture in humid base and 3.4 % of average impurity. For drying, a manual operational system was used with a 12.5 HP ventilator working continuously, except in rainy or extremely humid days. In the second cell, named B, were stored up to 3,700 sacks from the variety IRGA-416, with 19.9 % of initial average moisture in humid base and 2.3 % of average impurity. An automated operational system was used to set in motion a 12.5 HP air blower to work whenever background air presents conditions for drying the grains. In the third cell, named C, were stored up to 3,400 sacks from the variety IRGA-410, with 18.8 % of initial average moisture in humid base and 4.4 % of average impurity. The automated operational system was used along with "LB" burning and a suction ventilator. In cells A, B and C, the drying period was five, two and one month, respectively, while the corresponding cooling and conservation periods were one, four and five months, respectively. The total energy consumption was 24.7 MWh (cell A), 23.9 MWh (cell B) and 23,8 MWh (cell C).