Paddy Drying Systems

By:
M Gummert
J Rickman
Agricultural Engineering Unit
IRRI, Los Baños , Philippines
 Content

• Why drying
• Drying and quality
• Drying methods
• Mechanical drying systems
• Drying strategies
 Why Drying?

• Rice is harvested at high

moisture contents >20%
• Quality deterioration starts
immediately after harvest
• The wetter the grain the
faster the loss of quality
• Different MC for different
purposes (see Table)
Purpose Required MC Potential problems

2 - 3 weeks storage 14 - 18% Molds, discoloration,

respiration loss
8 - 12 months storage <= 13% Insect damage

> 1 year storage <= 9 % Loss of viability

Milling 14% Damaged grains, cracking
 Improper drying, 1

• Heat build-up
– from natural respiration
– excellent growth conditions for molds and
insects
• Mold development
– propagate diseases in the grain
– may release toxins into the grain
– proper drying and storage can reduce
propagation of molds
• Insect infestation
– insects are always a problem in stored
grain
– at lower moisture content insect activities
are lower
– proper drying helps keeping insects at
acceptable level (4 insects per kg)
 Improper drying, 2
• Discoloration/Yellowing
– heat build-up in the paddy grain
before drying
– drastically reduces the market
value of rice
• Loss of germination and vigor
– active respiration depletes the
nutrition reserves
– molds and diseases can reduce
the ability of the seed to
germinate
– the lower the MC at the beginning
of storage, the longer the seed
remains viable
 Improper drying, 3
• Loss of freshness/odor development
– Heat build up -> musty odor in rice.
– Reduces the market value of rice.
– If from mycotoxin-producing fungi rice
might become unusable.
• Reduced head rice yield
– moisture adsorption of individual dry
grains with moisture contents below
16% - fissuring
 mixing dry with wet grains

 Exposing dry grains to humid air

– Fissures cause cracking in milling

process -> reduced the head rice
recovery.
 Equilibrium moisture content (EMC)

• Rice is hygroscopic Purpose Required Potential problems

MC
• Equilibrium moisture 2 - 3 weeks storage 14 - 18% Molds, discoloration,
content (EMC) respiration loss

– If grain is exposed to 8 - 12 months storage <= 13% Insect damage

> 1 year storage <= 9 % Loss of viability
air for a longer time it
Milling 14% Damaged grains, cracking
will reach EMC
– Dry grain will adsorb
water from humid air
– Wet grain will dry
• Grain properties
– Moisture Content, MC
– Temperature
• Air properties
– Relative Humidity, RH
– Temperature
 Drying methods

Drying

Traditional Methods
Mechanical drying
(Sun drying)

Low-Temperature
Field Drying Heated-Air Drying Drying Flash Drying

Panicle drying Batch dryer Aeration

Re-circulating Batch
Mat drying In/store drying
Dryer

Pavement drying Continuous Flow Dryer

 Field drying
• Why field drying?
– Waiting for the thresher
– Manual threshing
• How?
– Spreading the crop in the field
– Stacking/piling
• Advantages
– Can reduce MC by 1% per day
• Disadvantages
– Rapid quality deterioration
– Shattering
– Losses to bird and rodents when spread in
the field
– Heat build up and rapid quality deterioration
in piles
– Re-wetting from straw in piles

It is impossible to produce good quality grains

with field drying practices.
Field drying should therefore be avoided.
 Panicle drying
• Traditional method
– harvested with a small knife (ani ani)
– paddy grains that are still attached
to the panicles
– for drying small amounts of paddy.
– stored in farmers’ houses, e.g. under
the roof for protection from rodents.
• Problems
– low capacity
– grains inside the panicle dry slower
than the grains that are exposed
directly to the sun.
• Tips
– turning of the panicles improves the
drying process
 Mat drying

• Paddy can be placed on nets,

mats or plastic sheets
(canvas).
• Advantages
– Most hygienic method.
– less contamination with
stones and other dirt
– Easy collection in case of
sudden rainfalls.
– Easy mixing
• Disadvantages of nets
– danger of re-wetting of
the bottom grains from
soil moisture
 Pavement drying
• Better-off farmers, grain collectors,
traders and millers use drying
pavements
– specifically constructed for drying
– multi purposes (basketball court)
• Advantages
– high capacity / economics of scale
– can be partially mechanized
– tools for mixing and grain
collection
– larger mills often use two or four
wheel tractors
• Disadvantages
– capital requirements for the
pavement
– pollution with stones and dirt
 Sundrying and quality

90 8 90 6.5
88 7.5
7 85 6.25
86

Drying Time, h
6.5

Drying Time, h
Recovery, %

80 6

Recovery, %
84 6 Head rice Head rice
82 5.5 Milled rice 75 5.75 Milled rice
80 5 Drying time Drying time
4.5 70 5.5
78
4
76 65 5.25
3.5
74 3 60 5
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Source: IRRI, (Gayanilo) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Source: IRRI, (Gayanilo)
Location: Philippines Location: Philippines
Layer thickness, cm Intital M.C. = 24% Mixing interval, h Intital M.C. = 24%
Final M.C. = 14% Final M.C. = 14%

Layer thickness Mixing interval

• Spread the grains in thin layers, • mixing the grain is the most
ideally 2-4 cm. important activity for maintaining
• Too thin layers -> heat up very good quality
quickly • Turn or stir the grain at least
• Too thick result in a large once per hour, better every 30
moisture gradient minutes to achieve uniform MC.
 Tips for better sundrying

• Management
– Layer depth of 4cm
– Mixing every 30 minutes
– Monitor moisture content
– Monitor temperature
• Protection
– Cover the grain when
temperature rise above 50-
60ºC
– Cover during rain.
– Prevent contamination
– keep animals off the grain Use tools to improve sundrying
 Heated air drying
Components of a dryer

• Main components
– Drying bin
– Air distribution system
– Fan
– Air heater
• Optional
– Conveyors
• Accessories
– Moisture meter
– Dust separator
 Options for heated air drying

Air
Grain

Tempering Dryer Tempering bins

Section

Drying
Section
In

Out

Fixed bed batch dryer Re-circulating batch dryer Continuous flow drying plant
 Fixed bed batch dryer (1)
Flat bed dryer
• Key features
– Batch Capacity: 1-10t
– Drying time 6-8h
– Approximate prices: US$ 1000-
2000
– Kerosene or rice hull fired
• Advantages
– Simple and affordable
• Disadvantage
– Labor intensive
– Moisture gradient
– Temperature control
 Fixed bed batch dryer (2)
Low cost batch dryer
• Key features
– Batch Capacity: 0.2-2t
– Drying time: 1-2 days
– Approximate prices:
US$ 100-200
– Wood, coal or rice hull fired
• Advantages
– Simple and affordable
– Very cheap
– Uses local storage structures
• Disadvantage
– Labor intensive
– Moisture gradient
– Temperature control
 Fixed bed batch dryer (3)
Reversible air flow dryer
• Key features
– Same as flat bed dryer
– Airflow is reversed after ½ to ¾
of drying time was completed
• Advantages
– Minimized moisture gradient
– Less labor intensive since
mixing is eliminated
• Disadvantage
– Additional cost
 Re-circulating batch dryer
• Key features
– Batch Capacity: 4-12t
– Drying time: 8 hours
– Approximate prices:
US$ 8,000-10,000
– Kerosene fired
• Advantages
– Automatic operation
– Produces excellent quality
– Little floor area
• Disadvantage
– Wear of conveying elements
– Problems with very wet paddy
 Mechanical drying Methods
Heated-air drying Low-Temperature Drying
30 25

25
Top 20

MC, % w.b.
Wet Top
MC, % w.b.

Middle
20 Middle
Bottom
Avg. Grains 15
Bottom

15

Drying 10
Drying 10

Zone 0 5 10 15 Zone 0 48 96 144 192 240

Drying time , h Dry Drying Time , h

Grains

Drying air temp.: 43ºC

Air velocity:
Airflow rate per t grain:
Power requirement:
0.15-0.25 m/s
>0.7 m³/s
1.5-2.5kW/t grain
Drying air temperature: Δ T = 0-6 ºK
Layer depth: < 40 cm
Drying time:
Initial MC:
6-12 h
up to 30%+ Air velocity: 0.1 m/s
Airflow rate per t grain: >0.05-0.4 m³/s
Power requirement: 0.05-0.15 kW/t grain
Layer depth: <2m
Drying time: days to weeks
Initial MC: 18% ( 28%)
Advantages:
Simple management Advantages:
Fast drying Very energy efficient
Affordable Bins can be filled at harvest rate
Low level of integration Maintains grain quality optimally
Disadvantages: Drying in storage structures
3-4% moisture gradient in final product, requires Disadvantages:
mixing or reduced layer depth Increased risk with poor power supplies
Reduction in milling yield Requires bulk handling system (high level of integration in
Danger of killing seeds postharvest system)
 Other drying systems

• First stage dryers

– Fluidized bed dryer
– Rotary drum dryer
• Low-temperature dryer (often second stage dryer)
– In-store dryer
– Aeration facilities
 Flash dryer
• Principle
Fluidized bed dryer from Thailand
– Grains are pre-dried quickly in a
fluidized bed
– As a first-stage dryer in a two-stage
drying strategy
• Key features
– Batch Capacity: 4-12t
– Drying time: 10-15 minutes
– Air temperatures: 110-120°C
– Air velocity: 2.3 m/s
• Advantages
– Very fast pre-drying
– High capacity
• Disadvantage
– For pre-drying to 18% MC only
– High energy requirement
 In-store dryer

• Principle
– Slow EMC based drying with ambient air or
slightly pre-heated air
• Key features
– Batch Capacity: 1… x.000 tons
– Drying time: 4 days to 2 weeks
– Air temperatures: ambient, 3-6°C above
ambient
– Air velocity: 0.1 m/s
• Advantages
– Produces very high quality
– Low energy requirement
– Drying in storage bin
• Disadvantage
– High risk if MC is > 18%
– Long drying time Wet
Grains
Drying
Zone
Dry
Grains
 Drying Strategies

• Decentralized on-farm drying

– Requires quality incentive
– Low utilization of equipment
– Training and technical support service
• Centralized drying
– Contractors (service providers)
– Mills
– Economics of scale
• Two-stage drying
– Ideal process to produce best quality
– Two machines are needed for one operation
– First stage dryer dries only to 18%
Thank you