In the Philippines, a flatbed drier with reversible

airflow was introduced. Vietnam's Nong Lam University and

the Philippine Rice Research Institute collaborated on a
study (PhilRice). To accomplish consistent drying without
mixing the grain, the airflow is reversed at some time
throughout the drying process in this design.
The PhilRice Central Experiment Station in Nueva
Ecija built an 8-ton capacity dryer to test its performance
and adaptability under Philippine circumstances. The
prototype unit was built with materials that were
appropriate and readily available in the area. The
construction of nine (9) more dryers at PhilRice stations
(Nueva Ecija, Isabela, Negros, Agusan, Central Mindanao
University, and Midsayap) functioned as pilot units for
technology promotion in their respective areas of coverage.
The dryer's performance was assessed using the following
criteria: (1) drying; (2) quality of dried grains; and (3) cost of
utilizing the dryer. Three drying batches of newly harvested
rice seeds were used to evaluate performance.
At full load capacity, paddy dried using the reversible
airflow flatbed drier has a homogeneous moisture content,
with a one percent (1%) moisture gradient at different layers
of the grain mass across the drying bin. The moisture
reduction rate was 1% per hour during the drying process.
The reversible dryer has a drying cost of PhP0.74 per
kg, which is less than the current mechanical drying cost of
PhP1.13 per kg. It has a 2.5-year payback period and a
break-even point of 53.0 batches per year. To far, eight (8)
privately-owned units have been built and are fully
operating in the provinces of Nueva Ecija, Quirino, and
Bukidnon, with PhilRice getting requests about the
technology from people all over the world.

Development and Promotion of the Reversible Airflow Flatbed Dryer in the Philippines
Correspondence: Address C.J.M. Tado : Rice Engineering and Mechanization Division,
Philippine Rice Research Institute, Maligaya, Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, Philippines.
(044)456-0285 Telephone: E-mail: cjmtado@yahoo.com
DOI: 10.32945/atr3717.2015