Republic of the Philippines

CENTRAL BICOL STATE UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE

San Jose, Pili, Camarines Sur 4418
ISO 9001:2015 www.cbsua.edu.ph
TÜV-R 01 100 1934918

Laboratory Exercises No. 8

OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF FLATBED DRYER

NAME: Jacobo, Jonel B. RATING: _____________

SECTION: BAT 3A DATE: _______________

I. INTRODUCTION

A high-capacity flatbed drier developed in Vietnam using rice hull for fuel was
adopted, modified and evaluated under Philippine condition. This drier has three main
parts, namely; the drying bin, blower and rice hull furnace. It was modified to suit the
farmers' need of farmer cooperatives in the Philippines. This modified design was
named PhilRice-UAF flatbed drier. Some 113 units of PhilRice-UAF flatbed drier were
assembled and are now operational in the different regions in the country. Private
entrepreneurs, local government units and cooperatives financed the construction of the
driers.
A dryer is a machine that removes the water from wet grains by forcing heated air
through the grain bulk. In a flat bed dryer, the same quantity of grain is kept stationary in
a holding bin until drying is completed. A flat bed dryer consists of a drying bin, an air
distribution system with a plenum chamber, a fan, and a furnace or burner for heating
the drying air.

II. OBJECTIVES

At the end of the exercise, the students should be able to learn and
perform actual operation of four-wheel tractor with implement.

III. METHODOLOGY

1. Make a research on the step-by-step procedures on how to operate a flatbed

dryer.
2. Provide an illustration of the step-by-step process by means of an image.
 Republic of the Philippines
CENTRAL BICOL STATE UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE
San Jose, Pili, Camarines Sur 4418
ISO 9001:2015 www.cbsua.edu.ph
TÜV-R 01 100 1934918

IV. DISCUSSIONS/ILLUSTRATIONS

 Check oil and fuel levels of the engine, the pulley tension and make sure the
dryer is operational. Consult your manual.
 Load the drying bin evenly. If the grain contains lots with different moisture
content, mix these well before drying.
 Start the motor or engine.
 For very wet grain, aerating the grains for 30-60 min before drying will improve
quality but increase drying time and fuel consumption.
 Start the heater.
 Monitor moisture content and temperature every hour. Stop drying when the
moisture content in the middle of the bulk (half grain depth) reaches the desired
final moisture content.

V. CONCLUSIONS

There are advantages to using dryers in the private sector; and, fitting the millers
needs and modes of operation is more important to them than the "state-of-the-art"
technology. A flat bed dryer is basically a perforated sheet floor above a plenum
chamber, where the grain to be dried is placed about a foot deep. Heated air is forced
through the grain mass from the plenum below the bed. The grain is loaded and
unloaded from the drying bed manually. To improve dryer operation, a simple plastic U-tube
 Republic of the Philippines
CENTRAL BICOL STATE UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE
San Jose, Pili, Camarines Sur 4418
ISO 9001:2015 www.cbsua.edu.ph
TÜV-R 01 100 1934918

manometer was designed to gauge the static pressure in the plenum and adjust the engine to the
correct speed.

VI. REFERENCES

https://www.fao.org/3/x5427e/x5427e0d.htm
http://www.knowledgebank.irri.org/training/fact-sheets/postharvest-
management/drying-fact-sheet-category/item/vietnamese-flat-bed-dryers-sgh4-and-
sgh8-fact-sheet
http://www.knowledgebank.irri.org/training/fact-sheets/postharvest-
management/drying-fact-sheet-category/item/troubleshooting-a-flat-bed-dryer-fact-sheet