Simulation of peanut drying incorporating air recirculation

Abstract

To determine the energy saving potential available from recirculating air in peanut drying, a thin layer drying simulation model was adapted to incorporate recirculation. A heat and mass balance computer model was developed to enable the determination of heat energy input. Laboratory crop dryers were designed and constructed to conduct experiments to verify the simulation models. Five batches of peanuts were dried using different recirculation strategies and the model successfully predicted the experimental results, including moisture content and wet and dry bulb temperatures. Energy savings of up to 20 percent were realized in the experimental runs. The simulation model was also used to evaluate and compare several recirculation strategies in order to determine successful strategies.