AIR CONDITIONED PALAY DRYER

Drying of Palay Using Dehumidified and Condensed Air

A project proposal
as a requirement for the subject MENGR 411
Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning

Introduction
Palay is one of the biggest commodity in the Philippines specially in Central and
Northern Luzon, thus why our staple food is rice. But before the palay grains can be
transformed into rice that we cook, the grains must undergo to the process which is called
hulling or the detachment of the skin of the grains.
The grains on the other hand must be dried in a certain moisture content before it
can be hulled so that the grains will not be crushed and retain its size and quality.
In the Philippines the most common drying method of palay is the solar drying, or
it is the drying of grains under the sun. this type of drying is very effective specially in
the summer season, but what if the rainy season comes?
There are several existing drying system that can be used during rainy season
when solar drying is very limited, some of these are the flat bed dryer which uses rice
hull as a fuel and the heat that is produced by burning this fuel is blown into the bed
where the grains is placed, but the problem with this is that the product of burning emits a
bad odor gases whit carbon emission, and the temperature of this sytem is not monitored
which will caused the over drying of the grains that will result to the crushing of grains
when undergoing hulling. The construction of this system is very high that the small scale
farmers cannot afford to have this kind of dryer. With this constraints we must think of
another way of how to dry palay.
Air conditioning is the process of altering the properties of air into a desired
temperature, it can be cooling, heating, dehumidifying and humidifying of air.

Dehumidifying is the process of removal of moisture in the air while heating is the rising
of air temperature in a certain degree. This two processes is what when drying a certain
product.
Through this processes we can now use air conditioned air to dry palay, first we
must dehumidify air in the evaporator next is to condensed the air to the condenser which
will rise the air temperature, this air with low humidity and high temperature will be
blown to the palay grains which will cause the drying.
Statement of the Problem
Drying of palay grains is one of the steps before hulling before producing rice
grains that we can cook and eat. But during rainy season the farmers cannot expect the
energy coming from the sun for drying because of the countries position that typhoons
and storms are very frequent during this season this will cause the difficulty in drying to
the small scale famers who is dependent to solar drying. The existing drying system has a
very high cost of building that the small scale farmers cannot afford to build one.
Objectives
1. To help in solving the drying difficulties during rainy seasons.
2. To create a system which can be use in small scale drying.
3. To use air conditioning system in building a drying system for palay.

Review of Related Literature

According to (Mcmillan Stephen L, 1975), an improved clothes dryer having a

refrigeration system wherein the compressor, condenser, and evaporator, are rotatable
with the dryer drum.
So, drying for agricultural products using an air conditioning unit is possible
because its relationship to a dryer, and more particularly, to a dryer having dehumidifying
power that is applicable to reduce the moisture content of specific crops.
According to (Seungphyo, A. et.al, 2014) that the dryer may include a second
condenser integrally provided with an evaporator and employing heat pump to maximize
the condensation effect so as to enhance heat exchange efficiency, thereby enhancing the
dehumidifying capability.
This research study proves that the condensation process which produces
condensation effect have dehumidifying capabilities, hence can help in proper drying of
agricultural products for example grains and root crops.
According to (Daghigh R. et.al,), the results of simulation of heat pump dryer for
different evaporator temperatures and condenser temperatures have been calculated.
Simulation results are obtained for this system indicated the coefficient of performance
(COP) of this heat pump dryer system increases with decreasing condenser or increasing
evaporator temperatures and the compressor work decrease. It is also observed that heat
rejected from condenser increases with increasing evaporation temperature.

In our project, the temperature of condenser and evaporator can be controlled

using the desired moisture of the product, and this dictates the coefficient of performance
(COP) of the air conditioning unit.

Methodology
Pre-experimental methodology for modified air conditioning unit
1. Separate the different components of a typical air conditioning unit.
2. Arrange the components in fan, evaporator, and condenser order.
3. Provide necessary connector or joints for evaporator and condenser by soldering
the connections between them.
Experimental methodology
1. Construct a drying chamber 3ft x 2ft.
2. Construct air duct for the circulation of air passing through the modified air
conditioning unit.
3. Connect the drying chamber to the constructed air duct system of the modified
air conditioning unit.
4. Drill a hole to the bottom of the drying chamber to let the used air to escape
the drying chamber and to supply the fan for the continuous cycle.
5. Construct again an air duct connecting the drying chamber and goes back to
the fan, to circulate the conditioned air and to lessen the work input in
conditioning the air.

6. Make a base to fix the components of the project.

7. Secure all the edges to avoid the escape of the conditioned and unconditioned
air.