MODIFICATION AND TESTING OF BIOMASS DRYER

Code No: 780167

₦5,000.00

ABSTRACT

Table of Content

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Cover Page
Title Page
Certification
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Abstract
Table of Contents
List of Tables
List of Figures
List of Plates
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1    Background to the Study
1.2    Problem Statement
1.3    Aim and Objectives
1.4    Justification
1.5    Scope of the Project
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1    Drying as an Element of Post Harvest
2.1.1    Types of Losses
2.1.1.1    Moisture Content
2.1.1.2    Damage
2.1.1.3    Direct and Indirect Losses
2.1.1.4    Weight Loss
2.1.1.5    Quality Loss
2.1.1.6    Food Loss
2.1.1.7    Seed Viability Loss
2.1.1.8    Commercial Loss
2.2    Methods of Drying
2.2.1    Traditional method of drying
2.2.2    Modern Methods of Drying
2.3    Mechanisms of Drying
2.4    Basic Theory of Drying
2.4.1    Thin Layer Drying
2.4.2    Deep Bed Drying
2.5    Factors affecting rate of drying
2.5.1    Crop Parameters
2.5.2    Air Parameters
2.5.3    Dryer Parameters
2.6    Review of Dryers
2.7    Drying Process
2.8    Agronomy of Turmeric
2.8.1    Benefit of Turmeric
2.9         Sources of Energy for Drying
2.9.1      Briquette as a Source of Energy
2.9.2      Solar as a Source of Energy
2.9.3    The Fossil Fuels
2.9.4    Electricity
2.9.5    Nuclear Power
2.9.6    Hydro Power
2.9.7    Geothermal Energy
2.9.8    Wind Power
CHAPTER THREE: MATERIALS AND METHOD
3.1    Modified Areas on the Biomass Dryer
3.2    Materials
3.2.1    Charcoal
3.2.2    Digital Weighing Scale
3.2.3    Temperature Monitor and Controller
3.2.4    Biomass Dryer
3.2.5    Digital Venier Caliper
3.2    Description of the Machine
3.3    Component Parts of the Biomass Dryer
3.3.1    Chimney
3.3.2    Drying Tray
3.3.3    Drying Chamber
3.3.4    Solar Panel
3.3.5    Battery
3.3.6    Ash Port
3.3.7    Temperature Controller
3.3.8    Centrifugal Fan (Blower)
3.3.9    LED Screen
3.3.10    Charge Controller
3.3.11    Copper Pipe
3.4    Design Consideration for the Biomass Dryer
3.4.1    Air Temperature
3.4.2    Air Relative Humidity
3.4.3    Air Flow Rate
3.5    Material Selection
3.6    Operation of the Biomass Dryer
3.7    Design Analysis/Design Calculation
3.7.1    Design for the Volume/Capacity of Drying Tray
3.7.2    Design of Area of the Temperature Controller
3.7.3    Design of Area of Copper Pipe
3.7.4    Design of Area for the Burning Chamber
3.7.5    The Amount of Moisture to be Removed from Agricultural Produce
3.7.6    Design for Solar Panel Capacity
3.7.7    Drying Rate
3.7.8    Design Calculation and Analysis
3.8    Bill of Engineering Measurement and Evaluation (BEME)
3.10.1        Sourcing of Raw Material
3.10.2    Sample Preparation
3.10.3    Experimental Design and Layout
3.10.4    Experimental Procedure
3.10.5         Output Parameter
3.10.5.1   Measurement for Drying Rate
3.10.5.2     Determination of Water Loss
CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
4.1    Results
4.2    Discussion
4.2.1    Effect of Drying Rate on Turmeric at 500C
CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1    Conclusions
5.2    Recommendations
Reference
Appendix A
Appendix B
Appendix C
AppendiX D

ABSTRACT
Drying is out of the major problem in post harvest operation. The traditional method of Drying (Sun drying) is weather dependent and unhygienic which affect food storage most especially in developing countries like India where more than 3300 to 3700 hours of bright sunshine per year available in North- West and West coastal region. The dryer consist of the following operating component parts: a cabinet, blower, trays, temperature controller, copper wire and light emitting Diode (LED) screen and switch. The factors considered in the study were turmeric of 2000g weight, temperature (500C, 600C and 800C) and each were replicated 3 times. The testing was carried out in term of drying rate, amount of moisture loss and applied temperature. Temperature of 600C and 700C favours the drying of the three weight that temperature of 400C. the time taken for each figure sample at different weight and temperature differs. Hence, the higher the temperature the lesser the time taken for the turmeric to dry, the higher the weight the higher the time taken for turmeric to dry, the statistical analysis (ANOVA) shows that there is high significance difference at 5% in the mean value of the drying rate as affected by temperature 400C and there high significance difference at 1% and 5% in the mean value of the drying rate. The efficiency of the battery operated biomass dryer on the modification to the biomass dryer was evaluated to be N 223,250.00.

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1    Background to the Study
Drying is the dehydration process used to remove the moisture present in food products by the application of heat. The heat may be supplied either by hot air or from the biomass energy. Drying process is used to preserve the food products for future usage. Drying prevents the growth of bacteria and yeast formation. Drying can be achieved by using open air and biomass dryers. (Atul et al, 2014). Drying has a vital role in post harvest processing. It has always been of great importance for conserving agricultural products and for extending the food shelflife. (Doymaz 2007).
Drying crops by biomass energy is of great economic importance, especially in Nigeria where most of crops and grain harvests are lost to fungal and microbial attack. These wastage could be easily prevented by proper drying which enhance storage of crops and grains over long period of time. The biomass energy can easily be harnessed by a proper design of biomass dryer for crop drying. This method of drying requires the transfer of both heat and water vapor (Forson et al, 2007). Biomass drying is a process of using biomass energy to heat air and the product so as to achieve drying of agricultural products (Ajay et al, 2009). Biomass air heaters are simple devices to heat air by utilizing biomass energy and employed rate temperature between 800C such as crop drying and space heating (Bukola and Ayoola, 2008).
Biomass can be define as all renewable or organic matter including plant materials, animal products, and forestry by products and urban wastes etc with highly different properties to be used as fuels. Energy obtained from biomass is not site specific, thus can be established at any place where plant and animal waste is available. The biomass backup burner helps the small scale farmers to dry their product in a more efficient manner. It is also able to reduce the drying time as compared to direct sun drying (Paistet al, 2005).
The biomass dryer is one of the dryers which has achieved some level of acceptance. One of the important disadvantages of the dryer is that it cannot be used without any backup heater during night times and cloudy days. Introducing biomass makes the dryer operational even beyond sunshine hours (IEA, 2011).
1.2    Problem Statement
Majority of the rural farmers do not have access to sustainable electricity supply. Therefore, the biomass dryer are used to operate during raining season at harvest time, the biomass dryer must also be able to continue drying during this period in order to achieve effective drying. It must be able to continue drying until late evening to shorten the drying period (Akhrani et al, 2013). With the price of energy constantly rising, the use of biomass presents air option for decreasing energy dependency. There is also an account locally produced biomass contributes to self-sufficiency and a low dependency on the energy market and on other region (Hutla and Mazancova, 2004).
Thus, there is the need to design and fabricate a biomass dryer that would solve the above mentioned problems for the farmers.
1.3    Aim and Objectives
This aim of this project is tomodified a biomass dryer in order to reduce the moisture content of agricultural crop so as to prolong their shelflife using biomass as a source of heat generation.
The specific objectives of this project are:-
i.    To extend the condenser in the drying chamber for easy conveyance of the heated air
ii.    To redesign briquette chamber to avoid heat loss and for easy loading of briquette
iii.    To introduce copper pipe for easy transfer of heat into the drying trays
iv.    To carryout performance evaluation on the biomass dryer in term of weight loss, temperature and time