Energy audit of the upgraded B1-15 grain dryer and identification of surface heat loss

Abstract

Most of the dryers currently in operation, which are around 35-40 years old, are still worthwhile and can be upgraded, with the installation of a heat recovery system, insulation of air ducts, building a dryer control cabinet and the installation of a dust collector to meet environmental requirements. In this study presents the energy efficiency results of the renovation of the Bábolna 1-15 type transverse air-conducted, shaft crop dryer built in the 1980s, where the specific heat energy consumption was reduced by 29% compared to the original solution by eliminating the cooling fan and applying heat recovery to recycle the drying air. This value was verified by performing a thermal verification test of the dryer. The air-technical calculation was used to determine the amount of air sucked from the cooling section. The surface heat loss of the crop dryer was determined from the difference between the natural gas consumption for drying and the specific heat consumption calculated from the Mollier h-x diagram.