Análise operacional de um sistema de secagem agroindustrial para cevada

Abstract

Grain drying is of great importance to the agro-industry, especially the positive impact it has on product preservation, storage and quality. In barley processing and brewing, this operation is essential. In exploring natural and artificial drying methods, the study highlights the use of kilns, especially indirect heating kilns, with a focus on energy efficiency. Specifically, the work proposes the operational analysis of a barley drying system using eucalyptus chips as fuel, with the aim of improving operational efficiency and reducing CO2 emissions by making use of a renewable energy source. The study develops a procedure for evaluating the system's operating conditions, in which each main component is studied in isolation by choosing appropriate control volumes for the application of mass and energy balances. The results indicated a low loss of thermal energy through heated walls in the furnace region of the system, and a greater loss through external heat transfer occurring in the exhaust air-gas exchanger. As expected, the mathematical model proved to be sensitive to variations in the amount of fuel and the humidity of the chips used, with an increase in both leading to a decrease in the efficiency of the drying system. In general, for the case of barley, which requires low temperatures for drying, the furnace showed good efficiency.