Abstract
A study was performed to determine the drying characteristics and quality of barley grain dried in a laboratory scale spouted-bed dryer at 30, 35, 40, and 45°C and an inlet air velocity of 23 m/s−1, and in an IR-convection dryer under an infrared radiation intensity of 0.048, 0.061, 0.073, and 0.107 W cm−2 at an air velocity of 0.5 m/s−1. The results show that the first, relatively short, phase of a sharp decrease in the drying rate was followed by the phase of a slow decrease. The time of barley drying depended on temperature of inlet air in a spouted-bed dryer and on radiation intensities in an IR-convection dryer. Barley drying at 45°C in a spouted-bed dryer was accompanied by the lowest total energy consumption. The average specific energy consumption was lower and the average efficiency of drying was higher for drying in a spouted-bed dryer. The effective diffusivities were in the range 2.20–4.52 × 10−11 m2 s−1 and 3.04–4.79 × 10−11 m2/s−1 for barley dried in a spouted-bed and in an IR-convection dryer, respectively. There were no significant differences in kernel germination energy and capacity between the two drying methods tested.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors are grateful for the financial support provided by the Ministry of Scientific Research within the framework of grant no. 2 P06T 062 27.
Notes
Means with the same letter in the same column are not significantly different (p ≤ 0.05).
Means with the same letter in the same column are not significantly different (p ≤ 0.05).