Resistance to Airflow of Grain as Affected by Grain Moisture Content

곡물(穀物)의 함수율(含水率) 변화(變化)에 따른 송풍저항(送風抵抗)에 관(關)한 연구(硏究)

The resistance to the passage of airflow through various agricultural products is an important consideration in the design of an aeration or drying system. The amount of resistance to airflow varied widely from one kind of grain to another, and depended upon airflow rate, surface texture and shape of the particles, the size and configuration of voids, and foreign and fine material in the grain bed. The airflow rate was the major factor considered on this kind of study in the early stages. But these days, the studies on the resistance to airflow of grain affected by grain moisture content and foreign and fine material have been widely carried out. However the foreign an fine material in the grain bed could not be a major factor on the study in Korea because there were only a few grain process procedure after harvesting it. The objectives of this study were to investigate the effect of moisture content and airflow rate on airflow resistance to grain, and to develop a model to predict the static pressure drop across the grain bed as a function of moisture content and airflow rate. The rough rice varieties, Akibare, Milyang 15 (Japonica types), Samkwang, Backyang (Indica types)and covered barley variety, Olbori, which were harvested in 1985 were used in the experiment after cleaning them. Resistances to airflow of grain were investigated at four levels of moisture content (13-25%, wb.) for ten different airflow rates($0.01-0.15m^3/sm^2$). The results of this study are summarized as follows; 1. Theaverage bulk densities were $585.3kg/m^3$ for rough rice and $691.6kg/m^3$ for barley at the loose fill, and were $648.8kg/m^3$ for rough rice and $758.2kg/m^3$ for barley at the packed fill. The pressure drops at the packed fill beds were approximately 1.4 to 1.8 times higher than those at the loose fill beds. 2. The pressure drops across grain beds deceased with the increase of moisture content and increased with airflow rate. The decreasing rates of pressure drop across grain beds according to the moisture contents at the lower airflow rates were higher than those at the higher airflow rates, and the increasing rates of pressure drop according to the airflow rates at the lower moisture contents were higher those at higher moisture contents. 3. The pressure drop across barley bed were much higher than rough rice beds and the pressure drops across Japonica type rough rice beds were a little higher than Indica type. 4. The mathematical models to predict the pressure drop across grain beds as a function of moisture content and airflow rate were developed from these experiments.