Performance and economic analyses on solar-assisted heat pump fluidised bed dryer integrated with biomass furnace for rice drying

• Published in: Solar energy Vol. 174; pp. 1058 - 1067
• Main Authors: Yahya, M., Fahmi, Hendriwan, Fudholi, Ahmad, Sopian, Kamaruzzaman
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Elsevier Ltd 01-11-2018; Pergamon Press Inc
• Subjects: Biomass; Drying; Economic analysis; Energy; Exergy; Flow rates; Flow velocity; Fluidised bed; Fluidized beds; Heat; Heat exchangers; Heat pump; Heat pumps; Mass flow rate; Moisture content; Pumps; Relative humidity; Solar and biomass energy; Solar energy; Thermal energy; Water content; Heat pump; Fluidised bed; Solar and biomass energy
• ISSN: 0038-092X; 1471-1257
• DOI: 10.1016/j.solener.2018.10.002

•Experimental study was carried out a solar-assisted heat pump fluidised bed dryer integrated with biomass furnace for rice drying.•The energy-exergy-economic analyses and drying kinetic analysis were presented.•The thermal dryer, pickup and exergy efficiencies in the average values of 15.4%, 43.8% and 41.3%, respectively.•Improvement potential varied from 223.3 W to 1391.2 W, with an average values of 630.6 W.•The payback period of the dryer was approximately 1.6 years.
This study is concerned with the performance and economic analyses on solar-assisted heat pump fluidised bed dryer integrated with biomass furnace for rice drying. The dryer decreased the moisture content of rice from 32.85% (dry basis) to 16.29% (dry basis) in 22.95 min, with a mass flow rate of 0.1037 kg/s at an average temperature of 80.9 °C and average relative humidity of 8.14%. The specific moisture extraction rate varied from 0.13 kg/kWh to 0.40 kg/kWh, with an average value of 0.24 kg/kWh. The specific energy, specific thermal energy and specific electrical energy consumptions varied in the range of 2.50–2.62, 0.98–3.03 and 0.90–2.78 kWh/kg, with average values of 4.76, 1.86 and 1.71 kWh/kg, respectively. The thermal dryer, pickup and exergy efficiencies varied in the range of 8.4%–25.6%, 23.7%–73.4% and 13.6%–61.8%, with average values of 15.4%, 43.8% and 41.3%, respectively. Improvement potential varied from 223.3 W to 1391.2 W, with an average value of 630.6 W. The payback period of the dryer was approximately 1.6 years. Furthermore, the experimental dimensionless moisture content data fitted well with the Page’s model.