Use of MACS Biomass Furnace Lessens Cost of Mechanical Drying
Designed by Dr. Manolito C. Bulaong of the Postharvest Engineering Department (PHED) of the Bureau of Postharvest Research and Extension (BPRE) for its Maize Aflatoxin Control System (MACS) project, the biomass furnace is cheaper to use than the diesel burner in heating the mechanical dryer.
Unlike the diesel burner which consumes 20 liters of diesel per hour at 85°C drying air temperature, the furnace utilizes both rice hull and corncobs as fuel. It has boiler tubes with a diameter of 2.5 inches which serve as heat exchanger and this produces a clean, smoke-free hot air. Its drying time ranges from 6 to 8 hours per batch at an initial moisture content ranging from 24 to 31 percent.
Corn farmers in Quirino and Isabela are now using the dryer and biomass furnace. Dr. Bulaong reported that in Maddela, Quirino, the average amount of rice hull used for the operation of the biomass furnace ranges from 10 to 11 bags per hour. This is equivalent to 110 to 121 kilograms per hour at a drying temperature of 65°C to 85°C. Corn farmers there can save P8,640 to P11,520 a day. But if they will hire a furnace operator at a rate of P200 per day, they will save R8,440 to R11,120 from the cost of diesel every day or P506,400 to P667,200 per cropping season (60 days of operation).
“I started using the biomass furnace this cropping season. The operation is [ongoing] for two months now and 500 tons of corn have been dried already,” Antonio Barrientos, a corn grower and trader in Maddela, Quirino said.
Using the biomass furnace is also helpful in ensuring the quality of the grains, especially during the rainy season when grains deteriorate because these are not thoroughly dried before stored. Hence, some farmers are forced to sell their produce at a low price rather than to incur higher losses due to grain spoilage. But with the biomass furnace, more farmers can now afford to use the mechanical dryer and ensure the quality of their produce and global trade standards.
“Corn production [is profitable] if we can only save [the corn] from rotting. That’s why we have to sundry it immediately. [However], we have high losses especially during its chance to pass both the local and the rainy season because we still depend on solar drying due to lack of dryer.
That’s why when the mechanical dryer and biomass furnace were introduced to me, I decided to try these technologies because I know that these would be very helpful,” shares Bello Miguel, a corn grower and trader in Benito Soliven, Isabela.
Miguel also said that he is pleased with how the furnace works, and he saves a lot of money because he is only paying for the electricity consumed by the dryer. “It is important especially among corn traders to have dryers and biomass furnace to save the grains and to save on the drying cost. I hope other farmers and traders will try to use these technologies… to increase their income,” he adds.
