Technical Performance of Selected Rice Hull Furnaces¹

 Arnold R. Elepaño², Edgardo V. Casas³, Paterno C. Borlagdan⁴, Ruben E. Manalabe⁵, Manuel Jose C. Regalado⁶, Artemio B. Vasallo⁷ and Dionisio C. Coronel⁸

 

 ABSTRACT

 

Three PRPC-member rice hull furnaces were tested and evaluated.  Capacities, efficiencies and emissions of the NFA Aliaga, BPRE Solano and PhilRice Munoz rice hull furnaces were measured and compared.  All three furnaces offer an alternative system for drying grains with operating cost lower than that of the existing kerosene-fed dryers.  Areas of improvement were highlighted especially in the area of reducing emission to conform to the Philippine Clean Air Act.

 

Keywords:  furnace, rice hull furnace, furnace efficiencies and emissions

¹Paper presented at the 5th National Grains Postproduction Conference of the Philippine Rice Postproduction Consortium (PRPC) held on 17-18 July   2007 at the Royal Mandaya Hotel, Davao City, Philippines; ²Associate Professor, ³University Researcher, Institute of Agricultural Engineering, College of Engineering and                 Agro-Industrial Technology, University of the Philippines Los Baños, 4031 College, Laguna, ⁴Assistant Scientist, International Rice Research Institute, Los Baños, Laguna. ⁵Director II, Bureau of Postharvest and Extension, CLSU Compound, Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, ⁶Supervising Science Research Specialist,  ⁷Acting Business Manager, Philippine Rice Research Institute, Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, ⁸Senior Science Research Specialist, National Food Authority, Visayas Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines.