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.