Forced convection in drying of poultry manure
¹Latvia University of Agriculture, Institute of Agricultural Machinery, Cakstes blvd. 5, Jelgava, LV–3001, Latvia; *Correspondence: aivars.aboltins@inbox.lv
²Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Engineering, Kamycka 129, 165 21, Prague 6, Czech Republic
Abstract:
Pollution of environment by animal waste can be problem of intensive animal production in many countries with high density of animal farms. The aim of this paper is to inform about the experimental and theoretical investigations of moisture content reduction from poultry manure by forced convection. The experimental data created the background for calculation and modelling, which resulted in definition of the theoretical drying coefficient, useful for description and modelling of the drying process. The theoretical model has been verified and compared with experimental results obtained from the measurement. The laboratory equipment was used for test the forced convective drying of poultry manure due to vertical air streams going from bottom through supporting trays with holes and therefore through the manure up. Changed opened area of trays with different density has been used for definition of main parameters, which can serve especially in designing and construction of the new equipment for housing of poultry or improvement of the use of drying tunnel or in similar applications. The experimental data show that the air flow significantly increase the amount of moisture carried away from the material. Holes´ size does not significantly affect water runoff by convection without additional air flow.
Key words:
air, bottom drying, drying coefficient, model, moisture.