The effect of fluid flow variation on clove dryer machine with control of air temperature and relative humidity

Abstract

In this study, the heat effectiveness and energy efficiency of the clove drying machine with control of temperature and relative air humidity were analysed. The data were carried out experimentally on a clove dryer machine that has 3 racks with staggered arrangement by varying the speed of the air flow into the drying chamber. The hot air produced from a heater and blown to the drying chamber used a fan with 3 various speed rate (1.9 m/s, 2.3 m/s, 2.8 m/s). The heat distribution on each rack was observed and analysed and compared with the energy requirements of the machine. The result showed that the heat flow on the rack evenly distributed. The fluid flow variation has the important effect. The heat will more effective with the lower air flow speed, which the higher heat transfer (q) to the clove from the heater depend on the air flow speed with the higher value 72.78 watt at the lowest positions rack with hot air speed 2.8 m/s. The energy efficiency of the machine was about 37 percent, with the highest value 39.27 percent at the air speed 2.3 m/s.