THIN LAYER METHOD ANALYSIS OF SPOUTED BED DRIED MALAYSIAN PADDY – CHARACTERISTIC DRYING CURVES

A lab‐scale spouted bed dryer was used for the drying of paddy. The Malaysian grown paddy is a sample of Geldart's Group D particle. Drying was carried out in the dryer at two different internal configurations, namely with or without the installation of a draft tube, and at several drying temperatures (60–90C), air flow rates (1.14–1.45 m/s) and bed heights (30–45 cm). Drying kinetics of paddy in spouted bed showed only induction and falling rate periods, without constant drying rate period. Thin layer method analysis shows characteristic drying rate curves of linear and exponential functions for the first and second falling rate period, respectively, in conventional spouted bed drying. A single power function was observed in spouted bed drying with a draft tube, mainly as a result of a better tempering effect that gave a lower drying rate gradient.