Design of High Moisture Alfalfa Drying Experimental Bench and Thermodynamic Simulation of Drying Process

Abstract

In the process of alfalfa modulation, the problems of long drying time and serious nutrient loss have been the constraints. In order to solve these problems, this study optimised the drying process of high moisture alfalfa whole bales by designing a high moisture alfalfa drying test bed and performing thermodynamic simulation of the drying process. Specifically, the upper and lower inserted hot-air needle mechanisms and the blower-suction device were designed. In order to verify the validity of the design, FLUENT was used to simulate the high moisture alfalfa bale with 40% moisture content under different working conditions. Through the response surface method, the optimum working parameters were determined to improve the efficiency of the whole drying process. The optimum drying parameters were finally determined as: temperature 90°C, air velocity 4.646 m/s and drying time 20 min.