1996 Volume 58 Issue 3 Pages 37-47
A two dimensional, heat conduction problem in cylindrical coordinate system, expressed by partial differential equation, was solved using the finite difference method for predicting the temperature distribution in cylindrical rough rice storage bins. The program can handle any square size element. The model can simulate the temperatures in filled grain bins of any regular shape and at any location, if the initial grain temperature at the start of simulation and the hourly ambient air temperature for the location are available. Other input data required for the model include two dimensional grid data of square size element, and the thermal properies of the grain, air and the thermal and physical properties of the bin wall material. The model has been programmed in BASIC, compatible with microcomputers, thus requiring less time for computer simulation of temperatures. Tempeature predicted by the model were in very good agreement with the measured temperatures in two 0.8m diameter bins of wooden and metalic containing rough rice, respectively.
