Development of a Rice Husk Furnace for Grain Drying that Suppresses Crystalline Silica Formation and its Application for a Rice Center

Abstract

　We developed a rice husk burning furnace for drying grains in mini-rice centers with cultivation areas of 30-40 ha to reduce kerosene consumption and effectively utilize rice husks during the grain drying process. The heat output of the developed furnace was 116 kW using the developed furnace with the kerosene burner of the circulating dryer. Moreover, the developed furnace was designed to suppress the formation of crystalline silica by burning at 800 °C to 900 °C for several minutes, with a one-minute design value. Drying operations at the rice center and the developed furnace reduced the kerosene consumption by 71.2 %. The ash comprised 49.7 % soluble silicic acid and 0.3 % or less crystalline silica.