King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi congratulates the inventors whose patent has been granted for their invention as follows:
“Method for ultra-fast drying of parboiled paddy using hot-air impinging stream technique”
Thai Patent Number: 73443
Inventors:
1. Assoc.Prof.Dr.Somkiat Prachayawarakorn, Lecturer, Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering
2. Prof.Dr.Sakamon Devahastin, Lecturer, Department of Food Engineering, Faculty of Engineering
3. Prof.Dr.Somchart Soponronnarit, Lecturer, Division of Energy Technology, School of Energy, Environment and Materials
4. Dr.Pimpan Pruengam, a Ph.D. Graduate, Division of Energy Technology, School of Energy, Environment and Materials
Expired Date: November 18, B.E.2576 (A.D.2033)
“Summary of invention:”
The present invention of ultra-fast drying of parboiled paddy using hot-air impinging stream technique comprises of a star feeder that brings parboiled paddy into the pipeline, through which hot air of high velocity and temperature flows. The air is driven by a high-pressure blower and passes through a two junction zone. One hot air stream is directly flowed into the drying chamber, while another first picks up the parboiled paddy before entering the drying chamber and collide with the first stream. In an impinging zone, where the two streams collide, high shear force and turbulence exist, leading to the high rates of heat, mass and momentum transfer.
Two drying modes are plausible:
(1) In the first case, drying is performed along with tempering, where the parboiled paddy is dried for seven cycles with tempering between each drying cycle in a closed container.
(2) In the case of continuous drying, the parboiled paddy is continuously dried without tempering for seven cycles.