Efficient Grain Drying with Carbon Fiber Infrared Heating Tubes

Traditional Grain Drying Methods

The traditional method of drying wheat is very low-cost. If the weather is favorable, the drying efficiency is also quite good. However, if it’s not sunny during the harvest period, things can get troublesome. Nowadays, many large-scale grain growers have started using a new type of grain dryer with built-in carbon fiber infrared heating tubes. These dryers heat up quickly, lose less heat, and are popular among users. Today, I would like to share the working principle of this type of dryer.

Heating Methods of Grain Dryers

There are many heating methods for grain dryers. Among them, far-infrared radiation heating has the advantages of fast drying speed, low power consumption, small size, and low processing cost. Various domestic and international experiments have shown that using infrared to dry grains does not alter the color of the grains and does not cause secondary pollution. During the use of heating tubes, many customers use reflectors, semi-coated white or semi-coated gold methods to change the direction of the infrared rays. But few have considered, “What if the infrared heating tube is placed inside the grain layer?” By placing it inside the grain, and taking advantage of the fast heating characteristics of far-infrared radiation, the structure of the dryer can be simplified, and heating efficiency can be improved.

The Question of Popcorn

As everyone knows, the surface temperature of a carbon fiber heating tube reaches 500°C when powered on. With such a high temperature, if the heating tube is placed in the middle of the grain, will the grain turn into “popcorn”? The answer is yes, if you put it directly in, the grain might not turn into popcorn, but it will definitely become charred. The dryer mentioned earlier places the carbon fiber heating tube in a cavity inside the grain, installs the grain in a specially designed layout, and then uses a special process to transfer heat and infrared radiation to the grain, allowing the grain to dry quickly.

The New Dryer Design

Now, let’s discuss this new type of dryer that uses carbon fiber heating tubes to reduce size and improve drying efficiency.

Drying Principle of the Heating Tube Dryer

The equipment consists of a fan, drying chamber, material layer, sieve plate, carbon fiber heating tube, and other components. The heating principle is as follows: the carbon fiber heating tube generates heat when powered on, and through infrared radiation, the heat is transferred to the grain material layer. When the infrared radiation reaches the surface of the grain, the grain absorbs the infrared radiation and converts it into heat, thereby increasing the temperature. As the temperature rises, the moisture inside the grain evaporates, drying the grain. But if the grain layer is too thick, and the infrared cannot penetrate through it, how do we deal with it?

We can solve this problem by installing a forced circulation fan in the equipment. The circulating air will carry the heat from the carbon fiber heating tube to the material layer, forming an airflow. This airflow transfers the heat to the outer grain while also removing the moisture from inside the grain, effectively transferring heat. This not only improves drying efficiency but also prevents localized overheating, which could cause the grain near the carbon fiber heating tube to burn.

For more details about GlobalQT and our innovative drying solutions, visit our website or email us at contact@globalquartztube.com.