Study on Corn Drying With Natural Zeolite as the Drying Medium

In this study, natural granular zeolite was used as the medium. After the zeolite was heated and dewatered by hot air, it was mixed with wet corn in a granary. Then the zeolite would transfer heat to the corn and absorb the water released from it. After a given mixing time, zeolite and corn were separate with a screen. And after the zeolite was reheated and dewatered,it was reused.The quadratic rotation regression design method was used to arrange the tests, which included the natural zeolite and wet corn mixture drying test,and the natural zeolite heated and dewatered test. Then a mathematical model of drying parameters and drying performance indexes was established. Finaly the optimum drying parameters were found by using the optimization method of nonlinear constraint. It is proved that this new technology can improve the corn drying productivity, decrease unit heat consumption and preserve the quality of dried corn.