Energy consumption for grain drying in China

Energy resources play a crucial role in economic development in any country. Although the energy consumption in agriculture accounts for a lower ratio to the total energy consumption in China, there is a tendency of growing rural energy demand because of agricultural mechanization, especially increasing use of grain dryers. Following a review of the past and present situation of artificial grain drying in China, the authors discussed the energy consumption situations and problems in grain drying in China. Experimental study was reported in this paper on energy consumption of two types of dryers widely used in China. Three suggestions related to increasing energy efficiency in grain drying, namely, adoption of new drying technologies, application of energy conservation technologies, and development and utilization of regenerative energy resources, were proposed in this paper.