Performance of the Continuous-Type Rice Hull Carbonizer as Heat Source in Food Product Processing

This study evaluated the potential of the PhilRice-developed continuous rice hull (CtRH) carbonizer as heat source for processing food products so as to provide additional income opportunities. Specifically, it aimed to (a) determine the actual amount of heat that can be tapped from the operation of the CtRH carbonizer using two fabricated heat recovery attachments (HRAs) and (b) test and evaluate the performance of each of the HRAs, and (c) identify potential food products that can be processed by the carbonizer when equipped with the HRAs. Boiling test results showed that, while producing biochar at a rate of 9.6 kg/hr, the maximum amount of heat that can be tapped from the CtRH carbonizer is equivalent to 15 kW. On the other hand, results of the oven test showed that the temperature distribution inside the oven compartment is uniform at different tray layers. The highest temperature attained inside the oven chamber was 250 °C. Thus, the heat generated from the CtRH carbonizer offers a lot of potential benefits for the farmers.