Performance and Cost Analysis Comparison of Industrial Corn Drying Converting from Coal to Natural Gas

Abstract

Efficient and sustainable use of energy resources has become an important issue in the agricultural industry and therefore in Industrial corn drying processes. The transition from coal to natural gas appears as a remarkable strategy in this context. Conversion from coal to natural gas can provide significant advantages in terms of performance and cost in industrial corn drying systems. The fact that natural gas is a clean energy source and has low emissions released into the atmosphere as a result of combustion has the potential to minimize environmental impact. Combustion residues generated by the use of natural gas may be less polluting than the use of coal, thus making a positive contribution to air quality. In this context, conversion from coal to natural gas needs to be evaluated in terms of both performance and cost for industrial corn drying systems. In this study, a comparison of the performance and drying cost analysis of a drying facility that converts from coal to natural gas was made, based on the experimental data obtained for both conditions. In the study, data obtained using the same drying temperatures for both cases were used.