A field practice report at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) with focus on the development of an Arduino-based automatic fan control device for grainpro solar bubble dryer

Date

6-2016

Degree

Bachelor of Science in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering

Major Course

Major in Agricultural and Bio-Process Engineering

College

College of Engineering and Agro-Industrial Technology (CEAT)

Adviser/Committee Chair

Princess Tiffany G. Dantes

Restrictions

Restricted: Not available to the general public. Access is available only after consultation with author/thesis adviser and only to those bound by the confidentiality agreement.

Abstract

Losses during pre-harvest and postharvest handling chain in rice production are the main contributors to the rice self insufficiency of the Philippines despite the 18 million tons rough rice production output. This problem had brought about many researches aimed to reduce losses during rice production, especially the study on rice drying where most losses come from. In this report, an instrumentation using the Arduino microcontroller that is able to control automatically the fan operation of the ventilator of the GrainPro Solar Bubble Dryer depending on the rice moisture is developed. The detailed design processes done during the development of the device are as follows: (1) preparation of materials and equipment, (2) process flow determination, (3) moisture sensor calibration, (4) coding and board prototyping, (5) prototype fabrication, and (6) field testing. The results of the field test show fluctuations in the readings of the moisture sensor that rendered frequent on and off switching of the ventilator. This was also observed from the changes in the corresponding fan status update shown on the LCD. These fan status updates, however are difficult to read due to the bad contrast and small font size of the test. Farmers with poor eyesight will experience difficulty in reading the LCD text. But overall, the device is able to change the fan operation as intended based on the changes in the moisture content reading of the rice paddy. However, it is still recommended that the use of the vapor pressure difference to control the fan operation should be used instead of the rice moisture content. The vapor pressure difference between the surrounding air and the rice paddy is a better determinant of the possible grain moisture adsorption. Also, an evaluation of the precision and accuracy of the device to change the fan operation based on the changes in the SBD's inside environment should be done. The device should also be user friendly. Some activities other than the main project done by the trainee are also discussed in this report. Improvements on the safe and efficient use of the laboratory are also recommended.

Language

English

Location

UPLB College of Engineering and Agro-Industrial Technology (CEAT)

Call Number

LG 993 2016 A2 M45

Document Type

Thesis

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