SECAGEM DE GRÃOS E A EFICIÊNCIA ENERGÉTICA: MÉTODOS, TECNOLOGIAS E TENDÊNCIAS

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.22533/at.ed.26525260313

• Palavras-chave: Conservação de alimentos, sistemas de secagem, fluidodinâmica computacional.

• Keywords: food preservation, drying systems, computational fluid dynamics.

• Abstract: Grain drying is an essential process for food preservation, reducing its moisture content and preventing chemical and biological reactions that affect product quality and safety. The study explores different drying methods, highlighting natural drying, which depends on environmental conditions, and artificial drying, which uses forced ventilation at controlled temperatures. Additionally, specific dryers such as rotary, fixed-bed, and solar dryers are analyzed, with an emphasis on coffee drying, a product highly sensitive to the conditions of this process. The results show that the proper selection of the drying method is crucial to minimizing losses and ensuring the quality of the final product. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis emerges as an effective tool for process optimization, allowing the evaluation of temperature distribution, airflow, and energy efficiency of the equipment. The use of CFD contributes to the improvement of drying systems, reducing operational costs and increasing productivity. It is concluded that technological innovation and the optimization of drying equipment are fundamental to improving efficiency and sustainability in the agro-industry, ensuring higher-quality food with greater durability during storage and commercialization.