THE PREDICTION OF APPROXIMATE DRYING TIMES FOR NARCISSUS BULBS BY COMPUTER SIMULATION

A study of the drying characteristics of narcissus bulbs was made and the data obtained from the study was analysed and presented in a form which enabled it to be used in a digital computer simulation of the drying performance of deep beds of bulbs.

The simulation was then used to predict the probable drying times for bulbs under commercial conditions for a range of temperatures, air flows and bed depths.

The results have been used for advisory purposes and have been found to give reasonable agreement with practical experience.

The experimental work included a determination of the exposed thin layer drying characteristics, the measurement of equilibrium moisture content for those parts of the bulb that dry.
The progress of drying in ventilated bulk bins was measured by observing the temperature at various depths in bins dried with a range of air flow rates.

III International Symposium on Flower Bulbs

J.S. Robertson, R.M. Millar, D.I. Bartlett

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1980.109.42