곡물냉각기를 이용하여 벼의 냉각특성을 구명하기 위하여 RPC의 원형빈에서 2회의 냉각실험을 실시하였다. 1차 냉각 실험은 하절기에 200 톤 규모의 원형빈에서, 2차 냉각실험은 수확기에 300 톤 규모의 원형빈에 저장된 벼를 대상으로 실시하였다. 그 결과를 요약하면 다음과 같다. 1차 냉각실험에서 초기곡온 23.6, 함수율 19.3%인 벼180.3 톤을 14까지 냉각시키는데 52.5시간이 소요되었으며, 냉각을 통해 함수율은 약 0.6% 감소하였다

Two field cooling tests were conducted to evaluate the cooling characteristic of paddy with a prototype grain cooler. The first test was carried out during summer season in a steel bin with 180.3ton of paddy at Sunchon. And the second test was carried out during harvesting season in a steel bin with 272.2ton of paddy at Ulsan. At the first test, initial paddy temperature of 23.6 was dropped to 14, and initial moisture content of 19.9% was dropped to 19.3% after 52.5 hours of cooling. At the second test, initial paddy temperature of 16.1 dropped to 5.5 after 78.0 hours of cooling. And, at the first test, the average air flow rates of chilled air leaving the grain cooler and penetrating the grain layer were 77.5 ㎥/min and 42.5 ㎥/min, respectively. To prevent leakage of chilled air from plenum chamber of steel bin, which was about 45% of the average air flow rates of chilled air leaving the grain cooler, a proper method was required. The average total power consumption at the first test during summer was 22.1 ㎾ with control of fan damper. At the second test, it was 17.4 ㎾ due to controlling the capacity of compressor with unloading solenoid valve and changing the flow rates of hot refrigerant gas flowing into evaporator and reheater from compressor, resulting in 27% reduction of energy consumption.

• 김의웅
• 김동철