SIMULATION OF HEAT TRANSFER IN A CHARCOAL SOYBEAN ROASTER USING COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMICS

Roasting soybean at inappropriate temperatures results in loss of essential nutritional components from the seed and high-energy losses, thus increasing the cost of production. In this study, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) was used to simulate the heat transfer phenomenon in a charcoal soybean roaster. Simulations were carried out using Solid Edge® ST9, a synchronous Technology software developed by Siemens Product Lifecycle Management (PLM). The temperature of the roasting drum was observed to be higher at the lower end of the drum compared to the top. The temperature at the bottom of the drum ranges between 420ºC and 590ºC. Temperature is highest at the center of the drum and reduces towards the extreme ends of the drum. The results indicate that the distance between the drum and the stove affects the temperature of the drum. The average drum temperature is observed to increase with a reduction in distance of separation between the drum and charcoal stove. CFD was successfully used to simulate the heat transfer phenomenon in the charcoal soybean roaster. Since the temperature of the drum varies greatly with the distance between the drum and the charcoal stove, it is necessary to modify the charcoal roasting machine by incorporating a mechanism for adjusting the distance between the roasting drum and the charcoal stove. This will enable appropriate regulation of the drum temperatures to prevent over-roasting and burning of the soybeans thus reducing nutrient loss. Additionally, the adjusting mechanism will ensure the efficient utilization of the charcoal soybean roaster.