Batch Agitated Dryers
The Batch Agitated Dryers are typically small portable dryers that have a central plenum with a column of grain encircling the plenum. They can be manually or automatically loaded and unloaded. Some are powered from a tractor PTO which allows them to be used almost anywhere. The major disadvantage is they require more supervision and labor per bushel than other types of dryers. A well operated Batch Agitated Dryer has approximately the same energy efficiency as a continuous cross flow dryer with cooling section heat recovery. The hydraulically driven discharge system drops the entire batch down to the subsequent deck after a pre-set period of time and only after that subsequent deck has first dropped its batch, such that no cross contamination can occur. In a batch agitated dryer every product batch is treated individually with separate drying zones per drying deck. The amount of evaporation can be set per deck through variation of drying air volume and temperature. The Batch Agitated Dryer exhausts air is recirculated back into the heater for maximum energy efficiency and only a limited volume of air is exhausted, at a high relative humidity.