METHOD FOR INFRARED DRYING OF SEEDS Russian patent published in 2011 - IPC F26B3/30 

FIELD: food industry.

SUBSTANCE: method for infrared drying of seeds involves inter-operational maintenance of seeds bulk in a heated condition and cooling; the seeds are placed layer by layer on a substrate where heat energy with various infrared flux density is introduced on tiers stepwise combined with forced ventilation of steam air medium which is removed. The novelty is in the following: drying of sunflower seeds (in a 2-3 cm high layer) placed on the teflon tape of an endless conveyor is performed with infrared radiation with wave length 1.5-3.0 mcm at a permanent rate of moisture removal U=0.33% per minute with density of the infrared radiation heat energy flux for each stage set from a ratio of q= 0.21·W_I, kW/m², where W_I, % - initial seeds moisture at the drying stage.

EFFECT: invention shall ensure industrial technological effectiveness of the method for layer by layer infrared drying of seeds in automatic mode during transportation of sunflower seeds along an endless conveyor equipped with bins for transloading with inter-operational thermal conditioning; this reliably ensures preset quality of seeds treatment suitable for long-term storage.

1 tbl, 3 dwg, 2 app