The drying of grain with heat pumps in South Africa: A techno-economic analysis

Abstract

The economic viability of air heating for grain drying with the aid of heat pumps and the viability of replacing existing heating methods (i.e. direct electrical heaters and diesel burners) with heat pumps are investigated. The energy costs of different types of heating apparatus to dry grain are calculated and, taking the different capital costs into account, the life cycle costs of the heating methods can be predicted. On comparing the life cycle costs of the different heating methods, it is concluded that heat pumps are more economical than other methods of heating provided that the apparatus is used for more than a minimum period per year. Drying of grain is usually done for periods shorter than this minimum; the result is that the use of heat pumps cannot be economically justified for the drying of grain only.