The Furnace Type Dryer (FTD), a technology developed by the Forest Products Research and Development Institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-FPRDI), is being improved to address the challenges of the forest-based industries.
FTD aims to shorten drying time, increase the dryer’s thermal efficiency, and produce high quality kiln dried lumber, bamboo, and other raw materials for the forest-based industries.
The technology is being improved through the project, “Improvement and Semi-automation of the Furnace Type Dryer (FTD) for the lumber, bamboo, and other raw materials of the forest-based industries.” It is funded and monitored by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the DOST (DOST-PCAARRD).
Being implemented for two years, the project aims to develop a thermally efficient and innovative design of kiln dryer that will enhance the productivity, product quality, and competitiveness of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the agro-forest based and allied sectors.
According to Engr. Caezar Cuaresma, project leader, switching from manual to semi-automatic operation can prevent human errors such as improper or excessive fuel feeding and over spraying. By optimizing the design of the FTD, essential factors such as the heating system, humidification, and air circulation systems as well as the kiln structure will be improved.
Engr. Cuaresma and his team were able to acquire knowledge and information on kiln drying design and efficiency in Malaysia’s kiln drying technology. With this, the team focused on replication of the dryer, components and performance testing (based on trial runs), computation of dryer efficiency, and cost analysis for year 2.
The project is expected to end on December 2019.