Smokeless Wood Combustor for efficient Smokeless Wood Combustor for efficient drying of Large Cardamom facilitates drying of Large Cardamom facilitates

extensive cultivation in Arunachal Pradeshextensive cultivation in Arunachal Pradesh

Invented by Invented by

S. KHUNTIAEx-Chief Scientist of CSIR-IMMT (formerly RRL)

Bhubaneswar, Govt. IndiaCell: +919437012679

Email ID: khuntias@gmail.com

A success story of technological intervention for extensive cultivation of “Large Cardamom” in terrains of Arunachal

Pradesh, IndiaJune 2014

“India produces nearly 4,000 tons/year of Large Cardamom in high altitude hilly areas of Sikkim & Arunachal Pradesh at present, which is 60% of world’s annual consumption.”

Commercial cultivation of Large Cardamom was started in Arunachal Pradesh during early 90’s. But its market price was too less @ Rs.80/- per kg due to inferior drying of its fruits in traditional smoky method, which was main hindrance for it not being a cash crop and attractive to farmers for extensive cultivation in Arunachal Pradesh.

A low cost “Wood combustor & Drier”, developed by the author especially for generation of clean hot flue gas for smokeless drying of Large Cardamom in hilly terrains, was implemented in Arunachal Pradesh during 2004. Few micro-industries, farmers, Govt. officers, NGOs etc were trained by the author for its mass production & effective utilization in different districts of Arunachal Pradesh. Quality of the dried cardamom was greatly improved, wood consumption & drying time were drastically reduced, it fetched a lot more profit and became a cash crop & attractive to the farmers for extensive cultivation in many districts of Arunachal Pradesh. Market price of Large Cardamom has been increased from Rs.80/- to Rs.800/- per kg due to adoption of Improved Drier Technology of the author.

Cardamom after 60 months: Dried through Wood Combustor

of the author

Cardamom after 06 months: Dried in traditional method

(attack of fungus)Dried Cardamom By Wood Combustor By Traditional method

Color & Smell Dark Pinkish & Pleasant aroma Blackish & smoky smell

Moisture & self life 5% to 8%, More than 10 years 14% to 20%, Less than 06 months

Essential oil 2.6 % to 2.8 % (Dry & weight basis) 1.7 % to 1.8 % (Dry & weight basis)

Wood consumption 2 – 3 kg/ kg dried cardamom 20 – 30 kg/ kg dried cardamom

Drying Time 6 - 8 hours / 1000 kg batch 36 – 72 hours / 1000 kg batch

‘Large Cardamom’ garden on a high altitude hill slop at Ziro, Arunachal Pradesh, India

Cardamom pinacle (fruits at base of plant)

Raw Cardamom Capsules before drying

A Cardamom pinacle (fruit)

Cardamom capsules collected from pinacles

Cardamom capsules (fruits):Cardamom capsules (fruits):• Raw Cardamom contains 80% water.

• Raw cardamom comprises of 35% seed and 65% rind (cover) by weight.

• Dried Cardamom comprises of 66% seed and 34% rind by weight.

• Moisture content of well dried cardamom: 6 – 10%

• Seeds contain 1.5 – 2.5% (wet basis) essential oil.

TRADITIONAL DRIER ( BHATI )TRADITIONAL DRIER ( BHATI )• Comprises of three rectangular stone walls covered with a

bamboo mat / steel wire net.

• Firewood burns on the floor of the bhati and creates smoke due to incomplete burning.

• A batch of drying contains a layer of 100 to 200 mm depth of raw cardamom capsules over the wire net.

• Drying mostly in smoky environment.• Cardamom becomes black color after drying. • Drying period: Generally 36 to 72 hrs.• Essential oil : 1.73% (Dry & weight basis) in dried cardamom.• Essential oil reduced due to prolonged drying period.• Wood consumption: 20-40 kg / kg of dried cardamom.

Features of Wood Combustor & DrierFeatures of Wood Combustor & Drier• Wood combustor, a compact device & made with steel sections, burns firewood

without smoke & shoot by supply of primary & secondary air streams without power.

• Wood combustor comprises of corrugated grate, perforated combustion chamber, air jacket, air damper & a hood.

• Wood combustor is housed on floor of Traditional or Improved curing chamber (drier) for uniform supply of clean & hot flue gas for drying of raw cardamom layers on top of curing chamber.

• Wood combustor burns firewood(up to 20% moisture) completely and supply colorless hot flue gas uniformly through out the drier.

• Improved Curing chamber(drier); a rectangular chamber made with brick walls/ bamboo matts/ stone wall surrounds the combustor uniformly, its top covered with steel wire net holds layers of raw cardamom (up to 1000 kg in a batch) for drying.

• Air damper controls rate of combustion of fuel; hence regulate temperature of gas & drying process.

• Uniform distribution of clean & hot gas improves quality of cardamom.• Users friendly, maintenance free, long life, significant benefits etc obtain high

acceptability & faster adoption of technology in Arunachal Pradesh.

Hood for uniform distribution of hot gas

Wood combustor for supply of uniform & clean hot gas for drying of large cardamom

Hood for uniform distribution of hot gas

Perforated combustion chamber & air jacket

Air damper

Fuel feeding door

Corrugated grate

Smokeless burning of firewood in Combustor

Fuel feeding door

Wood combustor in Traditional Bhati at Ziro, Arunachal

Wire net

Wood combustor

Wood Combustor-Drier at Pitapole, Arunachal Pradesh

Wood combustor - Drier at Pitapole, Arunachal Pradesh

Pealing of raw cardamom capsules before drying

Drying of Cardamom by Wood Combustor

Burning of wood in combustor for drying cardamom

Drying of cardamom at Ziro by Wood Combustor - drier during 2004(In presence of horticulture officers of Ziro – Arunachal)

Cardamom dried in Improved Drier

Fabrication of wood combustor at ZIRO, Arunachal pradesh

Training & demonstration of combustor at Along, Arunachal

Inspection of Drying of cardamom through Wood combustor at Ziro by Dy. Commissioner, Govt. of Arunachal during 2004

Author – Author – S.KHUNTIAS.KHUNTIA

Meeting with DC-Ziro, farmers, NGOs, Hort. Officers etc. at ZIRO

Field trail of Cardamom dryer in Horticulture Dept. garden at Ziro- Arunachal pradesh

Wood firing in the drier

Wood combustor below the wire net

Cardamom drier

Wood firing inside combustor in the drier

Smokeless Drying of large cardamom

Training-cum-demonstration of cardamom drying

Smokeless Drying of large cardamom

Smokeless Drying of large cardamom

Smokeless Drying of large cardamom

Dried large cardamom

Moisture content : less than 6%

Dried large cardamom

Moisture: less than 6%

MOISTURE AND OIL CONTENT IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF MOISTURE AND OIL CONTENT IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF LARGE CARDAMOM FRUITESLARGE CARDAMOM FRUITES

MATERIAL MOISTURE CONTENT(%)(dry basis)

ESSENTIAL OIL CONTENT (%)

Fresh cardamom fruits (raw) 78. 5 0. 41

Fresh rind 88. 9 <0. 1

Fresh seeds with mucilage 59. 0 1. 62 (4.0 on dry weight basis)

Seeds from cardamom dried by wood combustor

5. 0 2.6 - 2.8

Seeds from cardamom dried by traditional bhati

14. 0 1.7- 1.8

Sl.No Major constituent Oil from fresh raw seeds (dry weight basis- DWB %)

Oil from seeds dried by Wood Combustor(DWB %)

Oil from seeds dried in traditional method (DWB %)

1. Alfa-pinene 1.7 2.3 3.4

2. Alfa -pinene 3.2 3.4 5.5

3. Myrcene 0.7 1.4 1.0

4. 1.8 cineole 84.5 86.0 81.5

5. Teroinen-4-0l 1.5 1.1 1.2

6. Alfa -terpeneol 4.6 2.9 3.1

MAJOR COMPONENTS OF OIL OBTAINED FROM SEED OF LARGE CARDAMOMMAJOR COMPONENTS OF OIL OBTAINED FROM SEED OF LARGE CARDAMOM

Comparison of performance of Wood Combustor - Drier with Comparison of performance of Wood Combustor - Drier with traditional bhati for drying of Large Cardamom at Zerotraditional bhati for drying of Large Cardamom at Zero

1. ParametersTraditional drying(Bhuatan type bhati)

Drying through Wood Combustor

2. Colour of raw cardamom Pinkish red Pinkish red3. Average moisture content of raw cardamom

80% 80%

4. Average quantity of raw cardamom dried in a batch

300 –500 kg 300 – 500 kg

5. Number of layers of cardamom capsules over the wire net

4 - 5 layers 4 - 5 layers

6. Fuel used for drying Firewood Firewood

7. Moisture content of firewood 20 – 25% 20%

8. Average Size of firewood 100 – 150 mm diameter

100 – 150 mm diameter

8. Average drying period 36 hrs. 6 - 8 hours9. Average firewood consumption (Kg)

20 - 30 Kg per kg of dried cardamom

2 - 3 Kg per kg of dried cardamom

10. Drying environment Smokey Clean, without smoke11. Average moisture content of dried cardamom

14-20% 7-8%

12. Colour of dried cardamom Blackish Dark Pinkish13. Aroma of dried cardamom Smokey Pleasant14. Essential oil in dried cardamom (% by weight)

1.8 2.65

15. Thermal Efficiency of the drier

1.7 to 3.41% 37.64%

16. Fungal infection on dried cardamom

Infected with fungus within six months in lab.

Nil, even after 60 months

17. Reduction of firewood consumption

- More than 75%

18.Reduction of drying period - More than 80%

19. Increase of essential oil in dried cardamom

- 48%

20. Increase of Thermal efficiency of drier

- 34%

BENEFITS OF WOOD COMBUSTOR - DRIER OVER BENEFITS OF WOOD COMBUSTOR - DRIER OVER TRADITIONAL BHATI FOR DRYING OF LARGE TRADITIONAL BHATI FOR DRYING OF LARGE

CARDAMOM IN ARUNACHAL PRADESHCARDAMOM IN ARUNACHAL PRADESH

• Reduction of fuel consumption & drying time : 80% • Increase of essential oil in dried cardamom : 48% • Increase of Thermal efficiency : 34% • Significant increase of self life, color and aroma of cardamom.• Increase of market price : 900% (Rs.80/- to Rs.800/- per kg.)• Farmer’s friendly, maintenance free and operates without

power.• Low cost and affordable device.• Wood combustor became a factor for extensive cultivation of

large cardamom in many districts of Arunachal Pradesh.

Acknowledgements:

•The author is highly grateful to Mr.Tani Naranga, Dy.Director & Mr.Kuru Amma, DHO of Horticulture Dept, Govt. of Arunachal Pradesh for rendering strong supports during fabrication & implementation in Zero, Arunachal Pradesh in 2004.•The author is also grateful to concerned officials of Horticulture Dept. AP, North East Council (NEC), Govt. of India for logistic & financial supports for implanting the project.•The author is immensely thankful to concerned scientists & Director of RRL, Bhubaneswar (presently CSIR-IMMT) towards their strong moral supports during development & implantation of technology in Arunachal Pradesh.

THANK YOU…….THANK YOU…….

Scenic view of ZIRO valley, Arunachal Pradesh