A farmer harvests $5$ tonnes of maize with an initial moisture content of $25$% (wet basis). The target moisture for safe storage is $13$% (wet basis). The dryer operates at a constant temperature of $60$°C and the instantaneous drying rate (kg h⁻¹) follows $R = 0.8\sqrt{M_i - M_f}$, where $M_i$ is the current moisture percentage and $M_f = 13$ is the target moisture. Assuming moisture declines uniformly from $25$% to $13$% and the rate updates continuously, estimate the total drying time required. If the dryer can run a maximum of $12$ hours per day, determine the minimum number of days needed to dry the whole batch.

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Approximately 475 hours of drying time, which corresponds to a minimum of 40 days when the dryer can operate 12 hours per day.

Gce Model Questions Vol1 2025 Agricultural Science Question 9

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