Analysis of soybean seed quality related to drying in parallel flow sliding bed

The purpose of the present work was to study the effect of the main process variables on soybean seed quality, dried in concurrent and countercurrent sliding bed dryers. The variables investigated were the drying air temperature, air relative humidity, air velocity and solid flow rate. The used statistical methodology enables to obtain empirical equations fitted to the experimental data for predicting soybean seed quality (germination, vigour and fissures) as a function of the investigated variables. These equations can be used to predict the drying conditions at which the quality indices of soybean seeds are commercially acceptable.