Numerical Simulation and Validation of Mass Transfer Process of Ozone Gas in Rice Grain Bulks

Abstract

Ozone is a potential alternative to commercial fumigants. The development of ozone fumigation technology for insects control requires a precise prediction of the distribution of introduced ozone gas in grain bulks. Hence, this study was conducted to investigate the mass transfer process of ozone gas in rice grain bulks. Experiments were conducted in a 0.6-m diameter flatbottom bin filled with rice grains and ozonated using 5 g h−1 capacity ozone generator. Simulation of transfer process of ozone through the rice grain bulks was conducted using the principle of the law of conservation employing the continuity equation. The experimental data for ozone transfer through connected the column of rice was used to validate the model. The relative error between the actual and predicted ozone concentration for the entire bin geometry was less than 33%. The predictions from the projected model were in accordance with the ozone concentrations obtained from the experimental results.