Penambahan Sistem Kontrol Berbasis IoT yang Dipantau melalui Smartphone pada Alat Pengering Biji-Bijian Tipe Hibrida

Abstract

Post-harvest handling of grains, especially rice paddy, significantly affected the quality of the final product. One of the crucial stages was the drying process, which in Indonesia was still predominantly done using natural methods. These traditional techniques often caused various problems, such as dependence on weather conditions and inconsistent results. Therefore, research on the fabrication of hybrid-type grain dryers became essential to overcome these issues. However, the use and performance monitoring of the dryer had to be carried out continuously throughout the drying process. This study aimed to design and test an Internet of Things (IoT)-based control system that could be monitored via a smartphone for a hybrid model grain dryer. The system integrated natural heat sources (sunlight) and artificial ones (gas), which were automatically controlled using an ESP8266 microcontroller. The system was also equipped with a temperature sensor (DS18B20), a humidity sensor (DHT11), and actuators such as a gas valve and stove igniter. Experiments were conducted using temperature variations (40°C, 50°C, and 60°C) and material thicknesses (0.5 cm, 1 cm, and 1.5 cm), following a factorial Completely Randomized Design (CRD). The results showed that the IoT system could be monitored remotely, allowed real-time temperature and humidity control, and contributed to time efficiency during the drying process. The implementation of this tool offered significant potential to improve the quality of harvests and the efficiency of post-harvest processing.