Uji Kinerja Alat Pengering Biji Bijian Tipe Hibrida Skala Industri Rumahan

Abstract

Traditional paddy drying methods face challenges related to efficiency and quality. This study aims to evaluate the technical performance and economic feasibility of a hybrid-type grain dryer designed for household-scale agro-industries. The dryer utilizes a combination of solar energy and electricity (burner) and is equipped with racks and fans to ensure uniform heat distribution, with a drying capacity of 9.6 kg per process. The research employed a Completely Randomized Design in a factorial arrangement with two factors: material thickness (0.5 cm, 1 cm, 1.5 cm) and drying temperature (40 °C, 50 °C, 60 °C), each replicated three times. The analyzed parameters included moisture content, effective dryer capacity, drying rate, and economic feasibility through calculations of production costs, Break-Even Point (BEP), Net Present Value (NPV), and Internal Rate of Return (IRR). The results showed that the hybrid dryer effectively reduced the moisture content of paddy to 12.53–13.95 %, meeting the storage moisture standard of 12–14 %. A linear model was identified as the best fit with an Adjusted R² value of 0.9380 and a p-value < 0.05, indicating a significant effect of treatment factors on the response variables. Material thickness was the dominant factor influencing the drying process. The highest effective dryer capacity was obtained from treatment T₂N₃ at 2.60 kg/h, while the highest drying rate occurred in T₃N₁ at 4.50 %/h. From an economic perspective, the production value reached IDR 7,090.63/kg, with a BEP of RP 3,443.56/year. The NPV at a 5.5 % interest rate was RP 2,972,458/year, whereas at 25 % it was negative (−RP 621,476/year). The IRR value was 21,63 %. These findings indicate that the hybrid drying system can improve drying efficiency, reduce processing time, maintain paddy quality, and is economically viable, making it suitable for household-scale implementation.