Performance Evaluation of Lpg Fired Small Cardamom Drier in Cardamom Plantation

Freshly harvested small cardamom capsules were dried in a LPG fired dryer in a cardamom estate, Idukki district of Kerala. The temperature of the drying air during the initial period of drying was 40°C ad thereby raised to 50°C towards the end. The drying characteristics of cardamom in the developed dryer were studied. It took about 23 hours of drying to reach a moisture content of 8 per cent (w.b) from an initial moisture content of 86 per cent (w.b). The quality parameters of the dried cardamom were analysed based on BIS specification. The cost of drying one kilogram of cardamom was worked out to be Rs. 2.10.