Prediction of effective thermal conductivity of rough rice

The effective thermal conductivity of rough rice was measured at selected moisture contents, temperatures, and bulk densities. The transient heat probe method using twin probes was used for determination of the effective thermal conductivity. The effects of moisture content, temperature, and bulk density on the effective thermal conductivity of samples were investigated. The observed values were compared with the values calculated from the thermal conductivity of air and grain kernels using three kinds of structural models for thermal conductivity, i.e., series, parallel, and random heat transfer models. A new model to predict the effective thermal conductivity of rough rice, defined by the combination of series and parallel models, was developed, and the observed data agreed well with the values calculated from the new model.