study on some thermal parameters affecting on the production and storage of hay bales

The main experiments were carried out during the season of 2005/ 2006 at village of Taha El-Marg Diarb Negm Sharkia Governorate to study the effect of some thermal parameters on the production of clover hay bales. The objectives of the study are to: 1. Development of small unit for hay drying. 2. Optimization of some parameters affecting the performance of the developed unit. 3. Evaluate the developed unit from the economic point of view. Two drying systems were used to dry clover (artificial drying using a developed dryer and direct sun drying). The developed dryer is consisted of drying chamber, shelves, two fans, two heaters, thermostats and thermocouples. Under artificial drying many treatments were studied: two primary bale moisture contents (75 and 65%), three air flow rates (28, 36 and 44m3min-1 and three bale sizes (10, 20 and 30×38×46 cm).