Crushing rolls to accelerate napiergrass drying

Abstract Napiergrass stalks with an initial moisture content of 73% were crushed by one of five mechanical treatments in the laboratory to simulate possible field methods for crushing. Treatments were evaluated for effectiveness by comparing drying constants determined from oven drying tests. Crushing roll rotational frequency and stalk diameter did not significantly influence the drying constants. Space between the crushing rolls was an important factor for all roll types studied. Stalks crushed on-the-nodes dried four times than stalks that were not crushed.