Selection of an Appropriate Biomass Burner for Drying Maize in a Crossflow Column Dryer Using an Analytic Hierarchy Process

George Obeng-Akrofi (Iowa State University)
Joseph Oppong Akowuah (Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology)
Dirk E. Maier (Iowa State University)
Ahmad Addo (Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology)

Journal of Applied Agricultural Science and Technology
Vol. 6 No. 2 (2022): Journal of Applied Agricultural Science and Technology

Several post-harvest technologies have been introduced over the past years to help smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa reduce crop losses. However, not all these technologies fit the same application purpose to meet the needs of farmers in different locations. This study, therefore, applied a multi-criteria decision method, the analytical hierarchy process (AHP), to select an appropriate biomass burner based on its technical performance, cost, and design criteria to complete the setup of a low-cost column dryer. With a priority value of 0.69 out of 1.00, the KNUST-ABE Biomass Burner was selected over the AFLASTOP Biomass Burner which had a priority value of 0.31 out of 1.00. Based on the results of this study, the AHP multi-criteria decision method was helpful in the selection of a locally developed biomass burner for a low-cost column drying system.