KBMB Koperasi Bina Makmur Berhad Digital Innovation · Future of Sabah
R&D · COMPONENT PROTOTYPING · PRE-PILOT INTEGRATION

Mobile Drying Complex for agricultural products

KBMB is developing a containerised dryer for cocoa and other agricultural products, combining power supply, on-demand electrolysis, controlled hydrogen–oxygen combustion, heat exchange and airflow management. Individual components have been tested internally; integration of the complete unit is the next step.

Review the development status Discuss the programme
Programme
Mobile Drying Complex
Current stage
Component prototyping
Integration status
Complete unit not yet validated
Next evidence
Instrumented product trial
THE PRACTICAL PROBLEM

Reliable drying is difficult when weather and fuel cannot be controlled

Cocoa and other agricultural products must be dried within controlled conditions to protect quality and reduce post-harvest losses. In remote production areas, open-air drying is vulnerable to rain, while diesel, LPG and reliable grid electricity may be costly or difficult to obtain.

Cocoa beans spread out for drying after fermentation
Cocoa drying after fermentation. Illustrative image — not a KBMB facility.

Weather exposure

Rain and variable humidity can interrupt drying, extend the cycle and increase the risk of mould or inconsistent product quality.

Fuel dependence

Delivered diesel and LPG expose rural processors to logistics, availability and price risk.

Need for measured trials

A credible drying solution must demonstrate product quality, energy use, safety and repeatable operation under an agreed test protocol.

PROPOSED CONFIGURATION

Two connected modules: energy and drying

The current concept separates the technical equipment from the product chamber. This is a proposed engineering configuration, not a validated production unit.

Conceptual cutaway: Proposed mobile drying complex showing energy and drying modules.
MODULE 01

Engineering module

The proposed engineering module combines electrical supply and battery support, treated-water delivery, a PEM electrolyser, separated hydrogen and oxygen lines, a submerged burner, a circulating water loop and a heat exchanger.

  • Solar-supported electrical supply
  • Battery and inverter system
  • Treated-water feed
  • On-demand electrolysis
  • Separated gas lines
  • Submerged combustion
  • Water circulation and heat exchange
MODULE 02

Drying chamber

The proposed chamber receives controlled warm air from the heat exchanger, passes it through trays of agricultural product and removes humid exhaust air from the chamber.

  • Product trays
  • Controlled warm-air supply
  • Air-distribution pathway
  • Moist-air exhaust
  • Temperature and humidity monitoring
  • Product-specific operating protocol
ILLUSTRATIVE PROCESS

How the proposed drying pathway works

The sequence below describes the proposed functional pathway. Final equipment selection, control logic and energy performance remain subject to integration and testing.

1. Electrical supplySolar generation, battery storage and an inverter are proposed to support system operation.
2. Treated waterPrepared water is supplied to the electrolysis system.
3. On-demand electrolysisA PEM electrolyser produces hydrogen and oxygen only while the system is operating.
4. Controlled combustionSeparated gas lines deliver hydrogen and oxygen to a proposed submerged burner configuration.
5. Heat transferHeated water transfers thermal energy to the drying airflow through a heat exchanger.
6. Drying and exhaustControlled warm air passes through the product while humid air is removed from the chamber.
Illustrative process sequence.
CURRENT DESIGN BASIS

Projected targets from the current concept

The values below come from the current KBMB project materials. They are projected design targets and must be confirmed or revised through integration and controlled product trials.

PROJECTED · NOT YET VALIDATED
Projected design basis Cocoa · reference cycle
Target drying time 24–36 hours
Target drying-air temperature 60–65 °C
Indicative starting moisture 55–60%
Target final moisture 6–7%
Target wet-product load
1,000 kg of fermented cocoa beans per cycle
Proposed thermal pathway
Hydrogen–oxygen combustion in a circulating water loop
Proposed energy pathway
Solar-supported electrical system with battery storage
Product load, drying time, energy use and final quality must be established through an agreed testing protocol.
DEVELOPMENT STATUS

What has been tested — and what remains to be proven

This is not a validated commercial drying product.

Tested internally

  • Electrolysis components
  • Hydrogen–oxygen burner components
  • Heat-exchange components
  • Heated-airflow components

Not yet validated

  • Complete integrated drying unit
  • Full cocoa drying cycle under an agreed protocol
  • Energy consumption and thermal efficiency
  • Drying uniformity and final product quality
  • Complete system safety case
  • Reliability and commercial operating cost

Next development sequence

  1. Integrate the complete unit
  2. Install measurement and control instrumentation
  3. Complete a formal safety assessment
  4. Agree a cocoa-trial protocol
  5. Run and document the product trial
  6. Review results before any pilot deployment decision
Internal component testing is not equivalent to independent validation of the complete system.