龍眼採收後含水率高，若未及時處理，極易導致腐敗與品質劣化，因此乾燥加工成為延長保存期限並提升附加價值的關鍵環節。目前多數加工場採用機械式或熱風乾燥設備，雖具有規模化生產、條件可控及人力需求較低等優點，卻也伴隨高額設備投資與能源成本壓力，使其不易為中小型業者負擔。相較之下，許多中小型加工者仍沿用以龍眼木為燃料之傳統柴燒灶，不僅燃料取得方便，亦因地方市場普遍認為此一工法更能呈現獨特風味與香氣層次。然而，柴燒作業常面臨乾燥週期過長、灶內溫濕度與終點含水率分布不均等問題，進而影響產品均勻性與能源利用效率。
基於上述實務困境，本研究建構一套以萃智理論為核心之系統化改進框架，結合魚骨圖進行問題成因展開與關鍵影響因子盤點，並輔以失效模式與效應分析評估各環節之風險嚴重度與優先改善順序。透過問題結構化與矛盾分析，本研究將實務現場之製程瓶頸轉化為具體可行的創新原理與設計概念，進一步發展可於現場直接實施之被動式設計與操作優化方案，並建立量化指標，以綜合評估乾燥效率、品質穩定性與資源使用表現。
實證結果顯示，本研究所提出之改進框架，能在維持柴燒工法特性與風味形成條件的前提下，有效縮短作業時間，同時提升窯體內部狀態的穩定與產品批次間的均勻性，並兼顧燃料利用成效，為中小型加工場提供可複製且可持續維運之製程升級途徑。然而，多數小農在季節性產能、人工配置與原料型商品價格天花板等限制下，僅靠產量擴張難以改善生計與現金流，未來建議結合上下游資源整合與產品高值化開發，例如導入農業循環利用與烘焙加工應用，以提升整體產業鏈之附加價值與永續性。

Longan fruit has a high moisture content after harvest, and if not processed in time, it is prone to spoilage and quality deterioration, making drying a critical step for extending shelf life and enhancing added value. Most processing plants currently adopt mechanical or hot-air drying equipment, which offer advantages such as scalable production, controllable conditions, and lower labor demand, but are accompanied by high capital investment and energy costs that are difficult for small and medium-sized operators to bear. In contrast, many small-scale processors still use traditional wood-fired kilns fueled by longan wood, not only because the fuel is readily available, but also because local markets generally believe this method better produces distinctive flavor and aroma. However, wood-fired operations often face problems such as prolonged drying cycles, non-uniform temperature and humidity distribution inside the kiln, and uneven final moisture content, which in turn affect product uniformity and energy-use efficiency.
In response to these practical challenges, this study establishes a systematic improvement framework centered on TRIZ, combined with cause-and-effect (fishbone) diagrams to elaborate problem causes and identify key influencing factors, and further employs Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) to evaluate the severity of risks at each stage and prioritize improvement actions. Through problem structuring and contradiction analysis, on-site process bottlenecks are translated into feasible inventive principles and design concepts, from which passive design and operational optimization schemes that can be directly implemented in the field are developed; quantitative indicators are also established to comprehensively assess drying efficiency, quality stability, and resource utilization performance.
Empirical results show that the proposed improvement framework can effectively shorten operating time while maintaining the characteristics of the wood-fired method and the conditions for flavor development, and simultaneously enhance the stability of the kiln’s internal state, improve batch-to-batch consistency, and optimize fuel utilization, thereby providing small and medium-sized processing plants with a replicable and sustainable pathway for process upgrading. However, under constraints such as seasonal production capacity, labor allocation, and the price ceiling of commodity-type products, simply expanding output volume makes it difficult for most smallholders to improve livelihood and cash flow. Future efforts are therefore recommended to integrate upstream and downstream resources and pursue value-added product development—for example, incorporating agricultural circular-use concepts and bakery applications of dried longan—in order to enhance the added value and sustainability of the overall industry chain.

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