Patent Application
20180368463
The present invention relates generally to the removal of moisture from agricultural feedstuffs such as grains, forages and other byproducts. More specifically, the present invention relates to methods of drying feedstuff along with a bag enclosure for same to reduce required drying time to approximately 45-180 minutes utilizing a novel enclosure while the analytical composition of said feedstuffs remains substantially unchanged.
Laboratories are constantly evaluating ways to discover faster turnaround times for preparing feedstuff and foodstuff samples for testing and/or other client needs. Large farms are feeding enormous volumes of feedstuffs to animals; thus placing a premium on quick feedstuff analysis for prompt nutritional balancing. Typically, wet feedstuffs and other forage contain a moisture level of 50% or more, whereas the normal final moisture level suitable for testing in feedstuffs is below 10%. Current and previous methods for drying are excessively long and/or alter the analytical composition of the original materials thus making them ill-suited for the current fast-paced market.
Previously utilized methods include conventional oven drying, microwave drying, hydration drying and/or vortex drying. Conventional oven drying typically involves forced air convection heat applied at approximately 60 degrees Celsius. With conventional oven drying, wet forage and other feedstuffs are commonly placed into metal or paper containers and are baked for 12-24 hours per half pound of wet forage.
Microwave drying can be completed in under 10 minutes for smaller samples of wet forage, however the technique is documented to have adverse effects on subsequent tests due to changes in the analytical composition of the samples. These compositional changes occur due to Maillard reactions and caramelization from pyrolysis at temperatures around 140 to 165 degrees Celsius. Additionally, the resulting dry forage from microwave drying is highly dependent on the operator. This is due to the inconsistent heating inside a microwave which are commonly referred to as “hot spots.”
Previous methods have incorporated drying processes into feedstuff sample preparation. However, these previous drying methods have drawbacks. In particular, these methods are unsuccessful when attempting to maintain the original analytical composition of the samples and/or are ineffective in substantially reducing the drying time needed. Oftentimes, these analytical composition changes are averse to the sample drying process as the samples are no longer representative of the feedstuff they were originally intended to represent. Additionally, the drying methods utilized are typically time-intensive and increase the turnaround time for testing samples.
In one example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,370,007 discloses a process for fiber analysis. The invention described therein relates to a method of conducting fiber analysis such as for determining the nutritional availability of forage and other feedstuffs. In the described method, the sample of feedstuff is placed in a bag of predetermined porosity. The closed bags are then placed in a container of heated detergent solution to remove all of the soluble solids from the feedstuff while retaining the fiber within the bag. The bags are then removed from the detergent and rinsed in hot water. Following the rinse, the bags are cleaned with an organic solvent, rinsed again, dried and weighed to determine the fiber content of the feedstuffs. The drying process is accomplished utilizing an oven.
In another example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,479,295 discloses a method for determining crude fat levels in feed, food and other materials utilizing filter media encapsulation. In the method, the sample is encapsulated in filter media with the capability of retaining four microns size and larger particles while permitting flow of solvent through the filter media to extract crude fat. Specifically, the fat is quantitatively extracted from the filter chamber while all other components are retained in the filter chamber. The weight loss of the sample represents the fat content. Methods for drying of the samples is disclosed as evaporation and drying in an oven.
Another example, International Reference No. WO 99/02959 covers a container for use to find fiber content of foodstuff. The container described allows constituents of a sample to be removed in solution while leaving insoluble residue behind. The container is preferably rigid but may be made of non-rigid material as well. Additionally, the container is destroyed in the last step of the process. Therefore, the container is not reusable. The disclosed methods of drying the sample include evaporation and oven drying.
Another reference, International Reference No. WO 13/009002 discloses a dryer for agricultural and marine products. The disclosed dryer is similar to a drying rack with a frame and mesh or fabric spread across the frame to receive the agricultural and/or marine products. The preferred method of drying is via direct sunlight. The frame may also include electricity for radiant heat if sunlight is unavailable.
None of the above methods provides an efficient means for drying feedstuff samples. In addition, the above-described methods fail to result in substantially reduced drying times, particularly with respect to large feedstuff samples and/or multiple containers of feedstuff samples. Moreover, the above methods cannot be as easily integrated into feedstuff sample production facilities as the method of the present invention given the generally larger size, sometimes in excess of 200 cubic feet, of previously utilized methods.
Accordingly, there exists a need in the art for a method to substantially reduce drying time for feedstuff samples. The method should allow for quick drying of samples without altering the analytical composition of the sample. Furthermore, the method should also allow for the drying of multiple containers of feedstuff samples at the same time. Such a method should be easily integrated into already established feedstuff sample preparation facilities.
The present invention provides a method for fast drying large volumes of feedstuff samples utilizing a tumbling, forced air and heated drying source. The typical time for adequate drying utilizing the process of the present invention is reduced to 3 hours or less. This time generally represents a five to ten-fold decrease in the required drying time to prepare feedstuff samples when compared to previously utilized methods. A method of the present invention provides the optimum temperature to dry feedstuff samples while turning said samples and simultaneously forcing heated air through a container housing samples and through said samples within. The container of the preferred embodiment of the present invention is a bag that allows air to pass through but does not allow sample particles to pass through the pores of the bag due to the pores of the bag being sized smaller than the smallest sample particulates. The pores of the bag of the preferred embodiment are approximately 20 microns in size. The bag is also made of one or more materials that does not retain moisture within the material(s) itself. The materials may be one or more of the following: cotton, polyester, spandex, nylon, muslin, broad-weave, anti-static polyester, wood pulp and combinations thereof. The preferred embodiment of the bag also includes a zipper to open and close the bag to allow for the insertion, holding and removal of one or more feedstuff samples within. Moreover, the zipper of the preferred embodiment utilizes a sealed design to disallow samples or portions of samples from falling out of the bag during the drying process. Additionally, the zipper design of the preferred embodiment is of sufficient design and seal to withstand the forces associated with the drying process as outlined as well as maintain a substantially complete seal so that no fragments or whole samples may escape during the drying process. The bag may also include a retention mechanism for the zipper pull of the zipper to keep the zipper pull from tangling with other bags, other zipper pulls and/or hitting the interior surface of the drying apparatus of the preferred embodiment.
The drying apparatus in the preferred embodiment is a commercial grade tumbling dryer with an interior drum that provides rotational movement along a horizontal axis in order to tumble the contents within the dryer. Once the samples are dried to the required moisture content, at or below 10% in the preferred embodiment, the samples may be further processed, such as by grinding or pulverizing the samples, for testing.
In some embodiments, the method may include drying the feedstuff samples to a moisture content of approximately 10% or less. It is contemplated some samples may be tested at other moisture levels greater than 10% if appropriate. The drying of the samples may occur in a dryer at a temperature of 40-220 degrees Celsius, drying in the preferred embodiment occurs at 60 degrees Celsius. The drying typically requires about 45 to 180 minutes in the preferred embodiment. More specifically, the preferred embodiment typically allows 40-50 bags of 230 gram samples of corn silage, with an initial moisture content of approximately 60-65%, to be dried to 10% or less moisture in approximately 150 minutes or less. Furthermore, the dryer may also rotate/tumble multiple containers holding differing samples at the same time at a rate of 40 revolutions per minute or more, the preferred dryer utilizes a rotational movement of 47 revolutions per minute.
Embodiments of the present invention also utilize airflow at a rate of 500 cubic feet per minute or more, in addition to the heated air and rotational movement, to create airflow within the porous containers/bags holding the feedstuff samples. The dryer of the preferred embodiment creates an airflow rate of approximately 600 cubic feet per minute. The rotational movement of the dryer will also exert one or more forces on the porous container. Accordingly, the feedstuff within may dry slightly faster due to the greater air flow on exposed sample surfaces.
The present invention decreases the drying time needed to prepare feedstuff samples by forcing heated air throughout the samples and simultaneously utilizing high velocity airflow and rotational movement along a horizontal axis to continually move air and to tumble the feedstuff samples. Additionally, heating air and forcing it through a porous container, a bag in the preferred embodiment, at higher velocities allows heat to reach all areas of feedstuff samples within the container and generally more evenly spread heat and airflow among the samples. In the preferred embodiment, the dryer air temperature is set to 60 degrees Celsius and rotates at 47 revolutions per minute with an airflow rate of 600 cubic feet per minute. In the preferred embodiment of the method, the dryer is operated for approximately 45 to 180 minutes to achieve approximately 10% or less of moisture content within feedstuff samples in porous enclosures placed in the dryer.
The following is a detailed description of embodiments of a feedstuff sample drying process. For ease of discussion and understanding, methods 100, 110, and 120 consistent with the process may be described with respect to certain machinery. It will be understood by one skilled in the art that the steps of the disclosed methods 100, 110, and 120 may be carried out by machinery or processes other than those specifically disclosed herein to obtain a similar or identical result. Accordingly, the following detailed description and associated figures should not be read as limiting.
A method of feedstuff sample drying process is provided. With reference to
The feedstuff samples 101 used in the described method can include, but are not necessarily limited to, hays, fermented silage, non-fermented silage, pasture, total mixed rations, green chops, other plant tissues, shell corn, high moisture shell corn, oats, barley, wheat, milo, grain mixes, feeds, byproducts, wet distillers, soybean meal, whole bean meal, raw soybeans, other grain types and combinations thereof. It should be appreciated by one skilled in the art that any type of feedstuff samples 101 that requires drying may be processed utilizing the method of the present invention. Referring to
The porous enclosure 105 of the preferred embodiment is a bag with dimensions of approximately 12 inches by 16 inches with a zippered closure to retain the feedstuff samples 101 during the provided process. The bag 105 of the preferred embodiment is large enough to allow enough space so the sample(s) 101 within has adequate room to tumble back and forth freely exposing all contents to the airflow from the tumbling dryer 103. Moreover, the porous bag container 105 of the preferred embodiment utilizes materials which allow adequate airflow through the bag 105 material to allow the airflow to reach the feedstuff samples 101 within while still retaining the feedstuff samples 101 including most particulate pieces of same. The preferred embodiment of the bag 105 utilizes material with pores of approximately 20 microns in size and may be made of one or more of the following materials: cotton, polyester, spandex, nylon, muslin, broad-weave, anti-static polyester, wood pulp and combinations thereof. Moreover, the porous bag 105 of the preferred embodiment utilizes a zippered closure, with a zipper pull retention mechanism (See
As provided by block 114, at least one porous container 105 with at least one feedstuff sample 101 therein is then placed in a drying apparatus 103. More specifically, the drying apparatus 103 may be any device that provides adequate airflow, air temperature and/or rotational movement; such as a commercial grade tumbling dryer. As shown in block 116, the method also requires subjecting the feedstuff samples 101, placed in at least one porous container 105 within a drying apparatus 103, to heated airflow and rotational movement within the drying apparatus 103.
Referring to
The tumbling dryer 103 of the preferred embodiment, as depicted in
The preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a typical time of reducing feedstuff sample moisture levels to about 10% or less in approximately 3 hour or less. As depicted in
Provided below is a first data table of 30 samples, comprising 350 grams of corn silage, in separate collection vessels. The first table shows not only moisture content of the previously described, forced air gas furnace and blower old method 151, but also shows compositional makeup of the resulting samples from both the old method 151, as described above, and the new method 120 of the current invention. All values were ascertained using near-infrared and/or x-ray analysis.
Looking to the data in
As illustrated in the corn-silage sample graph of
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As provided above, the zipper 107 of the preferred embodiment of the present invention can utilize either a retention strap, pocket, or other retention mechanism to keep the zipper pull 109 secured during the drying process. As provided in
Referring now to
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The graph of
Additionally, provided in the second table below is a comparison of various analytical and substrate levels for various samples 101 for both the old process 151, as described above, and the new process 120, which is representative of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. The samples 101 tested with each process, with results depicted in the table below, are canola, high-moisture barley, high-moisture shell corn, hay and shell corn stone. The old process 151 data is grayed to differentiate data between the two processes 120 and 151 tested.
Although various representative embodiments of this invention have been described above with a certain degree of particularity, those skilled in the art could make numerous alterations to the disclosed embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the inventive subject matter set forth in the specification and claims. Joinder references (e.g. attached, adhered, joined) are to be construed broadly and may include intermediate members between a connection of elements and relative movement between elements. As such, joinder references do not necessarily infer that two elements are directly connected and in fixed relation to each other. In some instances, in methodologies directly or indirectly set forth herein, various steps and operations are described in one possible order of operation, but those skilled in the art will recognize that steps and operations may be rearranged, replaced, or eliminated without necessarily departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. It is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not limiting. Changes in detail or structure may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.
Although the present invention has been described with reference to the embodiments outlined above, various alternatives, modifications, variations, improvements and/or substantial equivalents, whether known or that are or may be presently foreseen, may become apparent to those having at least ordinary skill in the art. Listing the steps of a method in a certain order does not constitute any limitation on the order of the steps of the method. Accordingly, the embodiments of the invention set forth above are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. Persons skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the invention is intended to embrace all known or earlier developed alternatives, modifications, variations, improvements, and/or substantial equivalents.
This application is a continuation-in-part and claims priority from U.S. application Ser. No. 14/881,396 filed Oct. 13, 2015 and entitled DRYING PROCESS FOR AGRICULTURAL FEEDSTUFFS. The contents of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/881,396 are hereby incorporated in its entirety by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 14881396 | Oct 2015 | US |
| Child | 15988522 | US |
