Patent Application
20180283787
This invention generally relates to introducing heated air stream (heated air flow) from a heating unit to an aeration system of a grain bin (grain elevator) to provide a continuous flow of temperature controlled air into the bin to dry the grain or crops stored inside the bin.
Grain drying is a process of drying grain to reduce or prevent spoilage and to inhibit microbial growth during storage. This process is used to reduce the moisture content of wheat, soybean, rice, barley, oats, etc. To dry grain, common practice has been for a farmer employee to haul grain from their bin to a commercial dryer, or to shuttle grain back and forth from their bin to their own on-farm grain dryer. Plus, one problem with using traditional commercial mechanical dryers when drying a crop like lentils, for example, is that the process chips the lentils, which takes the grade off of the lentils. According to one calculation, the cost of downgrading from a No. 1 quality lentil to a No. 2 quality lentil is $7.57 a bushel, or $36,000 per quarter section, based on an average yield of 30 bushels per acre. Traditional drying process not only increase the chances of kernel damage, but are also time consuming, expensive, inefficient, and potentially dangerous.
The present invention removes these problems by utilizing a heating unit, ducting (e.g., hose), and grain drying adapter to introduce heated air directly into an aeration system included on many grain bins. The heating unit may be a mobile device and may be a flameless unit, such as the flameless heater as described in U.S. application Ser. No. 13/834,942, or a conventional straight air heater. This system gives farmers the ability to more effectively dry down grain without having to move it out of the bins, saving time, equipment, and trucking costs. Plus, multiple bins can be dried with a single heating unit (e.g., heat exchanger). Moreover, since this system may be portable, it is beneficial for remote locations that lack access to power. Also, there is no risk of explosion or burns due to open flames or high-temperature steam, which also makes this system safer to operate around grain dust than flame-based heaters. Plus, using the aeration system on the grain bin alone to dry the grain has negative effects on the drying process when the outside temperature changes, e.g., unseasonable temperature, nighttime temperature, high or low humidity situations, etc. The present system introduces a predetermined air temperature into the aeration system, day and night.
This invention comprises three major components: heating unit, ducting, and grain drying adapter. The heating unit is arranged in the proximity of a grain bin. The ducting is connected at a first end to an outlet portion of the heating unit. The ducting is connected at a second end (distal end, opposite end) to a first side of a grain dryer adapter. The grain dryer adapter is connected at a second side (opposite side) thereof to a fan unit of an aeration system for a grain bin. The grain dryer adapter unit is configured with spaced through-holes to introduce a desired volume of ambient air into the fan.
In operation, a blend of heated air from the running heating unit and ambient air from the through-holes is introduced to the fan and circulated into the bin via the aeration system.
Other objects and features of this invention will be in part apparent and in part point pointed out hereinafter.
The following drawings illustrate examples of various components of the invention disclosed herein, and are for illustrative purposes only.
While the present invention may be embodied in many different forms, several illustrative embodiments are described herein with the understanding that this disclosure is to be considered as providing examples of the principles of the invention and such examples are not intended to limit the invention to the preferred embodiments described herein and/or illustrated herein.
Reference will now be made to
The through-holes 34 may be positioned 1.5-6″ from an open end of the adaptor 30. In the embodiment illustrated in
The air introduced via heating unit 10 alone is too hot for certain grain drying applications (e.g. 5000 CFM). The adapter 30 is designed to attach (e.g., S-hooks) to front of the fan 40 and allows a predetermined volume of ambient air (e.g., cooler) air to mix with the hot air from the outlet of the heating unit 10 before being introduced to the aeration system of the grain bin 50. In operation, a blend of heated air from the running heating unit 10 (e.g., heated air stream or heated air flow) and ambient air from the through-holes 34 is introduced to the fan 40 and circulated into the bin 50 via the aeration system. The heated air stream is typically 160-200 degrees Fahrenheit. The blend may have a temperature of approximately 85-95 degrees Fahrenheit. The heater air stream flow rate is approximately 5000 cfm (cubic feet per minute). The aeration bin air flow is approximately 7000-20,000 cfm. (air flow rate changes based on specific fan used with grain bin aeration system).
The grain drying adapter 30 may be configured to include staggered holes 34 arranged in two rows around the circumference of the adapter 30. Staggering of the holes improves the strength of the adapter 30, while allowing for predetermined and desired volume of ambient air introduction into the aeration system.
Although embodiments have been described above and illustrated in the accompanying drawings to be more clearly understood, the above description is made by way of example and not as a limitation to the scope of the instant invention. It is contemplated that various modifications to one of ordinary skill in the art could be made without departing from the scope of the invention which is to be determined by the following claims.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62480013 | Mar 2017 | US |
