IntelliAir

What is Natural-Air Drying?

Joe Knotts — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 01:01:38 +0000

In my discussions with farmers lately, we’ve been talking a lot about natural air drying and its advantages. Some people think Natural-air drying (also called ambient-air drying or just air-drying) takes longer. And it does a bit. But it is also a heck of a lot less expensive than conventional methods. For example, drying at an elevator can cost 40 cents per bushel, where BinManager, our automated natural air-drying system only costs between 10 to 15 cents per bushel for an average size bin of XX diameter. And, a system like BinManager will keep your grain at the optimum temperature and moisture content until you’re ready to go to market.

With natural air drying, done properly, it can ensure that you avoid spoilage, over-drying and insects all of which can really make a dent in a guy’s yield.

So, what is natural air drying? Air drying is typically an on-farm in-bin drying method. It primarily uses unheated, outdoor air to dry crops to a safe storage moisture content (usually between 13 to 15%, depending on the crop). The energy for removing moisture comes primarily from the drying potential of outdoor air. You can use a supplemental heater to help when Mother Nature blesses us with cold, damp weather.

Natural air drying is an in-bin drying system with the following typical characteristics:

Drying process generally requires 4 to 8 weeks.

Initial moisture content is normally limited to 22 to 24% (although BinManager has dried higher)

Drying results from forcing unheated air through grain at airflow rates of 1 to 2 cfm/bu.

Drying and storage occur in the same bin, minimizing grain handling.

Grain depth of 21 foot to natural air dry at high moisture

In the coming weeks, we’ll talk more specifically about natural-air drying. But between now and then, if you have any questions – just call me at 1-888-862-6046.

Thanks for stopping by. I’m Todd Sears, president of IntelliAir.

Joe Knotts — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 22:24:36 +0000

Thanks for stopping by. I’m Todd Sears, president of IntelliAir. We offer grain management and automation products and we’ve been in business for more than 10 years.

I’m also a full time farmer and definitely more comfortable in the field than writinga blog. But this will be a regular post for me so I hope you’ll keep reading.
What seems to be on farmers’ minds the most as I’ve traveled the states and talked with folks is the late harvest caused by all of the rain and extreme weather conditions.
Even with a late harvest, natural air drying is one of the best methods to get grain crops ready for market. It can be supplemented with heaters and fans.

Let’s take wheat, for example. The air over the grain needs to be warmed only about 7 degrees to reduce the relative humidity from 70 percent at 50 degreesto the desired 57 percent at 57 degrees. This will dry wheat to 13.5 percent moisture. Because a fan operating at about 6 inches of static pressure warms theair about 4 degrees, a supplemental heater needs to provide only an additional 3degrees.
Running the fan only during the warmer and drier portion of the day will lengthen the drying time.

The estimated drying time is about 50 days to dry wheat from 17 to 13.5 percent using an airflow rate of 0.75 cubic feet per minute (cfm) perbushel with an air temperature of 50 degrees and 55 percent relative humidity. Drying the wheat will take about 100 days if the fan is operated just during the warmer 12-hour period of the day. We offer a system that automatically operates your fans and heaters at optimal times, so you don’t waste energy or your timeworrying about turning heaters and fans on and off at just the right time.

The drying rate is directly proportional to the airflow rate. If drying 16 percent moisture wheat at 69 degrees takes 21 days using an airflow rate of 1 cfm perbushel, it will take 28 days with an airflow rate of 0.75 cfm per bushel and 42days at 0.50 cfm per bushel.
We can help you figure out your expected drying times under your own conditions and for your grain. Just give me a call.

New Website Launch

adcuda — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 19:21:44 +0000

Check out the quote page

What is my username and password for BinManager™?

adcuda — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 14:56:48 +0000

You can find your username and password in the Welcome Packet that you received during installation. If you cannot locate your username and password, please call 1-888-862-6046 and the BinManager™ customer service staff will be happy to assist you with your grain monitoring.

How do I set up my bin through the Internet?

adcuda — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 14:56:30 +0000

There are six commands that you will need to send to your bin through the web interface. They are: Commodity, Desired Temperature, Desired Moisture, Sensors in Grain, Mode of Operation, and whether or not you have a heater available on your bin. It’s important to note that sensors are arranged in 4 feet increments from the tip of the cable (approximately 1.5ft up from the drying floor) to the top of the cable. For instance, a 32ft cable would contain eight sensors. This ensures hot-spot detection throughout the grain mass. Further information on configuring the settings for your grain monitoring system is located on the BinManager™ training page.

Why is my fan running when it’s raining?

adcuda — Thu, 12 May 2011 23:18:49 +0000

The BinManager™ system monitors both the ambient air conditions and the plenum air. It determines the expected moisture and temperature content of the air being pushed through the grain mass by measuring the temperature rise over the fan. The system automatically uses this information to control the fans and run them at optimal times.

How should I fill my bin to optimize grain quality and energy cost savings?

adcuda — Tue, 10 May 2011 23:14:40 +0000

The BinManager™ system will not start the fans if the air being pushed through the grain mass poses a risk. Additionally, to prevent a starter blowup, the BinManager system will not allow a fan to start back up if it has not had a 45-minute cool-down period. Finally, if the grain was put in at uneven moisture contents, the BinManager system needs to be diligent in ensuring the grain at the bottom does not get over-dried. Thus, even if the ambient and plenum air is of good quality for the upper part of the grain mass, the BinManager system will not run the fans if it could cause over-drying of the bottom. Always check your BinManager Data before switching to manual mode.