Method and means for grain drying optimization

• US 6,530,160 B1
• Filed: 05/17/2000
• Issued: 03/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: William L. Gookins
• Original Assignee: William L. Gookins
• Inventors: Gookins, William L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Walberg, Teresa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fastovsky, Leonid M
• Application Number:
  US09/572,732
• Time in Patent Office: 1,028 Days
• Field of Search: 344/18, 344/91, 344/95, 345/31
• US Class Current: 34/418
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 21/06 Controlling, e.g. regulating, parameters of gas supply F26B21/14 takes precedence; control in general G05
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 25/22 Controlling the drying process in dependence on liquid content of solid materials or objects
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 3/286 by solar radiation
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 9/063 for drying granular material in bulk, e.g. grain bins or silos with false floor shallow layer rotary sweep drying bins F26B9/10; perforated wall silos with drying air channels in the stack F26B9/103
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 40/18 using renewables, e.g. solar cooking stoves, furnaces or solar heating

Abstract

A method for drying grain in a bin is provided. The method includes gathering temperature and moisture data from various points in and around the bin. The data are integrated with a quantitative algorithm of direct differential vapor pressure analysis. The grain is then conditioned in response to results obtained from the quantitative algorithm of differential vapor pressure analysis.

Claims

1. A method for treating material with gas or vapor contact for drying and conditioning of grain in a bin comprising:

gathering data from the grain, air within the bin, air entering the bin, and air exiting the bin such that said data are convertible to Dry Bulb (DB) and Dew Point (DP) values, said data being obtained at predetermined intervals of time and space from a plurality of sensors, each of said plurality of sensors configured to measure temperature and moisture;

establishing a system-wide common data format for the air, gas, vapor, and materials values;

integrating said data with the quantitative algorithm of direct differential vapor pressure analysis;

conditioning the grain in response to results obtained from the quantitative algorithm of differential vapor pressure analysis.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said data are gathered electronically by remote sensing.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said remote sensing is a part of modular cabling or probes.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein those of said plurality of sensors within the bin are placed at vertical and horizontal grid points.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising measuring rates and times of temperatures and moistures approaching or departing from states of equilibrium of air and grain within a common data environment.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, converting dry bulb and dew point data to dry bulb and relative humidity values, and obtaining equilibrium moisture contents.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising,

converting equilibrium moisture content and grain temperature to an estimated allowed times index.

8. A method for drying and conditioning of grain in a bin comprising:

positioning a plurality of sensors, each of said plurality of sensors configured to measure temperature and moisture;

gathering data from the grain, air within the bin, air entering the bin, and air exiting the bin such that said data are convertible to Dry Bulb and Dew Point values, said data being obtained at predetermined intervals of time from said plurality of sensors;

establishing a system-wide common data format for the air, gas, vapor, and materials values;

integrating said data with the quantitative algorithm of direct differential vapor pressure analysis;

conditioning the grain in response to results obtained from the quantitative algorithm of differential vapor pressure analysis, said conditioning chosen from the group consisting of warming and drying, maximum warming, wet warming, incremental drying, specified equilibrium moisture content drying, cooling and drying, ventilating to even grain temperatures, ventilating to profile test, and re-wetting.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein said data are gathered electronically by remote sensing.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said remote sensing is a part of modular cabling or probes.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein those of said plurality of sensors within the bin are placed at vertical and horizontal grid points.

18. The method according to claim 8, further comprising measuring rates and times temperatures and moistures approaching or departing from states of equilibrium of air and grain within a common data environment.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising,

converting dry bulb and dew point data to dry bulb and relative humidity values, and

obtaining an equilibrium moisture contents.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising,

converting equilibrium moisture contents and grain temperatures to an estimated allowed times index such that the grain loses ½

of 1% of its dry matter.

21. The method according to claim 20, further comprising,

computing a monetary value of ½

of 1% dry matter loss for the bin, dividing said monetary value by a number of estimated days, setting this value as a daily cost for dry matter loss.

22. The method according to claim 8, further comprising,

connecting said plurality of sensors and controls via wire or wireless communication to a processing mechanism at a local display, network, or the Internet.

23. The method according to claim 22, further comprising

converting distant incoming weather patterns gathered via the Internet into a series of dry bulb and dew point values.

24. The method according to claim 22, further comprising,

remotely storing data of common data environments from at least one bin.

33. The method according to claim 8, further comprising,

conditioning said air entering the bin to control the removal of a predetermined amount of moisture over a predetermined time interval.

34. The method according to claim 8, further comprising,

conditioning said air entering the bin to disturb equilibrium states, measuring resulting changes, storing said resulting changes, and deriving data specific to the grain being processed.

12. A method for drying grain in a bin comprising:

use of sensors to determine moisture and temperature of the grain and air entering, inside, and exiting the bin; and

conditioning or selecting the air entering and inside the bin such that

the air entering and inside the bin is configured to be warmer than the grain and whose temperature differential with the grain is between 5-7°

F. is used to warm the grain, and controlling the rate of heating the grain such that the temperature difference between the grain and air inside the bin is prevented from becoming so great that moisture expelled from relatively warmer grain is prevented from condensing on cooler grain,

the air entering and inside the bin is configured to hold more relative moisture than the grain and whose temperature differential is greater than 5°

F. to warm the grain, and controlling the rate of heating the grain such that the temperature difference between the grain and air inside the bin is prevented from becoming so great that moisture expelled from relatively warmer grain is prevented from condensing on cooler grain, or the air entering and inside the bin obtains a state of being colder and holding less moisture relative to the grain.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the air entering and inside the bin is conditioned or selected such that the air inside the bin obtains a state of holding more relative moisture and having a temperature differential greater than 7°

F. to warm the grain, and controlling the rate of heating the grain such that the temperature difference between the grain and air inside the bin is prevented from becoming so great that moisture expelled from relatively warmer grain is prevented from condensing on cooler grain.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein said data are gathered by remote sensing.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein said remote sensing is a part of modular cabling.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein those of said plurality of sensors within the bin are placed vertical and horizontal grid points.

17. A method for treating material in a bin with gas or vapor contact comprising:

gathering data specific to the bin in regards to physical dimensions, filling means and rates, size of fans, and the volume of air-flow in time or cfm per bushel, atmospheric pressure at the bin site, and the relevant ratio for the vapor or gas constants;

gathering data specific to the grain being dried in regards to mass per bushel, volume of grain or number of bushels, percent grain moistures, historical equilibrium equations, and predetermined equations for the change in the specific heat of the grain as grain moisture changes;

entering data as pairs of temperatures and moistures, either sensed or converted to independent values of dry bulb and dew points, in the ambient air, within the grain, and of the exiting air;

calculating from said pairs of data values resultant vapor pressures and absolutes humidities;

converting said dry bulb temperatures of standard scale into absolute temperature values to derive specific volumes;

converting the volume of air-flow per unit time, the number of bushels being examined, the specific volumes, and the time interval being considered to derive the Mass of air-flow per unit time;

deriving mass of water removed or added from the differences in said absolute humidities multiplied by said mass of air-flow per unit time;

calculating the enthalpy of the latent heat of said air by multiplying the computed water removed value by the latent heat of vaporization at said air temperature;

calculating enthalpy of sensible heat by multiplying the computed air mass by the bushels and the mass per bushel, multiplying by the said specific heat of the grain, and multiplying by the considered temperature differential;

calculating enthalpy of sensible heat by multiplying the computed air mass by the specific heat of air and by the considered temperature differential;

deriving a time to temperature equilibrium with regard to a source of thermal change, cooling warm grain with colder air having a dew point less than or equal the dew point measured within the grain, by dividing the enthalpy of the grain by the sum of the enthalpy of the sensible heat plus the enthalpy of the latent heat, or heating cold and wet grain with warm air having a dew point permitting evaporate cooling by dividing the sum of enthalpy of the graining and the enthalpy of the latent heat by the enthalpy of the sensible heat.

25. A method for drying grain in a bin comprising:

using a plurality of sensors to determine temperature and moisture of the grain, air entering the bin, air inside the bin, and air exiting the bin;

conditioning said air entering the bin in response to predetermined temperature differentials to respond to grain temperature changes; and

preventing moisture expelled from the grain from re-condensing on the grain.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein

said plurality of sensors are configured to measure temperature and moisture at predetermined intervals of time at points disposed vertically and horizontally in the bin.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein

said air entering the bin is conditioned preceding cool drying to suppress evaporative cooling and increase heat transfer.

28. The method according to claim 26, wherein

said air entering the bin is configured to be cooler and drier than the grain.

29. The method according to claim 26, wherein

said air entering the bin is configured to reduce temperature differentials within the bin.

30. The method according to claim 29, further comprising,

connecting said plurality of sensors and controls via wire or wireless communication to a processing mechanism at a local display, network, or the Internet.

31. The method according to claim 30, further comprising,

remotely storing data of common data environments from at least one bin.

32. The method according to claim 31, further comprising,

conditioning said air entering the bin to have vapor pressure to re-wet the grain.