CA1071398A - Grain drying apparatus and process - Google Patents
Grain drying apparatus and processInfo
- Publication number
- CA1071398A CA1071398A CA278,391A CA278391A CA1071398A CA 1071398 A CA1071398 A CA 1071398A CA 278391 A CA278391 A CA 278391A CA 1071398 A CA1071398 A CA 1071398A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- grain
- conveyor
- air
- compartment
- lower section
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
Classifications
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F26—DRYING
- F26B—DRYING SOLID MATERIALS OR OBJECTS BY REMOVING LIQUID THEREFROM
- F26B3/00—Drying solid materials or objects by processes involving the application of heat
- F26B3/02—Drying solid materials or objects by processes involving the application of heat by convection, i.e. heat being conveyed from a heat source to the materials or objects to be dried by a gas or vapour, e.g. air
- F26B3/06—Drying solid materials or objects by processes involving the application of heat by convection, i.e. heat being conveyed from a heat source to the materials or objects to be dried by a gas or vapour, e.g. air the gas or vapour flowing through the materials or objects to be dried
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F26—DRYING
- F26B—DRYING SOLID MATERIALS OR OBJECTS BY REMOVING LIQUID THEREFROM
- F26B17/00—Machines or apparatus for drying materials in loose, plastic, or fluidised form, e.g. granules, staple fibres, with progressive movement
- F26B17/02—Machines or apparatus for drying materials in loose, plastic, or fluidised form, e.g. granules, staple fibres, with progressive movement with movement performed by belts carrying the materials; with movement performed by belts or elements attached to endless belts or chains propelling the materials over stationary surfaces
- F26B17/08—Machines or apparatus for drying materials in loose, plastic, or fluidised form, e.g. granules, staple fibres, with progressive movement with movement performed by belts carrying the materials; with movement performed by belts or elements attached to endless belts or chains propelling the materials over stationary surfaces the belts being arranged in a sinuous or zig-zag path
Abstract
GRAIN DRYING APPARATUS AND PROCESS
Abstract of the Disclosure An apparatus and process for drying grain in which the grain is first heated to drive off a portion of the moisture as it passes along a conveyor, and the heated and partially dried grain is then discharged in-to a holding or steeping bin where the moisture in the center of the kernels migrates to near the surface and the temperature becomes substantially uniform through out. The grain is then discharged onto a second belt where the grain is first heated to drive off a sub-stantial part of the moisture remaining in the grain and then is cooled before it is discharged from the apparatus. Air is used to cool the grain before it is discharged and this partially heated air is utilized in both grain heating operations. The apparatus in-cludes upper and lower sections with porous conveyor' belts for moving the grain between a receiving hopper to the bin and from the bin into a discharge receptacle.
1.
Abstract of the Disclosure An apparatus and process for drying grain in which the grain is first heated to drive off a portion of the moisture as it passes along a conveyor, and the heated and partially dried grain is then discharged in-to a holding or steeping bin where the moisture in the center of the kernels migrates to near the surface and the temperature becomes substantially uniform through out. The grain is then discharged onto a second belt where the grain is first heated to drive off a sub-stantial part of the moisture remaining in the grain and then is cooled before it is discharged from the apparatus. Air is used to cool the grain before it is discharged and this partially heated air is utilized in both grain heating operations. The apparatus in-cludes upper and lower sections with porous conveyor' belts for moving the grain between a receiving hopper to the bin and from the bin into a discharge receptacle.
1.
Description
39~
GRAl~ DRYI~IG APPARAl~JS A~D PROCESS
In the past some widely used grain drying -equipment has had a number of inherent disadvantages, including damage to the g~ain through compression and abrasion of the grain, inefficiency of operation through ineffective utilization of the heat required ~or drying the grain, and inability to handle and dry grain which has not been carefully cleaned prior to the grain drying operation. Further, prior grain drying apparatus have often been relatively bulky and dif~icult to transport and install and have re~uired excessive space to use and operate properly, and have involved the use of high speed augers or other conveyors for loading and unloading which not only often damaged the grain but also made the apparatus initially expensive and thereafter costly to service and maintainO Many of the foregoing disadvantages have been overcome by the grain drying apparatus disclosed -I and claimed in U.SO Patent ~oO 3,673,699 which gently handles the grain in a relatively thin layer without the use of high columns of grain or lift conveyors, and which increases the efficiency of the drying ~peration by utilizing the incoming circulating air to cool the dried grain, and thereafter utilizing the heat absorbed in the cooling step to assist in the grain drying step. While this improved grain drying apparatus performs satisfac- ~
torily in many operations, in view of the relatively high -cost of fuel, attempts have been made to economize on -fuel by limiting the time in which the grain is pro- `
cessed by the apparatus~ These attempts have, in the past, resulted in decreased efficiency and effectiveness of the apparatus and inadequate drying of the grain. -~
It is kherefore one of the principal objects of the pre-sent invention to provide a grain drying apparatus which gives good fuel economy while maintaining a high perform-.
.
GRAl~ DRYI~IG APPARAl~JS A~D PROCESS
In the past some widely used grain drying -equipment has had a number of inherent disadvantages, including damage to the g~ain through compression and abrasion of the grain, inefficiency of operation through ineffective utilization of the heat required ~or drying the grain, and inability to handle and dry grain which has not been carefully cleaned prior to the grain drying operation. Further, prior grain drying apparatus have often been relatively bulky and dif~icult to transport and install and have re~uired excessive space to use and operate properly, and have involved the use of high speed augers or other conveyors for loading and unloading which not only often damaged the grain but also made the apparatus initially expensive and thereafter costly to service and maintainO Many of the foregoing disadvantages have been overcome by the grain drying apparatus disclosed -I and claimed in U.SO Patent ~oO 3,673,699 which gently handles the grain in a relatively thin layer without the use of high columns of grain or lift conveyors, and which increases the efficiency of the drying ~peration by utilizing the incoming circulating air to cool the dried grain, and thereafter utilizing the heat absorbed in the cooling step to assist in the grain drying step. While this improved grain drying apparatus performs satisfac- ~
torily in many operations, in view of the relatively high -cost of fuel, attempts have been made to economize on -fuel by limiting the time in which the grain is pro- `
cessed by the apparatus~ These attempts have, in the past, resulted in decreased efficiency and effectiveness of the apparatus and inadequate drying of the grain. -~
It is kherefore one of the principal objects of the pre-sent invention to provide a grain drying apparatus which gives good fuel economy while maintaining a high perform-.
.
2.
~C17~L3913 ance level in the apparatus, and which is so constructed and designed that ~he heat is reused in a multiple stage drying operation resulting in good efficiency and effective drying of the grain in a relatively short period of time.
Another object of the invention is to provide a grain dryer apparatus and process in which the grain is subjected to a series of steps consisting oE a series of steps consisting of a first drying operation which removes the moisture near ~he surface of the kernels, a steep~ng operation in which the grain is permitted to cool and the moisture in the kernels permitted to flow from the center to the surface and a second drying operation which removes a substantial amount of the moisture remaining in the grain following the steeping operation.
A further object is to provide a grain drying apparatus of the aforesaid type which can effectively be -controlled by varying the flow rate of the grain through the apparatus, and which can easily be so controlled that it ~ gives optimum drying performance for a variety of different grains, such as for example soybeans and shelled corn or .
ear corn.
The present invention relates to a grain drying apparatus comprising a housing having upper and lower elongated sections, a porous conveyor belt in each of the sections .:
extending substantially the full length thereof, a grain receiving means at one end of the conveyor in the ~pper section, a grain receiving and holding bin disposed at the other end of the conveyor in the upper section and having an opening for discharging grain onto the conveyor in the lower section, ;: .
a compartment beneath the conveyor ln the upper section, two interconnecting compartments beneath the conveyor in the ~ 3 - -~ ` L.~
bc/~
i~7~398 lower section, one of the latter co~partments being located near the receiving end of the conveyor and the other near the discharge end, a heating means and blower operationally disposed between the two latter compartments for drawing cool air downwardly through the grain near the discharge end of the conveyor in ~he lower section and forcing heated air upwardly through the grain near the receiving end of the conveyor, and a heating means and blower operationally dlsposed between the two ~onveyors for drawing air from the grain receiving end of the conve.yor in the lower section an.d :
heating and forcing it upwardly through the conveyor in the upper section.
In its method aspect, the invention relates to a : method of drying grai.n comprising heating the grain to a - temperature sufficient to drive off the moisture near the surface of the kernels while leaving the mDisture near the center, holding the grain for a period of-time to permit the moisture near the center of the kernels to migrate to near ~ the surface, heating the grain to a temperature sufficient ~ .
~o to drive off the migrated moisture, and cooling the grain to ambient temperature.
The advantages of the lnvention will become apparent from the followlng description and accompanying drawings~ : -wherein:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the present grain , . .
.~ drying apparatus with a portion of the side wall broken away : .
to show the internal mechanism for performing the~ present process, Figure 2 is a vertical transverse cross sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1.; and Figure 3 is a longitudinal cross sectional view of the grain drying apparatus shown in the preceding figures, :
the section being taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1.
- 3a -bc/J~:
- - . : .
~07~3~8 Referring more specifically to the drawings, and to Figure l in particular, numeral lO designates generally the present grain drying apparatus shown with grain there-in and in operation performing the present process. While the apparatus is relatively large, it is preferably of a size which will permit prefabrication and transportation on the highway on a semitrailer or similar mode of trans-portation. ~owever, the apparatus may be of various sizes to satisfy requirements, and may be fabricated in sections or modules which can be assembled at the location where the apparatus is to be installed and operated.
The apparatus consists of an upper se~tion 12 and a lower section 14r the upper section having two side walls 16 and 18, an end wall 20 connected to the two side - -walls, and a horizontal partition 21 which separates the ;
two sections. In khe view shown in the drawings, no cover or top is illustrated; however, under certain conditions it may be desirable to enclose the top part of the upper saction 12. Mounted on the right hand end of the upper section~ as viewed in Figures l and 3, is a hopper 22 which receives gxain, such as corn~ beans, peanuts, wheat, ;
oats, rye, mailo, cobs, shucks, or fibrous materiall from ~ an auger conveyor 24 which discharges the grain or other - material to be dried into the hopper. The material to be dried will, for convenience of description, be referred ;~
to as "grain". A conveyor 30 is mounted in the upper part of section 12 and consists of a continuous belt 32 of porous material trained on pulleys 34 and 36 at the opposite ends of section 12. The belt may be steel wire web material of a mesh large enough in size to permit the air to pass freely therethroughJ but small enough -to prevent the grain from falling therethrough. The belt is driven by a motor through a gear reduction unit ~not shown), the drive motor normally being operatively " ' ' ' -- " :,,' ....... .... .
-~ 4~
- . . .. ..
11a 7~35~13 connected to pulley 34 on an extension shaft 38 of the pulley, the motor normally being mounted on the outer side of the upper section.
A an or blower 40 driven by a motor 41 is mounted in a compartment 42 in the lower part of section 12 and creates an air flow through heater unlt 44 and through o~ening 46 in the end of the compartment. Air is drawn in through opening 48 in the opposite end wall 50 of the compartment, from lower section 14, as will be more fully explained hereinafter. The lower portion of the belt is supported by two support members 52 and 54, the latter being disposed in partition 56 forming the ~-end wall for space or compartment 58 of the upper section.
The grain discharged into hopper 22 flows by gravity onto belt 32 and is moved from right to left~ as viewed in Figures 1 and 3, at a relatively slow rate, and is discharged into holding or steeping bin 70 disposed at the left hand end of section 12 where the grain re-mains for a predetermined period without being subjected to either air flow or heat. The grain is held in the bin to permit the moisture in the center of the grain not removed by the heated air passing through the grain on belt 32~ to migrate from the center to the ~utside -surface where it can effectively be removed as the grain passes through the lower section 14. -The lower section 14 is similar in construction to the upper section, however, the operation is somewhat different. The lower section consists of an air intake compartment 72 and a heated air compartment 74. A con-veyor 76 is disposed in the lower section extending rom bin 70 at the left hand end to the receiving hopper 78 on the right hand end of the section. The construction and operation of the belt and pulleys for the conveyor are the same as or similar to the construction and op-- . ~ -~7~9~
eration of conveyor 30, the belt preferably being con-structed of wire mesh or other suitable material which will permit the air to pass upwardly therethrough with-out permitting the grain to fall downwardly therethrough.
The two compartments are separated by a partition 79, and the lower portion of the conveyor belt passes from one compartment to the other through partition 79, which is provi~ed with a support means ~r the lower section of the belt. The belt is driven by a motor (now shown~ con-nected to a sha~t 80.
Grain is discharged from bin 70 onto conveyor 76 as the upper section of the conveyor moves from left to right carrying the grain from bin 70 to hopper 78.
An air lock baffle 82 is disposed near the mid-section :.:
of the conveyor belt to direct cool fresh air entering opening 8~ downwardly through the grain and the conveyorbelt, into compartment 72 where it is forced by a fan : :
or blower 86 driven by motor 87, through heat exchanger 88 and opening 90 into compartment 74. The air then travels upwardly from compartment 74 through the belt and grain, and passes through opening 48 into compartment 42 where it is again heated by heating unit 44 before being discharged through the grain on conveyor 30. The air entering opening 84 is cool air, and hence cools the grain before it is discharged into hopper 78. The air passlng downwardly through the grain is heated by ~ the heat from the grain, and is further heated by heater : 88 before i~ is discharged into compartment 74 and forced upwardly through the grain on ~he left hand side of baf-fle 82. As the grain passes along the conveyor 76, the .
moisture, whi~h has migrated from the center of the grain : to the external surface or near the external surface . . .
while the grain was in hopper 78, is removed by the air :107~g~
passing upwardly therethrough from compartment 74. After the grain has been discharged from conveyor 76 into hop-per 78, it is removed by an auger 92 connected to the lower portion of hopper 78. ~n order to regulate the temperature of the air passing from compartment 72 to compartment 74, a ventilating opening 94 is provided in the end of compartment 72, the amount of air entering opening 94 being controlled by the position of door 96 hinged to the end wall of th~ compa~tment.
In the operation of the present grain drying apparatus, the grain or other material to be dried is discharged from auger 24 into hopper 22 and is carried by conveyor 32 from the hopper along the upper surface of the conveyor to bin 70. As the grain is carried along the conveyor, heated air from heater 44 passes!
upwardly through the porous conveyor and the grain there-on, in somewhat the same manner as indicated by the ar-rows, throughouk substantially the entire length of the conveyor, thus heating the grain and removing a sub-stantial amount of the moisture near the surface. The grain is then discharged into bin 70 and is permitted to remain in the bin, wherein t~ temperature and mois~
ture in the grain becomes more or less uniform through-out the grain, without being subjected to either air flow or heat. During this ~teeping operation, moisture migrates from the center of the grain to the surface or near the surface where it can easily be removed in the second operation performed in the lower section 14 which is normally operated simultaneously with the op eration of section 12. Conveyor 76 carries the grain from bin 70 to hopper 78, and fresh air drawn inwardly through opening 84 passes downwardly th~ough the grain, khereby cooling the grain to substantially normal tem-.. .. . .. . ... . . . . . . . .
1CI~7~3,~8 perature~ The partially heated air entering compartment 7~ ~rom the grain is again heated by heater 88 and is forced by blower 86 through compartment 74 and upwardly through the grain to compartment ~2, where blower 40 forces the air through heater 44 into compartment 58 and upwardly through the grain on the conveyor, as previously explained herein. The temperature o~ the air entering compartment ;;
74 is partially controlled by air inlet 94 and door 96 which can be moved from fully closed to fully opened position to satisy operating conditions and moisture content of the grain.
The present invention also involves the pro-cess in which the grain or other material to be dried is first heated to a temperature sufficient to drive off ~ -a substantial amount of moisture, consisting of the steps of heating the grain to dry off a substantial amount of moisture~ holding the grain in a steeping bin or other suitable container without forced air passing there-through, in order to permit the moisture in the center of the grain, not removed in the ~irst step, to migrate to the surface or near the surface o~ the grain, and, in a third step, heating the steeped grain to a tem-perature sufficient to drive of~ the moisture which mi~rated to the surface or near the surface, and then cooling the grain to normal or substantial room tem-peratu~e before it is discharged. The sequence of steps involving a first heating operation, a holding operation and then a second heating operation followed by a cooling operation, are important in obtaining the optimum results in drying the grain or other material, and are particularly adapted for ~erformance by the ap-paratus shown in the drawings and described herein.
The temperature used in the heating steps to drive of~
. .
' -:
,....
, , . . . , . ,, . , . , "
3LID7~L39~3 the moisture can vary over a wide range, and is princi-pally determined by the speed of the conveyors and the amount of grain on each conveyor.
While only one embodiment of the present apparatus and process has been described in detail here-in, various changes and modifications may be made with out departing from the scope of the invention.
.
''' '' .. . . .
, ~"''' . ' .:
' . ''' ' ~ .'
~C17~L3913 ance level in the apparatus, and which is so constructed and designed that ~he heat is reused in a multiple stage drying operation resulting in good efficiency and effective drying of the grain in a relatively short period of time.
Another object of the invention is to provide a grain dryer apparatus and process in which the grain is subjected to a series of steps consisting oE a series of steps consisting of a first drying operation which removes the moisture near ~he surface of the kernels, a steep~ng operation in which the grain is permitted to cool and the moisture in the kernels permitted to flow from the center to the surface and a second drying operation which removes a substantial amount of the moisture remaining in the grain following the steeping operation.
A further object is to provide a grain drying apparatus of the aforesaid type which can effectively be -controlled by varying the flow rate of the grain through the apparatus, and which can easily be so controlled that it ~ gives optimum drying performance for a variety of different grains, such as for example soybeans and shelled corn or .
ear corn.
The present invention relates to a grain drying apparatus comprising a housing having upper and lower elongated sections, a porous conveyor belt in each of the sections .:
extending substantially the full length thereof, a grain receiving means at one end of the conveyor in the ~pper section, a grain receiving and holding bin disposed at the other end of the conveyor in the upper section and having an opening for discharging grain onto the conveyor in the lower section, ;: .
a compartment beneath the conveyor ln the upper section, two interconnecting compartments beneath the conveyor in the ~ 3 - -~ ` L.~
bc/~
i~7~398 lower section, one of the latter co~partments being located near the receiving end of the conveyor and the other near the discharge end, a heating means and blower operationally disposed between the two latter compartments for drawing cool air downwardly through the grain near the discharge end of the conveyor in ~he lower section and forcing heated air upwardly through the grain near the receiving end of the conveyor, and a heating means and blower operationally dlsposed between the two ~onveyors for drawing air from the grain receiving end of the conve.yor in the lower section an.d :
heating and forcing it upwardly through the conveyor in the upper section.
In its method aspect, the invention relates to a : method of drying grai.n comprising heating the grain to a - temperature sufficient to drive off the moisture near the surface of the kernels while leaving the mDisture near the center, holding the grain for a period of-time to permit the moisture near the center of the kernels to migrate to near ~ the surface, heating the grain to a temperature sufficient ~ .
~o to drive off the migrated moisture, and cooling the grain to ambient temperature.
The advantages of the lnvention will become apparent from the followlng description and accompanying drawings~ : -wherein:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the present grain , . .
.~ drying apparatus with a portion of the side wall broken away : .
to show the internal mechanism for performing the~ present process, Figure 2 is a vertical transverse cross sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1.; and Figure 3 is a longitudinal cross sectional view of the grain drying apparatus shown in the preceding figures, :
the section being taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1.
- 3a -bc/J~:
- - . : .
~07~3~8 Referring more specifically to the drawings, and to Figure l in particular, numeral lO designates generally the present grain drying apparatus shown with grain there-in and in operation performing the present process. While the apparatus is relatively large, it is preferably of a size which will permit prefabrication and transportation on the highway on a semitrailer or similar mode of trans-portation. ~owever, the apparatus may be of various sizes to satisfy requirements, and may be fabricated in sections or modules which can be assembled at the location where the apparatus is to be installed and operated.
The apparatus consists of an upper se~tion 12 and a lower section 14r the upper section having two side walls 16 and 18, an end wall 20 connected to the two side - -walls, and a horizontal partition 21 which separates the ;
two sections. In khe view shown in the drawings, no cover or top is illustrated; however, under certain conditions it may be desirable to enclose the top part of the upper saction 12. Mounted on the right hand end of the upper section~ as viewed in Figures l and 3, is a hopper 22 which receives gxain, such as corn~ beans, peanuts, wheat, ;
oats, rye, mailo, cobs, shucks, or fibrous materiall from ~ an auger conveyor 24 which discharges the grain or other - material to be dried into the hopper. The material to be dried will, for convenience of description, be referred ;~
to as "grain". A conveyor 30 is mounted in the upper part of section 12 and consists of a continuous belt 32 of porous material trained on pulleys 34 and 36 at the opposite ends of section 12. The belt may be steel wire web material of a mesh large enough in size to permit the air to pass freely therethroughJ but small enough -to prevent the grain from falling therethrough. The belt is driven by a motor through a gear reduction unit ~not shown), the drive motor normally being operatively " ' ' ' -- " :,,' ....... .... .
-~ 4~
- . . .. ..
11a 7~35~13 connected to pulley 34 on an extension shaft 38 of the pulley, the motor normally being mounted on the outer side of the upper section.
A an or blower 40 driven by a motor 41 is mounted in a compartment 42 in the lower part of section 12 and creates an air flow through heater unlt 44 and through o~ening 46 in the end of the compartment. Air is drawn in through opening 48 in the opposite end wall 50 of the compartment, from lower section 14, as will be more fully explained hereinafter. The lower portion of the belt is supported by two support members 52 and 54, the latter being disposed in partition 56 forming the ~-end wall for space or compartment 58 of the upper section.
The grain discharged into hopper 22 flows by gravity onto belt 32 and is moved from right to left~ as viewed in Figures 1 and 3, at a relatively slow rate, and is discharged into holding or steeping bin 70 disposed at the left hand end of section 12 where the grain re-mains for a predetermined period without being subjected to either air flow or heat. The grain is held in the bin to permit the moisture in the center of the grain not removed by the heated air passing through the grain on belt 32~ to migrate from the center to the ~utside -surface where it can effectively be removed as the grain passes through the lower section 14. -The lower section 14 is similar in construction to the upper section, however, the operation is somewhat different. The lower section consists of an air intake compartment 72 and a heated air compartment 74. A con-veyor 76 is disposed in the lower section extending rom bin 70 at the left hand end to the receiving hopper 78 on the right hand end of the section. The construction and operation of the belt and pulleys for the conveyor are the same as or similar to the construction and op-- . ~ -~7~9~
eration of conveyor 30, the belt preferably being con-structed of wire mesh or other suitable material which will permit the air to pass upwardly therethrough with-out permitting the grain to fall downwardly therethrough.
The two compartments are separated by a partition 79, and the lower portion of the conveyor belt passes from one compartment to the other through partition 79, which is provi~ed with a support means ~r the lower section of the belt. The belt is driven by a motor (now shown~ con-nected to a sha~t 80.
Grain is discharged from bin 70 onto conveyor 76 as the upper section of the conveyor moves from left to right carrying the grain from bin 70 to hopper 78.
An air lock baffle 82 is disposed near the mid-section :.:
of the conveyor belt to direct cool fresh air entering opening 8~ downwardly through the grain and the conveyorbelt, into compartment 72 where it is forced by a fan : :
or blower 86 driven by motor 87, through heat exchanger 88 and opening 90 into compartment 74. The air then travels upwardly from compartment 74 through the belt and grain, and passes through opening 48 into compartment 42 where it is again heated by heating unit 44 before being discharged through the grain on conveyor 30. The air entering opening 84 is cool air, and hence cools the grain before it is discharged into hopper 78. The air passlng downwardly through the grain is heated by ~ the heat from the grain, and is further heated by heater : 88 before i~ is discharged into compartment 74 and forced upwardly through the grain on ~he left hand side of baf-fle 82. As the grain passes along the conveyor 76, the .
moisture, whi~h has migrated from the center of the grain : to the external surface or near the external surface . . .
while the grain was in hopper 78, is removed by the air :107~g~
passing upwardly therethrough from compartment 74. After the grain has been discharged from conveyor 76 into hop-per 78, it is removed by an auger 92 connected to the lower portion of hopper 78. ~n order to regulate the temperature of the air passing from compartment 72 to compartment 74, a ventilating opening 94 is provided in the end of compartment 72, the amount of air entering opening 94 being controlled by the position of door 96 hinged to the end wall of th~ compa~tment.
In the operation of the present grain drying apparatus, the grain or other material to be dried is discharged from auger 24 into hopper 22 and is carried by conveyor 32 from the hopper along the upper surface of the conveyor to bin 70. As the grain is carried along the conveyor, heated air from heater 44 passes!
upwardly through the porous conveyor and the grain there-on, in somewhat the same manner as indicated by the ar-rows, throughouk substantially the entire length of the conveyor, thus heating the grain and removing a sub-stantial amount of the moisture near the surface. The grain is then discharged into bin 70 and is permitted to remain in the bin, wherein t~ temperature and mois~
ture in the grain becomes more or less uniform through-out the grain, without being subjected to either air flow or heat. During this ~teeping operation, moisture migrates from the center of the grain to the surface or near the surface where it can easily be removed in the second operation performed in the lower section 14 which is normally operated simultaneously with the op eration of section 12. Conveyor 76 carries the grain from bin 70 to hopper 78, and fresh air drawn inwardly through opening 84 passes downwardly th~ough the grain, khereby cooling the grain to substantially normal tem-.. .. . .. . ... . . . . . . . .
1CI~7~3,~8 perature~ The partially heated air entering compartment 7~ ~rom the grain is again heated by heater 88 and is forced by blower 86 through compartment 74 and upwardly through the grain to compartment ~2, where blower 40 forces the air through heater 44 into compartment 58 and upwardly through the grain on the conveyor, as previously explained herein. The temperature o~ the air entering compartment ;;
74 is partially controlled by air inlet 94 and door 96 which can be moved from fully closed to fully opened position to satisy operating conditions and moisture content of the grain.
The present invention also involves the pro-cess in which the grain or other material to be dried is first heated to a temperature sufficient to drive off ~ -a substantial amount of moisture, consisting of the steps of heating the grain to dry off a substantial amount of moisture~ holding the grain in a steeping bin or other suitable container without forced air passing there-through, in order to permit the moisture in the center of the grain, not removed in the ~irst step, to migrate to the surface or near the surface o~ the grain, and, in a third step, heating the steeped grain to a tem-perature sufficient to drive of~ the moisture which mi~rated to the surface or near the surface, and then cooling the grain to normal or substantial room tem-peratu~e before it is discharged. The sequence of steps involving a first heating operation, a holding operation and then a second heating operation followed by a cooling operation, are important in obtaining the optimum results in drying the grain or other material, and are particularly adapted for ~erformance by the ap-paratus shown in the drawings and described herein.
The temperature used in the heating steps to drive of~
. .
' -:
,....
, , . . . , . ,, . , . , "
3LID7~L39~3 the moisture can vary over a wide range, and is princi-pally determined by the speed of the conveyors and the amount of grain on each conveyor.
While only one embodiment of the present apparatus and process has been described in detail here-in, various changes and modifications may be made with out departing from the scope of the invention.
.
''' '' .. . . .
, ~"''' . ' .:
' . ''' ' ~ .'
Claims (10)
1. A grain drying apparatus comprising a housing having upper and lower elongated sections, a porous conveyor belt in each of said sections extending substantially the full length thereof, a grain receiving means at one end of the conveyor in said upper section, a grain receiving and holding bin disposed at the other end of the conveyor in said upper section and having an opening for discharging grain onto the conveyor in said lower section, a compartment beneath the conveyor in said upper section, two interconnecting compartments beneath the conveyor in said lower section, one of said latter compartments being located near the receiving end of the conveyor and the other near the discharge end, a heating means and blower operationally disposed be-tween said two latter compartments for drawing cool air downwardly through the grain near the discharge end of the conveyor in said lower section and forcing heated air upwardly through the grain near the receiving end of said conveyor, and a heating means and blower op-erationally disposed between said two conveyors for drawing air from the grain receiving end of the con-veyor in said lower section and heating and forcing it upwardly through the conveyor in said upper section.
2. A grain drying apparatus as defined in Claim 1 in which a bin is provided at the discharge end of the conveyor in said lower section, and an opening is provided above said bin for admission of the cool air for cooling the grain before it reaches said bin.
3. A grain drying apparatus as defined in Claim 1 in which said upper and lower sections and the conveyor belts therein are of substantially the same length, and said upper section is disposed directly above said lower section.
4. A grain drying apparatus as defined in Claim 1 in which said compartment in the lower section adjacent the discharge end of said conveyor has an opening for admission of cool air, and a door controls the air flow capacity through said opening.
5. A grain dry1ng apparatus as defined in Claim 4 in which the compartment in said upper section is provided with a heated air inlet disposed directly above the compartment in said lower section adjacent the receiving end of the conveyor, and the compartment in said upper section extends throughout a major portion of the length of the conveyor in said upper section for discharging heated air through said conveyor throughout substantially its full length.
6 A grain drying apparatus as defined in Claim 2 in which said grain receiving means consists of a hopper having an opening near the bottom thereof for discharging grain therefrom onto said conveyor.
7. A grain drying apparatus as defined in Claim 1 in which said conveyors are of the endless belt type and are each mounted on pulleys disposed near the end of the respective sections, one of said pulleys of each conveyor being a driven pulley for driving the respective belt.
8. A method of drying grain comprising heating the grain to a temperature sufficient to drive off the moisture near the surface of the kernels while leaving the moisture near the center, holding the grain for a period of time to permit the moisture near the center of the kernels to migrate to near the surface, heating the grain to a temperature sufficient to drive off the migrated moisture, and cooling the grain to ambient temperature.
9. A method of drying grain as defined in Claim 8 in which cool air is drawn through the grain to cool the grain in the final cooling stage, and the air thus heated in said cooling step is further heated for heating the grain in both of said heating steps.
10. A method of drying grain as defined in Claim 8 in which the cooling of the grain between the heating steps is performed slowly.
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US05/701,284 US4045882A (en) | 1976-06-30 | 1976-06-30 | Grain drying apparatus and process |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1071398A true CA1071398A (en) | 1980-02-12 |
Family
ID=24816742
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA278,391A Expired CA1071398A (en) | 1976-06-30 | 1977-05-13 | Grain drying apparatus and process |
Country Status (2)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| US (2) | US4045882A (en) |
| CA (1) | CA1071398A (en) |
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| US4142302A (en) * | 1977-03-16 | 1979-03-06 | Primus David R | Multiple bin heat recycled grain drying |
| IT1108191B (en) * | 1978-12-12 | 1985-12-02 | Fasano Pietro | AIR-FLOW DRIER WITH VARIABLE TEMPERATURE AND ITS RECOVERY FOR CEREALS ESPECIALLY |
| FR2542856B1 (en) * | 1983-03-18 | 1985-07-26 | Aznavorian Arachin | CONTINUOUS DRYING METHOD AND INSTALLATION SUITABLE FOR THE USE OF HEAT PUMPS |
| US4652278A (en) * | 1983-04-12 | 1987-03-24 | Near Equilibrium Research Associates | Solids drying |
| FR2566106A1 (en) * | 1984-06-14 | 1985-12-20 | Jacques Soyer | Process and plant for drying by blowing air with percussion for fruits and vegetables |
| HU199615B (en) * | 1986-06-23 | 1990-02-28 | Agardi Mezoegazdasagi Kom | Method and apparatus for pulsation drying granular capillary-porous matters particularly cereals by predried medium |
| DE4022702C1 (en) * | 1990-07-17 | 1991-11-28 | Fritz Egger Ges.M.B.H., Sankt Johann In Tirol, At | |
| US5682758A (en) * | 1994-05-10 | 1997-11-04 | Petro Source Refining Partners | Method and apparatus for cooling asphalt |
| US5551168A (en) * | 1994-07-01 | 1996-09-03 | Iowa State University Research Foundation, Inc. | Continuous-flow grain steeping and cooling system |
| GB9414856D0 (en) * | 1994-07-22 | 1994-09-14 | Tmci Uk Ltd | Production of reconstituted tobacco sheet |
| US5862611A (en) * | 1996-06-17 | 1999-01-26 | Tran; Sa Cao | Apparatus and method for cooling a granular material using ambient air |
| ES2128945B1 (en) * | 1996-07-19 | 1999-12-16 | Martinez Cesareo Abellan | IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MACHINES FOR THE DRYING OF VEGETABLES. |
| US6032384A (en) | 1998-03-26 | 2000-03-07 | Heartland Forage, Inc. | Method of drying moist organic material |
| US6299510B1 (en) | 1998-04-28 | 2001-10-09 | Flow International Corporation | Abrasive removal system for use with high-pressure fluid-jet cutting device |
| US6328638B1 (en) | 1998-04-28 | 2001-12-11 | Flow International Corporation | Apparatus and methods for recovering abrasive from an abrasive-laden fluid |
| US6023852A (en) * | 1998-09-11 | 2000-02-15 | Sunkist Growers, Inc. | Drying apparatus for coated objects |
| US6202319B1 (en) * | 2000-01-13 | 2001-03-20 | Douglas Bening | Grain dryer heat exchanger |
| JP4390972B2 (en) * | 2000-05-12 | 2009-12-24 | 株式会社冨士製作所 | Hot air drying device for noodles |
| TW200533455A (en) * | 2004-04-13 | 2005-10-16 | Wen-Chi Liao | Method and device for brazing CPU heat sink modules |
| FI20045423A (en) * | 2004-11-05 | 2006-05-06 | Metso Paper Inc | Method and apparatus for drying fuel |
| GB0414381D0 (en) * | 2004-06-28 | 2004-07-28 | Bch Ltd | A drying/cooling conveyor |
| US20060130357A1 (en) * | 2004-12-17 | 2006-06-22 | Cemen Tech Inc. | Continuous horizontal grain drying system |
| AT9203U1 (en) * | 2006-04-06 | 2007-06-15 | Econ Maschb Und Steuerungstech | DRYING DEVICE |
| EP2047196A2 (en) * | 2006-07-28 | 2009-04-15 | Steve D. Shivvers | Counter flow cooling drier with integrated heat recovery |
| US20080209755A1 (en) * | 2007-01-26 | 2008-09-04 | Shivvers Steve D | Counter flow cooling drier with integrated heat recovery with fluid recirculation system |
| US20080209759A1 (en) * | 2007-01-26 | 2008-09-04 | Shivvers Steve D | Counter flow air cooling drier with fluid heating and integrated heat recovery |
| US20080178488A1 (en) * | 2007-01-26 | 2008-07-31 | Shivvers Steve D | Portable counter flow drying and highly efficient grain drier with integrated heat recovery |
| US20080184589A1 (en) * | 2007-02-02 | 2008-08-07 | The Shivvers Group, Inc., An Iowa Corporation | High efficiency drier with heating and drying zones |
| BRPI0802885B1 (en) * | 2008-07-25 | 2016-07-19 | Otalicio Pacheco Da Cunha | high performance grain dryer |
| US8535402B2 (en) * | 2008-08-11 | 2013-09-17 | Bds Bv | Centrifugal particle reduction system and method |
| WO2010062359A1 (en) * | 2008-10-31 | 2010-06-03 | Shivvers Steve D | High efficiency drier |
| US8789459B2 (en) * | 2008-12-05 | 2014-07-29 | Terry Tae-Il Chung | Food heating device |
| US20120167408A1 (en) * | 2009-07-27 | 2012-07-05 | Siebenmorgen Terry J | Application of Material Properties to Improve Grain Drying |
| NO335389B1 (en) | 2012-05-04 | 2014-12-08 | Lars Mortensen | air device |
| RU2529704C2 (en) * | 2013-01-09 | 2014-09-27 | Федеральное государственное бюджетное образовательное учреждение высшего профессионального образования "Белгородская государственная сельскохозяйственная академия" имени В.Я. Горина | Conveyor unit for drying germinated seeds |
| CN103292586A (en) * | 2013-03-20 | 2013-09-11 | 温特牧(北京)科技有限公司 | Drying machine system |
| CN107568332A (en) * | 2017-09-30 | 2018-01-12 | 镇江市谷品道原农业有限公司 | A kind of drying unit for rice |
| CN108645187A (en) * | 2018-05-15 | 2018-10-12 | 傅家淳 | A kind of efficient grain dehumidifier |
| CA3115721A1 (en) * | 2018-10-24 | 2020-04-30 | Stefan Bock | Method and apparatus for rapid and efficient heating of polymer pellets in preparation for processing in a plastifying means |
| US11852409B2 (en) * | 2020-07-24 | 2023-12-26 | Triple Green Products Inc. | Use of biomass furnace for direct air-drying of grain and other particulate |
| US20220381510A1 (en) * | 2021-05-27 | 2022-12-01 | Brent J. Bloemendaal | Grain drying |
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| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US1239246A (en) * | 1917-05-02 | 1917-09-04 | Charles Frederick Fox Allan | Baker's oven. |
| US2452983A (en) * | 1941-12-29 | 1948-11-02 | Dehydration Inc | Process of desiccating food products |
| US2419875A (en) * | 1942-04-29 | 1947-04-29 | Dehydration Inc | Dehydrating food by radiant energy and gas |
| US2419876A (en) * | 1942-09-01 | 1947-04-29 | Dehydration Inc | Dehydration apparatus having conveyors, agitators, radiant heaters, and gas circulating means |
| US3060589A (en) * | 1958-03-25 | 1962-10-30 | Svenska Flaektfabriken Ab | Drying granular materials |
| US3673699A (en) * | 1970-01-29 | 1972-07-04 | James F Buffington | Grain drying apparatus |
| US3839803A (en) * | 1973-01-30 | 1974-10-08 | Fuller Co | Method and apparatus for cooling hot particulate material |
-
1976
- 1976-06-30 US US05/701,284 patent/US4045882A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
-
1977
- 1977-05-05 US US05/794,063 patent/US4126946A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1977-05-13 CA CA278,391A patent/CA1071398A/en not_active Expired
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| US4126946A (en) | 1978-11-28 |
| US4045882A (en) | 1977-09-06 |
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