In-grain condition sensing system
AssigneeC2AG, LLC
InventorDonald B. SCHAEFER, JR.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A condition sensing system for a grain drying system can include a cable assembly and at least one sensor. The cable assembly can include a support cable and a data-conveying member. The sensor can detect in-grain humidity and/or temperature. The sensor can be coupled to the cable assembly between first and second ends of the assembly. A protective enclosure can enclose the sensor and a respective portion of the cable assembly. Further, in-grain humidity and/or temperature data can be transmitted from the condition sensing system to the grain drying system.
Claims20
A condition sensing system for a grain drying system, the condition sensing system comprising:
- a cable assembly comprising a support cable and a data-conveying member extending continuously along a length of the assembly;
- a protective tubing member extending around the cable and the data-conveying member;
- a plurality of sensors positioned along and coupled to the cable between first and second ends of the cable;
- and
- a plurality of protective enclosures that each enclose a respective sensor and a respective portion of the cable, the data-conveying member, and the protective tubing;
- wherein the data-conveying member is configured to permit each of the sensors to transmit data representative of a condition of the grain to the grain drying system.
A grain drying system for a grain bin, the system comprising:
- a control unit for controlling a fan for the bin;
- a condition sensing cable assembly being suspendable in the bin, the assembly comprising a support cable, at least one data-conveying member extending along the length of the assembly, and a plurality of sensors mounted on the cable and data-conveying member, each of the sensors being secured within a tubular enclosure surrounding the sensor, the cable, and the data-conveying member, the cable and the data-conveying member extending continuously through the tubular enclosure to extend from each end thereof, the sensors being in electrical communication with the data-conveying member and being configured to detect in-grain temperature or relative humidity of air surrounding the respective sensor when the respective sensor is surrounded by grain, the in-grain temperature or relative humidity data being transmitted to the control unit via the data-conveying member;
- an external condition sensing assembly, mounted outside of the bin, for determining an ambient air temperature and an ambient relative humidity of air outside of the bin;
- wherein, in response to the in-grain temperature or relative humidity data, the ambient relative humidity value, and the ambient air temperature, the control unit is configured to activate or deactivate the fan when one of a selected set of conditions are met.
A condition sensing system for a grain drying system, the condition sensing system comprising:
- a cable assembly comprising a data-conveying component extending continuously along a length of the cable assembly;
- a plurality of sensors positioned along and coupled to the assembly between first and second ends of the assembly, the plurality of sensors being configured to detect in-gran humidity or temperature data of air surrounding the plurality of sensors when positioned within grain, the in-grain data being transmitted to the grain drying system via the data-conveying component;
- and
- a plurality of protective enclosures that each enclose a respective sensor and a respective portion of the cable assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.