# US 2019/0170438 A1 · Dryer with thermal recovery for combine harvester

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- Number: US 2019/0170438 A1
- Document ID: US20190170438A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/776,466
- Filed: 2017-10-16
- Published: 2019-06-06
- Earliest claimed: 2017-07-25
- Assignees: Unicable S.R.L.
- Applicants: Unicable S.R.L.
- Inventors: Fernando Fausto
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190170438A1

## CPC

- F26B 19/005: {Self-contained mobile devices, e.g. for agricultural produce (movable devices with radiation means F26B3/28; small self-contained devices for drying objects at rest F26B9/003)}
- A01D 41/127: Control or measuring arrangements specially adapted for combines
- A01D 41/133: Drying devices
- A01F 12/46: Mechanical grain conveyors
- F26B 3/04: the gas or vapour circulating over or surrounding the materials or objects to be dried (F26B3/14 takes precedence)
- F26B 17/20: the axis of rotation being horizontal or slightly inclined
- F26B 23/001: {using waste heat}
- F26B 2200/06: Grains, e.g. cereals, wheat, rice, corn
- Y02P 70/10: Greenhouse gas [GHG] capture, material saving, heat recovery or other energy efficient measures, e.g. motor control, characterised by manufacturing processes, e.g. for rolling metal or metal working
- F26B: DRYING SOLID MATERIALS OR OBJECTS BY REMOVING LIQUID THEREFROM (drying devices for combines A01D41/133; racks for drying fruit or vegetables A01F25/12; drying foodstuffs A23; drying hair A45D20/00; body-drying implements A47K10/00; drying household articles A47L; drying gases or vapours B01D; chemical or physical processes for dewatering or like separating liquids from solids B01D43/00; centrifugal apparatus B04; drying ceramics C04B33/30; drying yarns or fabrics in association with some other form of treatment D06C; drying frames for laundry without heating or positive air circulation, domestic laundry-or spin-driers, wringing or hot pressing laundry D06F; furnaces, kilns, ovens F27)
- A01D: HARVESTING; MOWING
- A01F: PROCESSING OF HARVESTED PRODUCE; HAY OR STRAW PRESSES; DEVICES FOR STORING AGRICULTURAL OR HORTICULTURAL PRODUCE (devices for topping or skinning onions or flower bulbs A23N15/08)
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

A dryer for installation on a self-propelled machine, such as a combine harvester, with recovery of the exhausted thermal energy coming from the endothermic engine of the latter. The dryer is of the on-line type and comprises at least two feed screws, internally to which grain is moved towards a tank and dried by the hot air coming from a first and second heat exchangers respectively, the first heat exchanger being crossed by the high temperature exhaust fumes of said endothermic engine and the second heat exchanger by the cooling liquid.

## Claims

### Claim at position 1

1-12. (canceled)

### Claim 13

A grain dryer to be associated with a combine harvester provided with an endothermic engine, comprising:
a first feed screw comprising a first pipe having a first grain inlet at a first end and a first grain outlet at a second end which is distal from the first grain inlet, the first pipe comprising a first outer surface and a first inner surface and defining a first inner cavity having a circular geometry and a first diameter, the first pipe further comprises a first air inlet port providing ingress into the first inner cavity, a first air outlet port providing egress from the first inner cavity;
a second feed screw comprising a second pipe having a second grain inlet at a third end and a second grain outlet at the fourth end which is distal from the second grain inlet, a second outer surface and a second inner surface and defining a second inner cavity having a circular geometry and a second diameter, the second pipe further comprises a second air inlet providing ingress into the second inner cavity and a second air outlet port providing egress from the second inner cavity;
a first rotatable helicoid disposed along a first central axis in the first inner cavity of the first pipe, wherein the first rotatable helicoid comprising a first outer diameter close to the first diameter of the first pipe and wherein the first rotatable helicoid rotates in a direction to transfer grain disposed in the interior of the first pipe from the first grain inlet to the first grain outlet;
a second rotatable helicoid disposed along a second central axis in the second inner cavity of the second pipe, wherein the second rotatable helicoid comprising a second outer diameter close to the first diameter of the first pipe and wherein the second rotatable helicoid rotates in a direction to transfer grain disposed in the interior of the second pipe from the second grain inlet to the second grain outlet;
a first heat exchanger comprising a first heat exchanger air inlet port and a first heat exchanger air outlet port, the first heat exchanger further comprising an exhaust fume inlet port and an exhaust fume outlet port, wherein the exhaust fume inlet port is in communication with exhaust fumes leaving an endothermic engine of a combine harvester, wherein further the first heat exchanger air outlet port is in communication with the first air inlet port of the first feed screw;
a second heat exchanger comprising a second heat exchanger air inlet port and a second heat exchanger air outlet port, the second heat exchanger further comprising an engine cooling liquid inlet port and an engine cooling liquid outlet port, wherein the engine cooling liquid inlet port and the engine cooling liquid outlet port are both in communication with a cooling liquid circuit used to cool the endothermic engine of the combine harvester, wherein further the second heat exchanger air outlet port is in communication with the second air inlet port of the second feed screw;
fan means comprising a fan and an external air inlet port, the fan means further comprising a first output port and a second output port, wherein the first output port is in communication with the first heat exchanger air inlet port and wherein the second output port is in communication with the second heat exchanger air inlet port;
one or more grain humidity sensors that measure the humidity values of the grains disposed in one or more points of the first inner cavity and of the second inner cavity;
wherein the first feed screw has the first air inlet port at the first end and the first air outlet port at the second end and wherein further grain passes through the second feed screw after having passed through the first feed screw.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The grain dryer of claim 13, wherein the fan means further comprising a recirculation air inlet port in communication with first air outlet port.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The grain dryer of claim 14, wherein the first feed screw further comprises, at the second end, one or more air sensors measuring the relative humidity of the air into the first inner cavity wherein further the first feed screw further comprises a three-way valve at the first outlet port, wherein further the three-way valve recirculates part of the air egressing through the first inner cavity towards the recirculation air inlet port if the relative humidity values as measured by the one or more air sensors indicate a relative humidity lower than a predetermined value.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The grain dryer of claim 13, wherein the second air inlet port is a perforated bottom portion of the second pipe, wherein further the second heat exchanger is disposed longitudinally adjacent to and below the second pipe and wherein further the second heat exchanger air outlet port mates with the perforated bottom portion of the second pipe.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The grain dryer of claim 16, wherein the second heat exchanger comprises further a radiator inside which the engine cooling liquid flows from the engine cooling liquid inlet port to the engine cooling liquid outlet port, the radiator comprising an exterior, wherein further the air from the second heat exchanger air inlet port glides over the exterior of the radiator before passing through the second heat exchanger air outlet.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The grain dryer of claim 17, wherein the radiator comprises a first radiator end close to the third end and a second radiator end close to the fourth end and wherein further the engine cooling liquid inlet port is at the first radiator end and the engine cooling liquid outlet port is at the second radiator end.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The grain dryer of claim 18, wherein the engine cooling liquid flows through the second heat exchanger in the same direction as grains are transferred by the second rotatable helicoid in the second inner cavity of the second pipe.

### Claim 20 (depends on 13)

The grain dryer of claim 13, wherein the first feed screw comprises means for measuring the flow of air internally thereto and means for consequently regulating the speed of said first rotatable helicoid in response.

### Claim 21 (depends on 13)

The grain dryer of claim 13, wherein the first feed screw further comprises retention means which prevent external air introduced into the first inner cavity of the first pipe from flowing through the first grain inlet.

### Claim 22 (depends on 13)

The grain dryer of claim 13, wherein both the first feed screw and the second feed screw are disposed in a horizontal position.

### Claim 23 (depends on 13)

The grain dryer of claim 13, wherein the engine cooling liquid circuit comprises an engine radiator and a pipe which connects the engine of the combine harvester with the engine radiator, wherein further the pipe comprises at least one three-way valve which directs the flow of the engine cooling liquid either towards the engine cooling liquid input port of the second heat exchanger or towards the engine radiator of the endothermic engine.

### Claim 24 (depends on 13)

The grain dryer of claim 13, wherein the first rotatable helicoid further comprises an external surface of the helicoid and the first rotatable helicoid comprise further a plurality of bulges that project from the external surface of the helicoid.

### Claim 25 (depends on 13)

The grain dryer of claim 13, wherein the grain dryer further comprises a transfer feed screw interposed between the first feed screw and the second feed screw, the transfer feed screw comprising a transfer pipe having a transfer pipe grain inlet at a fifth end and a transfer pipe grain outlet at a sixth end which is distal from the transfer pipe grain inlet, the transfer pipe comprising a transfer pipe outer surface and a transfer pipe inner surface and defining a transfer pipe inner cavity having a circular geometry and a transfer pipe diameter and wherein further the grain dryer further comprises a transfer rotatable helicoid disposed along a transfer pipe central axis in the transfer pipe inner cavity of the transfer pipe, wherein the transfer pipe rotatable helicoid comprises a third outer diameter close to the transfer pipe diameter and wherein further the transfer rotatable helicoid rotates in a direction to transfer grain disposed in the transfer pipe inner cavity from the transfer pipe grain inlet to the transfer pipe grain outlet;
wherein further the transfer pipe grain inlet is in communication with the first grain outlet and the transfer pipe grain outlet is in communication with the second grain inlet.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

The grain dryer of claim 25, wherein the first grain outlet is above the transfer pipe grain inlet and the transfer pipe grain outlet is above the second grain inlet.

### Claim 27 (depends on 13)

The grain dryer of claim 13, wherein the first feed screw further comprises one or more grain temperature sensors measuring the temperature of the grain into the first inner cavity and wherein one of the one or more grain humidity sensors that measure the humidity values of the grains is disposed in the first inner cavity, wherein further the first feed screw further comprises a plurality of auxiliary air inlet ports disposed along the length of the first pipe, each auxiliary air inlet port providing ingress into the first inner cavity, wherein the air exiting from the first heat exchanger air outlet is directed into one or more of the first air inlet port and the auxiliary external air inlet ports.

### Claim 28 (depends on 15)

The grain dryer of claim 15, wherein the first feed screw further comprises one or more grain temperature sensors measuring the temperature of the grain into the first inner cavity and wherein one of the one or more grain humidity sensors that measure the humidity values of the grains is disposed in the first inner cavity, wherein further the first feed screw further comprises a plurality of auxiliary air inlet ports disposed along the length of the first pipe, each auxiliary air inlet port providing ingress into the first inner cavity, wherein the air exiting from the first heat exchanger air outlet is directed into one or more of the first air inlet port and the auxiliary external air inlet ports.

### Claim 29 (depends on 27)

A method for operating the grain dryer of claim 27, wherein the speed of rotation of the first rotatable helicoid is decreased if the humidity of the grain exiting from the first grain outlet is higher than a predetermined value and the temperature of the grain is lower than a predetermined value.

### Claim 30 (depends on 27)

A method for operating the grain dryer of claim 27, wherein the temperature of the air from the first heat exchanger air outlet port is increased if the humidity of the grain exiting from the first grain outlet is higher than a predetermined value and the temperature of the grain is lower than a predetermined value for a predetermined period.

### Claim 31 (depends on 27)

A method for operating the grain dryer of claim 27, wherein the air flow rate of the fan is increased if the humidity of the grain exiting from the first grain outlet is higher than a predetermined value and the temperature of the grain is lower than a predetermined value for a predetermined period.

### Claim 32 (depends on 27)

A method for operating the grain dryer of claim 27, wherein the air exiting from the first heat exchanger air outlet and directed into the auxiliary external air inlet ports is increased if the humidity of the grain exiting from the first grain outlet is higher than a predetermined value and the temperature of the grain is lower than a predetermined value.