Grain Dryer with Debris Access Port

A grain dryer 100 comprising:

• a receiving area 102 having an inlet port 104 to receive grain entering the dryer;
• a heated drying section 106 comprising a pair of heating columns 108 with an upper plenum 202 in communication with the pair of heating columns, each heating column having an inner boundary 204 and an outer boundary 224;
• a heater 228, wherein air is heated by the heater as the air is being pulled into the upper plenum;
• a plurality of angled containment baffles 502, the inner boundary and outer boundary of each heating column being formed by the plurality of containment baffles, wherein the plurality of containment baffles funnel grain down the heating column while allowing heated air to be drawn from the upper plenum through the grain, wherein the containment baffles are arranged in rows such that there is a vertical overlap 606 between an upper end 604 of the containment baffles in one row with a lower end 602 of the containment baffles in the row above, and wherein the containment baffles are angled such that there is a horizontal space 608 between the upper end of the containment baffles in one row with the lower ends of the containment baffles in the row above
• a ductwork 226 connected to the outer boundary of each heating column;
• at least one fan 228 that takes a suction from the ductwork to draw heated air from the upper plenum through the heating column such that grain entering the grain dryer through inlet port flows from the receiving area into the heating columns where the grain is exposed to heated air being pulled from the upper plenum through the heating column and into the ductwork, wherein because of the horizontal space formed by the configuration of the containment baffles forms a restrictive air path, the velocity of the heated air as it flows out of the outer boundary into the ductwork is greater than the velocity of the heated air as it flows through the ductwork such that debris that is entrained in the higher velocity heated air leaving the outer boundary settles to a bottom portion of the ductwork because of the lower velocity of the heated air in the ductwork;
• and
• an access port 806 attached in a bottom portion 804 of the ductwork that is operable between a closed position and an open position, wherein debris that settles in the bottom portion of the ductwork is removed from the ductwork when the access port is in the open position.