US 4,249,891 AGranted

Advanced optimum continuous crossflow grain drying and conditioning method and apparatus

AssigneeBeard Industries, Inc.

InventorsRonald T. Noyes, Eugene E. Williams

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Abstract

A continuous grain drying and conditioning apparatus of a type including a burner and blower, or a multiplicity of burners and blowers, surrounded by a plenum chamber, air pervious grain holding walls positioned outwardly with respect to the plenum chamber is characterized by having a plenum divider which is selectively adjustable in position to divide the grain holding walls into a heating section and a cooling section. A multiplicity of grain turning apparatus of full and partial width of the grain column is disposed in the grain column for separating the grain mass into two or more separate divisions and then turning the cooler-wetter grain inwardly as it moves downwardly and turning the hotter-dryer grain outwardly as it moves downwardly in the grain column. Grain is constantly removed from the bottom of the apparatus at a rate governed by the average temperature of the air exiting the grain at a point adjacent the position of the plenum divider and a point closer to the input of the grain. Grain to be dried and conditioned is constantly introduced into the top of the apparatus at a rate that satisfies the rate of discharge of the dried and conditioned grain as it is delivered out of the bottom of the apparatus. Structure and management is also provided for controlled recycling of unsaturated exhaust air back through the dryer, whereby, the exhaust air is selectively proportioned and controlled based on the degree of saturation of the lower portion of the exhaust air.

Claims15

Dependent claims

Grain drying and conditioning apparatus comprising:

a housing having an outer air impervious skin;
a pair of spaced air pervious walls, for confining a column of grain to be dried, mounted within said housing and forming a column of air between the outermost of said walls and said skin;
a plenum chamber formed between the innermost of said pervious walls;
blower and burner means having an inlet and an outlet, and mounted within said plenum chamber and spaced inwardly from said innermost wall, including an air duct for controlling the direction of air expelled from the blower and burner means;
plenum divider means mounted within the space between the innermost of said walls and said blower and burner means in said plenum chamber for dividing said plenum chamber into first and second air flow sections;
means for selectively causing heated air to be forced through a first zone of said column of grain in one direction to heat and extract moisture therefrom and simultaneously causing air for cooling said grain to be pulled through a second zone of said grain column in an opposite direction to the flow of said heated air or causing heated air to be forced through both said first and second zones thereby applying heated air to the entire column of grain;
and
means operatively connected to said housing for selectively blocking the airflow in said air column between the skin and the outermost pervious wall and dividing said air column into first and second regions, said blocking means comprising a plate pivotally attached to said housing and means for pivoting said plate between a first position whereby said air column is blocked and a second position whereby said plate is moved to unblock the air column, said pivoting means further including means for moving said plate outwardly from said housing to a third position to cause an opening from said air column to atmosphere to allow air to enter or exhaust through said opening.

5 more elements

Grain drying and conditioning apparatus comprising:

a housing having an outer air impervious skin;
a pair of spaced air pervious walls, for confining a column of grain to be dried, mounted within said housing and forming a column of air between the outermost of said walls and said skin;
a plenum chamber formed between the innermost of said pervious walls;
blower and burner means having an inlet and an outlet, and mounted within said plenum chamber and spaced inwardly from said innermost wall, including an air duct for controlling the direction of air expelled from the blower and burner means;
plenum divider means mounted within the space between the innermost of said walls and said blower and burner means in said plenum chamber for dividing said plenum chamber into first and second air flow sections;
the improvement comprising:
first grain turning means disposed within said grain column substantially against said innermost pervious wall and extending less than all of the way across said grain column for turning only a portion of the grain passing down between said air pervious walls;
and
second grain turning means disposed within said grain column and extending substantially entirely across said grain column between said air pervious walls whereby grain passing through said first grain turning means includes a portion of the grain near the outermost wall which passes straight down and a portion near the innermost wall which is turned, and grain passing through said second grain turning means being substantially all turned to some degree, one of said grain turning means being below the other.

6 more elements

A method of drying and conditioning grain apparatus comprising:

a housing having an outer air impervious skin;
a pair of spaced air pervious walls, for confining a column of grain to be dried, mounted within said housing and forming a column of air between the outermost of said walls and said skin;
a plenum chamber formed between the innermost of said pervious walls;
blower and burner means having an inlet and an outlet, and mounted within said plenum chamber and spaced inwardly from said innermost wall, including an air duct for controlling the direction of air expelled from the blower and burner means for forcing air through said column of grain to be dried into said column of air;
plenum divider means mounted within the space between the innermost of said walls and said blower and burner means in said plenum chamber for dividing said plenum chamber into pressure and suction air flow sections;
a first air exhaust means attached to said outer air impervious skin for allowing air that has passed through said column of grain and into said air column to exhaust outwardly therethrough;
a second air exhaust means attached to said outer air impervious skin for allowing air that has passed through said column of grain and into said air column to exhaust outwardly therethrough;
means for adjusting the extent of opening or closing of said second air exhaust means;
air passageway means adjusting to said second air exhaust means for providing air communication of the portion of the air column adjacent the second air exhaust means with the suction section of the plenum chamber;
said method comprising:
controlling said adjusting means for the second air exhaust means for selectively exhausting air unsuitable for reuse in drying or returning air of suitable quality for reuse in drying, closing said air passageway means when air is exhausted through said second air exhaust means and opening said air passageway means when air is to be returned for reuse, wherein when grain of a high moisture content is being dried, opening said second air exhaust means to a suitable degree and closing said air passageway means, whereby all of the air in the adjacent air column is exhausted, when it is not of a suitable quality for reuse;
when grain of a low moisture content is being dried, closing said second exhaust opening and opening said air passageway opening for returning unsaturated heated air to said suction portion of the plenum chamber for reuse;
and when grain of an intermediate moisture content is being dried, opening said second exhaust means the same amount or less than when grain of high moisture content is being dried and opening said air passageway means for returning a portion of the exhaust air from said air column adjacent to said second exhaust means to said suction portion of the plenum chamber for reuse and allowing another portion of the air to exhaust out said second air exhaust means based on a path of least resistance of the air.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.