# US 4,391,046 A · Solar heated grain drying system

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- Number: US 4,391,046 A
- Document ID: US4391046A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 06/277,228
- Filed: 1981-06-25
- Granted: 1983-07-05
- Earliest claimed: 1979-05-21
- Inventors: Roy Pietraschke
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4391046A

## CPC

- F26B 3/286: {by solar radiation}
- Y02B 40/18: using renewables, e.g. solar cooking stoves, furnaces or solar heating
- 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)
- Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS

## Abstract

A solar heated grain drying system including a grain bin with a perforated floor and a solar collector for supplying heated air to the bin. The solar collector includes a plurality of elongate collector pipes, such as irrigation pipes, disposed in spaced side-by-side relation and a manifold connected between the pipes and the bin. Each pipe includes an inlet end receiving air from ambience and an outlet end connected to the intake portion of the manifold. A manifold intermediate portion connects the intake portion of the manifold to an exhaust portion. A duct connects the manifold exhaust portion to the grain bin and a fan is used for transferring air from the manifold exhaust portion through the duct and the perforated floor and through the grain. The manifold intermediate portion includes converging side walls to provide air flow through the manifold in a direction having a component in the same direction as the flow of air through the pipes.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of utilizing straight cylindrical irrigation line pipes for a solar collector system for drying grain, comprising the steps of:
(a) dismantling the irrigation pipe line after the irrigation season to provide a plurality of pipe lengths,
(b) arranging the pipe lengths separately in side-by-side relation to receive solar heat,
(c) removably connecting one end of the pipe lengths to a manifold leaving the other end open,
(d) drawing air through the pipes and the manifold,
(e) directing warmed air from the manifold into a grain storage bin, and
(f) dismantling the solar collector system to utilize the pipes for irrigation during the irrigation season.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A system as defined in claim 1, including the additional step of:
(g) directing the air drawn through the manifold into a converging path having a component in the direction of the longitudinal axes of the collector pipes for the major portion of its travel through the manifold.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A system as defined in claim 1, including the additional step of:
(g) arranging the irrigation pipes in end to end relation in removably connected lengths of more than one pipe.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A system as defined in claim 1, including the additional step of:
(g) sealing the irrigation pipes to the manifold by an elastic seal.