Seed dryer with automatic control of temperature air flow direction and rate

An automatically controlled seed dryer comprising:

• a seed bin for holding seeds to be dried, the seed bin having an upper portion disposed above the seeds to be dried and a lower portion disposed below the seeds to be dried;
• a first tunnel for supplying a first source of air having a first temperature;
• a second tunnel for supplying a second source of air having a second temperature, the first temperature being greater than the second temperature;
• a mixing plenum disposed adjacent the seed bin for mixing air from the first and second tunnels to provide air having a desired temperature;
• an upper path formed between the mixing plenum and the upper portion of the bin to supply the mixed air to the upper portion of the bin;
• a lower path formed between the mixing plenum and the lower portion of the bin to supply mixed air to the lower portion of the bin;
• and
• upper and lower exhaust ports formed in the upper and lower portions of the seed bin, respectively, for allowing the mixed air to exit through at least one of the upper and lower exhaust ports, wherein the direction of air flow through the bin is controllable by selectively opening and closing the upper and lower paths and the upper and lower exhaust ports.

A method of drying seeds in a bin comprising the steps of:

• providing a bin having an upper portion disposed above the seeds to be dried a lower portion disposed below the seeds to be dried, and upper and lower exhaust ports formed in the bin in the upper and lower portions, respectively;
• providing a first source of air having a first temperature;
• providing a second source of air having a second temperature;
• mixing air taken from the first and second sources of air to provide air having a desired temperature;
• blowing the mixed air into the bin and through the seeds;
• mixing air taken from the first and second sources of air before the air has been exposed to the seed within the bin;
• and
• controlling the direction of air flowing through the seeds by selectively blowing the mixed air into either of the upper and lower portions of the bin and by selectively opening and closing the upper and lower exhaust ports.

An automatically controlled seed dryer comprising:

• a seed bin for holding seeds to be dried, the seed bin having an upper portion disposed above the seeds to be dried and a lower portion disposed below the seeds to be dried;
• a first tunnel for supplying a first source of air having a first temperature;
• a second tunnel for supplying a second source of air having a second temperature, the first temperature being greater than the second temperature;
• a mixing plenum disposed adjacent the seed bin for mixing air from the first and second tunnels to provide air having a desired temperature;
• an upper path formed between the mixing plenum and the upper portion of the bin to supply the mixed air to the upper portion of the bin;
• a lower path formed between the mixing plenum and the lower portion of the bin to supply mixed air to the upper portion of the bin;
• and
• upper and lower exhaust ports formed in the bin proximate the upper and lower portions, respectively, for allowing the mixed air to exit through at least one of the upper and lower exhaust ports, wherein the direction of air flow through the bin is controllable by selectively opening and closing the upper and lower paths and the upper and lower exhaust ports;
• an electronic controller for controlling the operation of the seed dryer;
• and
• at least one pressure sensor operatively connected to the electronic controller and disposed within the seed bin for sensing the air pressure in the seed bin.

A seed dryer comprising:

• a seed bin for holding seeds to be dried;
• a source of air having a desired temperature for supplying air to the seed bin to dry seeds within the bin;
• a controller for controlling the operation of the seed dryer;
• and
• a first pressure sensor disposed in a first location in the seed bin and electrically connected to the controller for sensing the air pressure at the first location in the bin.