Method and apparatus for low-energy in-bin cross-flow grain and seed air drying and storage

A grain storage aeration and drying system comprising

• a storage container comprising
• an impervious base or bottom structure,
• an impervious sidewall structure, and
• a partially sealed roof structure;
• wherein the storage container holds granular biological product;
• wherein the granular biological product forms a top surface of the granular biological product;
• an air moving means to force air, or a mixture of air and another gas or gases, in a mostly horizontal or cross-flow process through the granular biological product held in the storage container for purposes of conditioning, improving storage and maintaining the granular biological product;
• a vertical pervious aerator tube comprised of an upper end and a lower end and placed essentially in the center of the storage container with the vertical pervious aerator tube surrounded by the granular biological product with the vertical pervious aerator tube extending to substantially beneath the top surface of the granular biological product when the granular biological product is at maximum depth;
• wherein the air moving means comprises one or more fans or blowers capable of delivering an airflow volume of between 100 and 200,000 cubic feet per minute and capable of sustaining gas pressures of between 0.1 and 30 inches water column;
• wherein the vertical pervious aerator tube is in direct communication with a ambient or heated air moving means;
• wherein the air discharged by the vertical pervious aerator tube flows primarily horizontally, except near the top biological product surface where the airflow may become primarily perpendicular to the top surface of the granular biological product, and where the airflow moves radially through the granular biological product at a substantial rate, causing the granular biological product to be dried or cooled by the air flow, with the air flow passing from the granular biological product directly through pervious inner walls into one or more air receiving plenum chambers spaced close to the outer impervious structural wall of the storage structure;
• and
• wherein the air receiving plenum chambers provide one or more volumes at low pressure, void of granular biological product, which the air or gas will naturally flow into, and with the plenum chambers also functioning to guide the exhausting air to an exit opening in the sidewall, the base or roof structure, the sidewall, base and roof, or the sidewall and roof exits of the storage structure.