# US 7,856,737 B2 · Apparatus and method for reducing a moisture content of an agricultural product > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,856,737 B2 - Document ID: US7856737B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/897,008 - Filed: 2007-08-28 - Published: 2009-03-05 - Granted: 2010-12-28 - Earliest claimed: 2007-08-28 - Assignees: Mathews Company - Inventors: Robert James McMahon, Jr.; Kenneth William Kroeker - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7856737B2 ## CPC - F26B 17/12: with movement performed solely by gravity {, i.e. the material moving through a substantially vertical drying enclosure, e.g. shaft} - F26B 25/22: Controlling the drying process in dependence on liquid content of solid materials or objects - 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) ## Abstract This invention relates to an apparatus and a method that reduces a moisture content of an agricultural product, particularly by using moisture sensors and/or temperature sensors. The apparatus includes at least one moisture sensor, optionally at least one temperature sensor, a controller, a flow regulator and/or a dryer. The method includes obtaining a moisture content and a temperature to calculate a product flowrate and optionally an energy input. A product flowrate signal is used to vary the flow regulator and an energy input signal is used to vary the energy regulator. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus for reducing a moisture content of an agricultural product, the apparatus comprising: a dryer passing the agricultural product through a drying chamber, the drying chamber having an inlet and an outlet; a flow regulator varying a flow of the agricultural product through the drying chamber; a first moisture sensor exposed to the agricultural product flowing through the inlet and obtaining an inlet moisture content; a first temperature sensor exposed to the agricultural product flowing through the inlet and obtaining an inlet temperature; a second moisture sensor exposed to the agricultural product flowing through the outlet and obtaining an outlet moisture content; a second temperature sensor exposed to the agricultural product flowing through the outlet and obtaining an outlet temperature; an energy regulator in combination with the dryer, the energy regulator varying an output of an energy source; and a controller operatively connected with the flow regulator, the first moisture sensor, the first temperature sensor, the second moisture sensor, the second temperature sensor and the energy regulator, the controller determining a product flowrate as a function of the inlet moisture content, the inlet temperature, the outlet moisture content, the outlet temperature and an energy input, and the controller determining the energy input as a function of the inlet moisture content, the inlet temperature, the outlet moisture content, the outlet temperature and the product flowrate. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus for reducing a moisture content of an agricultural product of claim 1, wherein the controller comprises a microprocessor using a shift registry accumulating and processing data to arrive at an accurate flow rate. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus for reducing a moisture content of an agricultural product of claim 1, wherein the first moisture sensor comprises a planar capacitance meter exposed to the agricultural product flowing through the drying chamber. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus for reducing a moisture content of an agricultural product of claim 1, wherein the first temperature sensor comprises a protected thermistor exposed to the agricultural product flowing through the drying chamber. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus for reducing a moisture content of an agricultural product of claim 1, further comprising an input calibrating at least one of the controller and the moisture sensor with respect to the moisture content of the agricultural product. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus for reducing a moisture content of an agricultural product of claim 1, wherein the dryer comprises multiple zones arranged in a concurrent configuration. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus for reducing a moisture content of an agricultural product of claim 1, wherein the flow regulator comprises a variable flow metering device feeding the agricultural product through the drying chamber. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The apparatus for reducing a moisture content of an agricultural product of claim 1, wherein at least one of the moisture sensor and the temperature sensor each is exposed to a dryer inlet. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus for reducing a moisture content of an agricultural product of claim 1, wherein at least one of the moisture sensor and the temperature sensor each is exposed to a dryer outlet. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The apparatus for reducing a moisture content of an agricultural product of claim 1, wherein the energy regulator supplies energy to the dryer, and the energy regulator is operatively connected to the controller. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The apparatus for reducing a moisture content of an agricultural product of claim 1, wherein the second moisture sensor comprises a planar capacitance meter exposed to the agricultural product flowing through the drying chamber. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The apparatus for reducing a moisture content of an agricultural product of claim 1, wherein the second temperature sensor comprises a protected thermistor exposed to the agricultural product flowing through the drying chamber.