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US 9,788,492 B2Granted
Bin aeration system
AssigneeCTB, Inc.
InventorsBrent J. Bloemendaal, Ross Alan Mielke, Brandon Stephen Mullen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for controlling the aeration of a grain bin storage device. The system comprises a grain bin storage device, a ventilation fan, a variable fan drive motor, and a controller configured to receive user input and grain bin storage device parameters. The system controls operation of the ventilation fan at various speeds to maintain a desired volumetric flow rate per bushel of grain. The controller monitors the static pressure within the grain bin storage device and adjusts the speed of the ventilation fan based on an optimal static pressure derived from the user input and grain bin storage device parameters.
Claims20
A method for controlling aeration of a grain bin storage device having grain bin storage device parameters, the method comprising:
- (a) receiving user input information into a controller, the user input information including the grain bin storage device parameters;
- (b) determining a fill height level of the grain bin storage device by operating a variable speed fan at a predetermined test speed and measuring a corresponding operating static pressure within the grain bin storage device and determining the fill height level of the grain bin storage device based on the corresponding operating static pressure measured at the predetermined test speed;
- (c) determining a desired grain aeration airflow rate within the grain bin storage device based on the fill height level of the grain bin storage device determined in (b) by operating the variable speed fan at the predetermined test fan speed;
- (d) determining a control parameter target having a mathematical relationship to the operating static pressure within the grain bin storage device, wherein the control parameter target is calculated to achieve the desired grain aeration airflow rate determined in (c) based on the fill height level of the grain bin storage device determined in (b) by operating the variable speed fan at the predetermined test fan speed;
- (e) outputting a signal adjusting the speed of the variable speed fan to a first of a plurality of operating fan speeds of the variable speed fan;
- (f) receiving an input measuring an operating static pressure and providing a signal representative of the operating static pressure within the grain bin storage device to the controller;
- (g) determining an operating control parameter based on the operating static pressure within the grain bin storage device, wherein the operating control parameter has the same mathematical relationship to the operating static pressure as the control parameter target;
- (h) comparing the operating control parameter to the control parameter target to selectively generate a signal operating the variable speed fan at a second of a plurality of operating fan speeds to cause the operating control parameter to move toward the control parameter target calculated to achieve the desired grain aeration airflow rate determined based upon the fill height level of the grain bin storage device determined in (b) by operating the variable speed fan at the predetermined test fan speed;
- and
- (i) repeating steps (b)-(h).
7 more elements
A method for controlling aeration of a grain bin storage device having grain bin storage device parameters, the method comprising:
- (a) receiving user input information into a controller, the user input information including the grain bin storage device parameters;
- (b) outputting a signal operable to operate a variable speed fan at a predetermined test fan operating speed;
- (c) receiving an input measuring a corresponding test static pressure within the grain bin storage device at the predetermined test fan operating speed and providing a signal representative of the corresponding test static pressure to the controller;
- (d) determining a corresponding test airflow rate of the variable speed fan based on the predetermined test fan operating speed and the corresponding test static pressure;
- (e) determining a fill height level of the grain bin storage device based upon the corresponding test airflow rate determined in (d);
- (f) determining a desired grain aeration airflow rate within the grain bin storage device based on the fill height level of the grain bin storage device determined in (e) based on the corresponding test airflow rate determined in (d) based on the predetermined test fan operating speed and the corresponding test static pressure;
- (g) calculating a control parameter target having a mathematical relationship to a static pressure within the grain bin storage device, wherein the control parameter target is calculated to achieve the desired grain aeration airflow rate determined in (f) based on the fill height level of the grain bin storage device determined in (e) based on the corresponding test airflow rate determined in (d) based upon the predetermined test fan operating speed and the corresponding test static pressure;
- (h) outputting a signal adjusting the speed of the variable speed fan to a first of a plurality of operating fan speeds of the variable speed fan;
- (i) receiving an input measuring an operating static pressure and providing a signal representative of the operating static pressure within the grain bin storage device to the controller;
- (j) determining an operating control parameter based on the operating static pressure within the grain bin storage device, wherein the operating control parameter has the same mathematical relationship to the static pressure as the control parameter target;
- (k) comparing the operating control parameter to the control parameter target to selectively generate a signal operating the variable speed fan at a second of a plurality of operating fan speeds to cause the operating control parameter to move toward the control parameter target calculated in (g) to achieve the desired grain aeration airflow rate determined in (f) based upon the fill height level of the grain bin storage device determined in (e) based on the corresponding test airflow rate determined in (d) based upon the predetermined test fan operating speed and the corresponding test static pressure;
- and
- (l) repeating steps (b)-(k).
10 more elements
A system to control aeration of a grain bin storage device including a variable speed fan and a static pressure sensor within the grain bin storage device having grain bin storage device parameters, the system comprising:
- a controller programmed to:
- (a) receive a plurality of user inputs, the user input including the grain bin storage device parameters;
- (b) determining a volume of grain in the grain bin storage device by operating a variable speed fan at a predetermined test speed and measuring a corresponding operating static pressure within the grain storage bin device and determining the volume of grain in the grain bin storage device based on the corresponding operating static pressure measured at the predetermined test speed;
- (c) determining a desired grain aeration airflow rate to be produced by the variable speed fan based upon at least one of the plurality of user inputs and the volume of grain present in the grain bin storage device determined in (b) by operating the variable speed fan at the predetermined test fan speed;
- (d) receive input from the pressure sensor within the grain bin storage device;
- (e) generating a plurality of sequential control signals based on an operating pressure within the grain storage bin and a corresponding operating airflow rate to operate the variable speed fan at a plurality of sequential operating speeds approaching the desired grain aeration airflow rate determined in (c) based upon the at least one of the plurality of user inputs and the volume of grain present in the grain bin storage device determined in (b) by operating the variable speed fan at the predetermined test fan speed.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.