Assessment of fan control strategies for in-bin natural air-drying of wheat in Western Canada.

Grains (common term referring to cereal grains, oilseeds, pulses) are usually harvested at high moisture content and then dried to straight grade (dry) or safe storage moisture levels. Grain drying in freestanding, corrugated galvanized steel or welded steel bins using natural air is the most cost effective drying method with optimum grain quality. Adverse weather conditions and inappropriate fan control strategies may result in poor drying, higher drying cost (electricity and fuel), and grain spoilage. Several traditional fan control (continuous ON, only Day ON, only Night ON) and automated fan control (Natural Air Drying (NAD) and Self-Adapting Variable Heat (SAVH)) strategies were investigated using IntegrisPro model software (OPIsystems Inc.©) for their drying potential for wheat using 30 years of historical weather data (1983-2012) from 14 locations in Western Canada (Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan provinces) which cover nearly 75% of Canada’s farming area. Effects of initial wheat moistures (20, 18, and 16%), start dates (August 20th, September 1st, September 15th, and October 1st), locations, airflow rates (0.52, 0.78, and, 1.04 m3min-1t-1) and supplemental heat on drying performance were studied. High moisture wheat (18-20%) can only be dried effectively with sufficient airflow rate (0.78, and, 1.04 m3min-1t-1) and early drying start date (September 15th or earlier). Without automated control, Continuous ON fan control was a better control strategy. The SAVH control strategy gave the optimized results in terms of fan run hours, target moisture, moisture spread, and shrink (over-drying). The Night ON fan control strategy gave the poorest drying results.

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