CA2215230A1 - Grain dryer - Google Patents
Grain dryer Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- CA2215230A1 CA2215230A1 CA 2215230 CA2215230A CA2215230A1 CA 2215230 A1 CA2215230 A1 CA 2215230A1 CA 2215230 CA2215230 CA 2215230 CA 2215230 A CA2215230 A CA 2215230A CA 2215230 A1 CA2215230 A1 CA 2215230A1
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- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- air
- grain
- housing
- ducts
- egress
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
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Classifications
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F26—DRYING
- F26B—DRYING SOLID MATERIALS OR OBJECTS BY REMOVING LIQUID THEREFROM
- F26B17/00—Machines or apparatus for drying materials in loose, plastic, or fluidised form, e.g. granules, staple fibres, with progressive movement
- F26B17/12—Machines or apparatus for drying materials in loose, plastic, or fluidised form, e.g. granules, staple fibres, with progressive movement with movement performed solely by gravity, i.e. the material moving through a substantially vertical drying enclosure, e.g. shaft
- F26B17/14—Machines or apparatus for drying materials in loose, plastic, or fluidised form, e.g. granules, staple fibres, with progressive movement with movement performed solely by gravity, i.e. the material moving through a substantially vertical drying enclosure, e.g. shaft the materials moving through a counter-current of gas
- F26B17/1408—Machines or apparatus for drying materials in loose, plastic, or fluidised form, e.g. granules, staple fibres, with progressive movement with movement performed solely by gravity, i.e. the material moving through a substantially vertical drying enclosure, e.g. shaft the materials moving through a counter-current of gas the gas being supplied and optionally extracted through ducts extending into the moving stack of material
- F26B17/1416—Machines or apparatus for drying materials in loose, plastic, or fluidised form, e.g. granules, staple fibres, with progressive movement with movement performed solely by gravity, i.e. the material moving through a substantially vertical drying enclosure, e.g. shaft the materials moving through a counter-current of gas the gas being supplied and optionally extracted through ducts extending into the moving stack of material the ducts being half open or perforated and arranged horizontally
Abstract
A grain dryer having a plurality of inverted "V" shaped air ducts defining an open bottomed primary flow channel extending substantially horizontally into the housing. The air ducts are configured in horizontally aligned and vertically staggered rows. At least one of the plurality of air ducts for the egress of air have a defining wall with at least one secondary opening through the defining wall. Air is able to pass through the at least one secondary opening in the defining walls to join egress air exiting the housing via the primary flow channel, thereby increasing egress air flow from the housing.
Description
CA 0221~230 1997-09-12 TITLE OF THE lNV~NllON:
grain dryer NAMES OF lNV~NlORS:
Mark George Daugela Darcy John Daugela FIELD OF THE lNV~NllON
The present invention relates to a grain dryer BACKGROUND OF THE lNV~NLlON
Grain dryers generally include a housing with a plurality of ducts. Grain is fed into the housing through an inlet at or near a top of the housing and migrates by force of gravity slowly down from the top to an outlet positioned at a bottom.
The ducts extend transversely across the path of the grain, causing the grain to follow a path that weaves around the ducts. Preheated air is blown into the housing through inflow ducts and provided with a path to exit the housing via outflow ducts. Exposure to the preheated air serves to dry the grain as it migrates slowly through the housing from the inlet to the outlet.
There are several ways to increase the processing capacity of a grain dryer. A first way is to add additional levels of ducts. An obvious problem with adding additional levels of ducts is that it increases the size of the grain dryer. A size will eventually be reached where the grain dryer is too large to be transported along a highway. A second way to increase the processing capacity of a grain dryer is to increase the CA 0221~230 1997-09-12 volume of air that flows through the housing. A limitation on increasing the volume of air is that eventually the force of the air will be such that grain is blown out through the outlet ducts. Where the force of the air causes considerable movement of the grain, grain dust is released, which when combined with oxygen in the air flow becomes a combustible mixture which presents a serious fire hazard. A third way to increase the processing capacity of a grain dryer is to increase the heat exposure of the grain. The obvious limitation on increasing heat exposure is that "excessive" heat exposure causes damage to grain. It can adversely affect the living viable germination ability of the grain. It can also mechanically damage the grain. Kernels of grain tend to shrink when moisture is removed. When the outside surface of the grain shrinks and the moist center of the seed warms up, expansion of the moist center of the seed may cause the outside surface to split open. Once the kernel splits open, moulds, bacteria and other pathogens are more readily able to attack the grain.
The heat exposure that the grain can withstand without being damaged is a product of temperature and exposure time. The higher the temperature the shorter the exposure time the grain can withstand without damage occurring. A complicating factor is the danger of uneven drying. It is preferable that all seeds within the housing receive the same heat exposure. If some seeds receive greater heat exposure and become significantly drier than others, they will be more susceptible to heat damage.
SUMMARY OF THE lNv~N-llON
What is required is a grain dryer with improved air flow.
According to the present invention there is provided a grain dryer which includes a housing having a top and a bottom.
A grain inlet is positioned toward the top of the housing. A
grain outlet is positioned toward the bottom of the housing.
CA 0221~230 1997-09-12 A plurality of inverted "V" shaped air ducts defining an open bottomed primary flow channel for at least one of ingress and egress of air extend substantially horizontally into the housing. The air ducts are configured in horizontally aligned and vertically staggered rows such that kernels of grain are exposed to a flow of air through the ducts as the kernels of grain weave around the ducts in the process of migrating by force of gravity from the inlet to the outlet. At least one of the plurality of air ducts for the egress of air have a defining wall with at least one secondary opening through the defining wall. Air is able to pass through at least one secondary opening in the defining walls to join egress air exiting the housing via the primary flow channel, thereby increasing egress air flow from the housing.
The grain dryer, as described above, can handle an increased volume of air without blowing grain out through the egress air ducts. It is of course preferred that a majority, if not all of the egress air ducts, have at least one secondary openings.
Although beneficial results may be obtained through the use of the grain dryer, as described above, in order to ensure that grain is not blown through the egress ducts it is preferred that at least one cover member is provided over the at least one secondary opening. The cover members prevent the seepage of grain into the primary flow channel.
Although beneficial results may be obtained through the use of the grain dryer, as described above, to obtain the maximum benefit it is preferred that the defining walls are air pervious. One manner of making the defining walls air pervious is to provide a plurality of secondary openings. It is preferred that each of the secondary openings has a louvre-like cover member.
Although beneficial results may be obtained through the CA 0221~230 1997-09-12 use of the grain dryer, as described above, even more beneficial results may be obtained when a longitudinally extending wall divides the flow channel into a first flow path and a second flow path. This enables each duct to handle both an inflow of warm air and an outflow of exhaust air, as compared to the prior art in which separate ducts were used for inflow and outflow. Substitution of a duct with a dividing wall, as described, effectively doubles both the number inflow ducts and the number of outflow ducts. This greatly enhances the inflow of warm air, as warm air is entering at some many more points. It also enhances the outflow of exhaust air, as the exhaust air need not travel as far prior to an outflow duct.
Although beneficial results may be obtained through the use of the grain dryer, as described above, even more beneficial results may be obtained when the first flow path and the second flow path are not uniform. It is preferred that the area of the first flow path decreases from the first end to the second end. It is preferred that the area of the second flow path increases from the first end to the second end. The first flow path is positioned immediately adjacent to the defining wall of the channel. When warm air is blown along the first flow path, the convergence of the defining wall and the dividing wall tends to force warm incoming air through the openings in the defining wall. The increasing area of the second flow path provides an unrestricted exit path for exhaust air.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other features of the invention will become more apparent from the following description in which reference is made to the appended drawings, wherein:
FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a duct constructed in accordance with the teaching of the present invention.
CA 0221~230 1997-09-12 FIGURE 2 is an end elevation view of the duct illustrated in FIGURE 1.
FIGURE 3 is a side elevation view, in section, of a grain dryer having ducts as illustrated in FIGURE 1.
FIGURE 4 is an end elevation view, in section, of the grain dryer illustrated in FIGURE 3.
FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a duct constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.
FIGURE 6 is an end elevation view of the duct illustrated in FIGURE 5.
FIGURE 7 is a side elevation view, in section, of a grain dryer having ducts as illustrated in FIGURE 5.
FIGURE 8 is an end elevation view, in section, of the grain dryer illustrated in FIGURE 7.
FIGURE 9 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of a duct constructed in accordance with the teaching of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Two preferred embodiments of ducts for a grain dryer will now be described. A first embodiment of duct, generally identified by reference numeral 10, will be described with reference to FIGURES 1 through 4. A second embodiment of duct, generally identified by reference numeral 100, will be described with reference to FIGURES 5 through 8. A third embodiment of duct, generally identified by reference numeral 200, will be described with reference to FIGURE 9.
Referring to FIGURE 1, duct 10 consists of an inverted ~V"
shaped open bottomed channel 12 having a defining wall 14 with a plurality of openings 16 through which air passes. Referring to FIGURE 2, it is preferred that openings 16 have fixed louvre-like cover members 18.
CA 0221~230 1997-09-12 The use and operation of duct 10 in a grain dryer 20 will now be described with reference to FIGURES 1 through 4.
Referring to FIGURES 3 and 4, grain dryer 20 includes a housing 22 having a top 24 and a bottom 26. A grain inlet 28 is positioned at top 24 housing 22. A grain outlet 30 controlled by a metering device 32 is positioned at bottom 26 of housing 22. A plurality of ducts 10 for the ingress and egress of air extend substantially horizontally into housing 22. Referring to FIGURE 3, each of ducts 10 has a first end 34 and a second end 36. First end 34 of some of ducts 10 (designated lOa) are in fluid communication with a central hot air plenum 37 and receive an inflow of warm air from hot air plenum 37. Warm air heated by a heater (not shown) is continuously blown into hot air plenum 37 by a blower 39. Ducts lOa have second end 36 blocked. Second end 36 of some of ducts 10 (designated lOb) are vented to the exterior to facilitate the escape of exhaust air. Ducts lOb have first end 34 blocked. Referring to FIGURE
4, ducts 10 are arranged in rows 38 that are horizontally aligned and vertically staggered. Kernels of grain 40 migrate by force of gravity from grain inlet 28 to grain outlet 30.
In the process of such migration, kernels of grain 40 weave around ducts 10 and are exposed to a flow of air through ducts 10 as indicated by arrows 42. With each of ducts lOa, warm air from hot air plenum 37 rises through openings 16. With each of ducts lOb, exhaust air enters channel 12 from both below through the open portion of channel 12 and from above through openings 16. This passage of air through openings 16 helps to more evenly disperse the air flow throughout housing 22. Cover members 18 help prevent blockage of openings 16 by migrating kernels of grain 40.
Referring to FIGURE 5, duct 100 consists of an inverted "V" shaped open bottomed channel 112, a first end 134, a second end 136 and a perforated defining wall 114 that extends between first end 134 and second 136. Defining wall 114 has a plurality slotted perforations 116 through which air passes.
Referring to FIGURE 6, each of slotted perforations 116 has a CA 0221~230 1997-09-12 fixed louvre-like cover member 118. Referring to FIGURE 5, a longitudinally extending dividing wall 150 divides channel 112 into a first flow path 152 for warm air and a second flow path 154 for exhaust air. First flow path 152 is positioned immediately adjacent to perforated defining wall 114. The area of first flow path 152 progressively decreases from first end 134 to second end 136. Conversely, the area of second flow path 154 increases from the first end 134 to second end 136.
The use and operation of duct 100 in a grain dryer 120 will now be described with reference to FIGURES 7 and 8.
Referring to FIGURES 7 and 8, grain dryer 120 includes a housing 122 having a top 124 and a bottom 126. A grain inlet 128 is positioned at top 124 housing 122. A grain outlet 130 controlled by a metering device 132 is positioned at bottom 126 of housing 122. A plurality of ducts 100 for the ingress and egress of air extend substantially horizontally into housing 122. Referring to FIGURE 7, first end 134 of each of ducts 100 is in fluid communication with a hot air plenum 137 and receive an inflow of warm air from hot air plenum 137. Second end 136 of each of ducts 100 are vented to the exterior of housing 122 to facilitate the escape of exhaust air. Referring to FIGURE
8, ducts 100 are arranged in rows 138 that are horizontally aligned and vertically staggered. Kernels of grain 140 migrate by force of gravity from grain inlet 128 to grain outlet 130.
In the process of such migration, kernels of grain 140 weave around ducts 100 and are exposed to a flow of air through ducts 100 as indicated by arrows 142. Warm air from hot air plenum 137 flows along first flow path 152 until a convergence of defining wall 114 and dividing wall 150 forces the warm air through perforated slots 116. This passage of air through perforated slots 116 helps to more evenly disperse air flow throughout housing 122. Warm air then rises up through kernels of grain 140 to the closest duct 100 to become exhaust.
Exhaust air passes along second flow path 154, with a divergence of defining wall 114 and dividing wall 150 providing an unrestricted path for the exit from housing 122 of exhaust CA 022l~230 l997-09-l2 air. As each of ducts 100 is both an inflow duct and an outflow duct, warm air introduced into housing 122 travels a shorter distance prior to being exhausted from housing 122.
This enables higher temperatures to be employed as exposure time is less. Cover members 118 help prevent blockage of perforated slots 116 by migrating kernels of grain 140.
Referring to FIGURE 9, third embodiment 200 iS illustrated in order to demonstrate how first embodiment could be modified lo to have but one secondary opening. As with the other embodiments, duct 200 consists of an inverted "V" shaped open bottomed channel 212 having a defining wall 214 that extends between a first end 234 and a second end 236. Unlike the other embodiments, however, defining wall 214 has but one secondary opening 216 through which air passes. This single secondary openings 216 iS covered by a fixed cover member 218. Third embodiment 200, while workable, is not preferred.
It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that modifications may be made to the illustrated embodiment without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter defined in the Claims.
grain dryer NAMES OF lNV~NlORS:
Mark George Daugela Darcy John Daugela FIELD OF THE lNV~NllON
The present invention relates to a grain dryer BACKGROUND OF THE lNV~NLlON
Grain dryers generally include a housing with a plurality of ducts. Grain is fed into the housing through an inlet at or near a top of the housing and migrates by force of gravity slowly down from the top to an outlet positioned at a bottom.
The ducts extend transversely across the path of the grain, causing the grain to follow a path that weaves around the ducts. Preheated air is blown into the housing through inflow ducts and provided with a path to exit the housing via outflow ducts. Exposure to the preheated air serves to dry the grain as it migrates slowly through the housing from the inlet to the outlet.
There are several ways to increase the processing capacity of a grain dryer. A first way is to add additional levels of ducts. An obvious problem with adding additional levels of ducts is that it increases the size of the grain dryer. A size will eventually be reached where the grain dryer is too large to be transported along a highway. A second way to increase the processing capacity of a grain dryer is to increase the CA 0221~230 1997-09-12 volume of air that flows through the housing. A limitation on increasing the volume of air is that eventually the force of the air will be such that grain is blown out through the outlet ducts. Where the force of the air causes considerable movement of the grain, grain dust is released, which when combined with oxygen in the air flow becomes a combustible mixture which presents a serious fire hazard. A third way to increase the processing capacity of a grain dryer is to increase the heat exposure of the grain. The obvious limitation on increasing heat exposure is that "excessive" heat exposure causes damage to grain. It can adversely affect the living viable germination ability of the grain. It can also mechanically damage the grain. Kernels of grain tend to shrink when moisture is removed. When the outside surface of the grain shrinks and the moist center of the seed warms up, expansion of the moist center of the seed may cause the outside surface to split open. Once the kernel splits open, moulds, bacteria and other pathogens are more readily able to attack the grain.
The heat exposure that the grain can withstand without being damaged is a product of temperature and exposure time. The higher the temperature the shorter the exposure time the grain can withstand without damage occurring. A complicating factor is the danger of uneven drying. It is preferable that all seeds within the housing receive the same heat exposure. If some seeds receive greater heat exposure and become significantly drier than others, they will be more susceptible to heat damage.
SUMMARY OF THE lNv~N-llON
What is required is a grain dryer with improved air flow.
According to the present invention there is provided a grain dryer which includes a housing having a top and a bottom.
A grain inlet is positioned toward the top of the housing. A
grain outlet is positioned toward the bottom of the housing.
CA 0221~230 1997-09-12 A plurality of inverted "V" shaped air ducts defining an open bottomed primary flow channel for at least one of ingress and egress of air extend substantially horizontally into the housing. The air ducts are configured in horizontally aligned and vertically staggered rows such that kernels of grain are exposed to a flow of air through the ducts as the kernels of grain weave around the ducts in the process of migrating by force of gravity from the inlet to the outlet. At least one of the plurality of air ducts for the egress of air have a defining wall with at least one secondary opening through the defining wall. Air is able to pass through at least one secondary opening in the defining walls to join egress air exiting the housing via the primary flow channel, thereby increasing egress air flow from the housing.
The grain dryer, as described above, can handle an increased volume of air without blowing grain out through the egress air ducts. It is of course preferred that a majority, if not all of the egress air ducts, have at least one secondary openings.
Although beneficial results may be obtained through the use of the grain dryer, as described above, in order to ensure that grain is not blown through the egress ducts it is preferred that at least one cover member is provided over the at least one secondary opening. The cover members prevent the seepage of grain into the primary flow channel.
Although beneficial results may be obtained through the use of the grain dryer, as described above, to obtain the maximum benefit it is preferred that the defining walls are air pervious. One manner of making the defining walls air pervious is to provide a plurality of secondary openings. It is preferred that each of the secondary openings has a louvre-like cover member.
Although beneficial results may be obtained through the CA 0221~230 1997-09-12 use of the grain dryer, as described above, even more beneficial results may be obtained when a longitudinally extending wall divides the flow channel into a first flow path and a second flow path. This enables each duct to handle both an inflow of warm air and an outflow of exhaust air, as compared to the prior art in which separate ducts were used for inflow and outflow. Substitution of a duct with a dividing wall, as described, effectively doubles both the number inflow ducts and the number of outflow ducts. This greatly enhances the inflow of warm air, as warm air is entering at some many more points. It also enhances the outflow of exhaust air, as the exhaust air need not travel as far prior to an outflow duct.
Although beneficial results may be obtained through the use of the grain dryer, as described above, even more beneficial results may be obtained when the first flow path and the second flow path are not uniform. It is preferred that the area of the first flow path decreases from the first end to the second end. It is preferred that the area of the second flow path increases from the first end to the second end. The first flow path is positioned immediately adjacent to the defining wall of the channel. When warm air is blown along the first flow path, the convergence of the defining wall and the dividing wall tends to force warm incoming air through the openings in the defining wall. The increasing area of the second flow path provides an unrestricted exit path for exhaust air.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other features of the invention will become more apparent from the following description in which reference is made to the appended drawings, wherein:
FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a duct constructed in accordance with the teaching of the present invention.
CA 0221~230 1997-09-12 FIGURE 2 is an end elevation view of the duct illustrated in FIGURE 1.
FIGURE 3 is a side elevation view, in section, of a grain dryer having ducts as illustrated in FIGURE 1.
FIGURE 4 is an end elevation view, in section, of the grain dryer illustrated in FIGURE 3.
FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a duct constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.
FIGURE 6 is an end elevation view of the duct illustrated in FIGURE 5.
FIGURE 7 is a side elevation view, in section, of a grain dryer having ducts as illustrated in FIGURE 5.
FIGURE 8 is an end elevation view, in section, of the grain dryer illustrated in FIGURE 7.
FIGURE 9 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of a duct constructed in accordance with the teaching of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Two preferred embodiments of ducts for a grain dryer will now be described. A first embodiment of duct, generally identified by reference numeral 10, will be described with reference to FIGURES 1 through 4. A second embodiment of duct, generally identified by reference numeral 100, will be described with reference to FIGURES 5 through 8. A third embodiment of duct, generally identified by reference numeral 200, will be described with reference to FIGURE 9.
Referring to FIGURE 1, duct 10 consists of an inverted ~V"
shaped open bottomed channel 12 having a defining wall 14 with a plurality of openings 16 through which air passes. Referring to FIGURE 2, it is preferred that openings 16 have fixed louvre-like cover members 18.
CA 0221~230 1997-09-12 The use and operation of duct 10 in a grain dryer 20 will now be described with reference to FIGURES 1 through 4.
Referring to FIGURES 3 and 4, grain dryer 20 includes a housing 22 having a top 24 and a bottom 26. A grain inlet 28 is positioned at top 24 housing 22. A grain outlet 30 controlled by a metering device 32 is positioned at bottom 26 of housing 22. A plurality of ducts 10 for the ingress and egress of air extend substantially horizontally into housing 22. Referring to FIGURE 3, each of ducts 10 has a first end 34 and a second end 36. First end 34 of some of ducts 10 (designated lOa) are in fluid communication with a central hot air plenum 37 and receive an inflow of warm air from hot air plenum 37. Warm air heated by a heater (not shown) is continuously blown into hot air plenum 37 by a blower 39. Ducts lOa have second end 36 blocked. Second end 36 of some of ducts 10 (designated lOb) are vented to the exterior to facilitate the escape of exhaust air. Ducts lOb have first end 34 blocked. Referring to FIGURE
4, ducts 10 are arranged in rows 38 that are horizontally aligned and vertically staggered. Kernels of grain 40 migrate by force of gravity from grain inlet 28 to grain outlet 30.
In the process of such migration, kernels of grain 40 weave around ducts 10 and are exposed to a flow of air through ducts 10 as indicated by arrows 42. With each of ducts lOa, warm air from hot air plenum 37 rises through openings 16. With each of ducts lOb, exhaust air enters channel 12 from both below through the open portion of channel 12 and from above through openings 16. This passage of air through openings 16 helps to more evenly disperse the air flow throughout housing 22. Cover members 18 help prevent blockage of openings 16 by migrating kernels of grain 40.
Referring to FIGURE 5, duct 100 consists of an inverted "V" shaped open bottomed channel 112, a first end 134, a second end 136 and a perforated defining wall 114 that extends between first end 134 and second 136. Defining wall 114 has a plurality slotted perforations 116 through which air passes.
Referring to FIGURE 6, each of slotted perforations 116 has a CA 0221~230 1997-09-12 fixed louvre-like cover member 118. Referring to FIGURE 5, a longitudinally extending dividing wall 150 divides channel 112 into a first flow path 152 for warm air and a second flow path 154 for exhaust air. First flow path 152 is positioned immediately adjacent to perforated defining wall 114. The area of first flow path 152 progressively decreases from first end 134 to second end 136. Conversely, the area of second flow path 154 increases from the first end 134 to second end 136.
The use and operation of duct 100 in a grain dryer 120 will now be described with reference to FIGURES 7 and 8.
Referring to FIGURES 7 and 8, grain dryer 120 includes a housing 122 having a top 124 and a bottom 126. A grain inlet 128 is positioned at top 124 housing 122. A grain outlet 130 controlled by a metering device 132 is positioned at bottom 126 of housing 122. A plurality of ducts 100 for the ingress and egress of air extend substantially horizontally into housing 122. Referring to FIGURE 7, first end 134 of each of ducts 100 is in fluid communication with a hot air plenum 137 and receive an inflow of warm air from hot air plenum 137. Second end 136 of each of ducts 100 are vented to the exterior of housing 122 to facilitate the escape of exhaust air. Referring to FIGURE
8, ducts 100 are arranged in rows 138 that are horizontally aligned and vertically staggered. Kernels of grain 140 migrate by force of gravity from grain inlet 128 to grain outlet 130.
In the process of such migration, kernels of grain 140 weave around ducts 100 and are exposed to a flow of air through ducts 100 as indicated by arrows 142. Warm air from hot air plenum 137 flows along first flow path 152 until a convergence of defining wall 114 and dividing wall 150 forces the warm air through perforated slots 116. This passage of air through perforated slots 116 helps to more evenly disperse air flow throughout housing 122. Warm air then rises up through kernels of grain 140 to the closest duct 100 to become exhaust.
Exhaust air passes along second flow path 154, with a divergence of defining wall 114 and dividing wall 150 providing an unrestricted path for the exit from housing 122 of exhaust CA 022l~230 l997-09-l2 air. As each of ducts 100 is both an inflow duct and an outflow duct, warm air introduced into housing 122 travels a shorter distance prior to being exhausted from housing 122.
This enables higher temperatures to be employed as exposure time is less. Cover members 118 help prevent blockage of perforated slots 116 by migrating kernels of grain 140.
Referring to FIGURE 9, third embodiment 200 iS illustrated in order to demonstrate how first embodiment could be modified lo to have but one secondary opening. As with the other embodiments, duct 200 consists of an inverted "V" shaped open bottomed channel 212 having a defining wall 214 that extends between a first end 234 and a second end 236. Unlike the other embodiments, however, defining wall 214 has but one secondary opening 216 through which air passes. This single secondary openings 216 iS covered by a fixed cover member 218. Third embodiment 200, while workable, is not preferred.
It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that modifications may be made to the illustrated embodiment without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter defined in the Claims.
Claims (11)
1. A grain dryer, comprising:
a housing having a top and a bottom;
a grain inlet toward the top of the housing;
a grain outlet toward the bottom of the housing;
a plurality of inverted "V" shaped air ducts defining an open bottomed primary flow channel for at least one of ingress and egress of air extending substantially horizontally into the housing, the air ducts being configured in substantially horizontally aligned and vertically staggered rows such that kernels of grain are exposed to a flow of air through the ducts as the kernels of grain weave around the ducts in the process of migrating by force of gravity from the inlet to the outlet;
at least one of the plurality of air ducts for the egress of air having a defining wall with at least one secondary opening through the defining wall, such that air is able to pass through the at least one secondary opening in the defining walls to join egress air exiting the housing via the primary flow channel, thereby increasing egress air flow from the housing.
a housing having a top and a bottom;
a grain inlet toward the top of the housing;
a grain outlet toward the bottom of the housing;
a plurality of inverted "V" shaped air ducts defining an open bottomed primary flow channel for at least one of ingress and egress of air extending substantially horizontally into the housing, the air ducts being configured in substantially horizontally aligned and vertically staggered rows such that kernels of grain are exposed to a flow of air through the ducts as the kernels of grain weave around the ducts in the process of migrating by force of gravity from the inlet to the outlet;
at least one of the plurality of air ducts for the egress of air having a defining wall with at least one secondary opening through the defining wall, such that air is able to pass through the at least one secondary opening in the defining walls to join egress air exiting the housing via the primary flow channel, thereby increasing egress air flow from the housing.
2. The grain dryer as defined in Claim 1, wherein the defining walls are air pervious.
3. The grain dryer as defined in Claim 1, wherein at least one cover member is provided over the at least one secondary opening, such that the cover members prevent the seepage of grain into the primary flow channel.
4. The grain dryer as defined in Claim 3, wherein a plurality of secondary openings are provided each of which has a louvre-like cover member.
5. The grain dryer as defined in Claim 1, wherein each of the primary flow channel has a longitudinally extending wall dividing the primary flow channel into an ingress flow path and an egress flow path.
6. The grain dryer as defined in Claim 4, wherein the air flow channel has an first end and a second end, the area of the ingress flow path decreasing from the first end to the second end, the area of the egress flow path increasing from the first end to the second end.
7. The grain dryer as defined in Claim 1, wherein the housing has a central air plenum which communicates with the plurality of air ducts for the ingress of air.
8. A grain dryer, comprising:
a housing having a top, a bottom, and a central air plenum;
a grain inlet toward the top of the housing;
a grain outlet toward the bottom of the housing;
a plurality of inverted "V" shaped air ducts defining an open bottomed primary flow channel for at least one of ingress and egress of air extending substantially horizontally into the housing, the air ducts being configured in substantially horizontally aligned and vertically staggered rows such that kernels of grain are exposed to a flow of air through the ducts as the kernels of grain weave around the ducts in the process of migrating by force of gravity from the inlet to the outlet;
the plurality of air ducts for the ingress of air having a first end in fluid communication with the central air plenum, at least one of the plurality of air ducts for the ingress of air having air pervious defining walls with a plurality of secondary openings protected by louvre-like cover members, such that air is able to pass freely from the primary air flow passage through the secondary openings in the defining walls during ingress, thereby increasing ingress air flow into the housing, with the louvre-like cover members preventing the seepage of grain into the primary flow channel;
the plurality of air ducts for the egress of air having a second end in fluid communication to exterior of the housing, a majority of the plurality of air ducts for the egress of air having air pervious defining walls with a plurality of secondary openings protected by louvre-like cover members, such that air is able to pass freely through the secondary openings in the defining walls to join egress air exiting the housing via the primary flow channel, thereby increasing egress air flow from the housing, with the louvre-like cover members preventing the seepage of grain into the primary flow channel.
a housing having a top, a bottom, and a central air plenum;
a grain inlet toward the top of the housing;
a grain outlet toward the bottom of the housing;
a plurality of inverted "V" shaped air ducts defining an open bottomed primary flow channel for at least one of ingress and egress of air extending substantially horizontally into the housing, the air ducts being configured in substantially horizontally aligned and vertically staggered rows such that kernels of grain are exposed to a flow of air through the ducts as the kernels of grain weave around the ducts in the process of migrating by force of gravity from the inlet to the outlet;
the plurality of air ducts for the ingress of air having a first end in fluid communication with the central air plenum, at least one of the plurality of air ducts for the ingress of air having air pervious defining walls with a plurality of secondary openings protected by louvre-like cover members, such that air is able to pass freely from the primary air flow passage through the secondary openings in the defining walls during ingress, thereby increasing ingress air flow into the housing, with the louvre-like cover members preventing the seepage of grain into the primary flow channel;
the plurality of air ducts for the egress of air having a second end in fluid communication to exterior of the housing, a majority of the plurality of air ducts for the egress of air having air pervious defining walls with a plurality of secondary openings protected by louvre-like cover members, such that air is able to pass freely through the secondary openings in the defining walls to join egress air exiting the housing via the primary flow channel, thereby increasing egress air flow from the housing, with the louvre-like cover members preventing the seepage of grain into the primary flow channel.
9. A grain dryer, comprising:
a housing having a top, a bottom, and a central air plenum;
a grain inlet toward the top of the housing;
a grain outlet toward the bottom of the housing;
a plurality of inverted "V" shaped air ducts defining an open bottomed primary flow channel for at least one of ingress and egress of air extending substantially horizontally into the housing, the air ducts being configured in substantially horizontally aligned and vertically staggered rows such that kernels of grain are exposed to a flow of air through the ducts as the kernels of grain weave around the ducts in the process of migrating by force of gravity from the inlet to the outlet;
the plurality of air ducts for the ingress of air having a first end in fluid communication with the central air plenum, a majority of the plurality of air ducts for the ingress of air having air pervious defining walls with a plurality of secondary openings protected by louvre-like cover members, such that air is able to pass freely from the primary air flow passage through the secondary openings in the defining walls during ingress, thereby increasing ingress air flow into the housing, with the louvre-like cover members preventing the seepage of grain into the primary flow channel;
the plurality of air ducts for the egress of air having a second end in fluid communication to exterior of the housing, at least one of the plurality of air ducts for the egress of air having air pervious defining walls with a plurality of secondary openings protected by louvre-like cover members, such that air is able to pass freely through the secondary openings in the defining walls to join egress air exiting the housing via the primary flow channel, thereby increasing egress air flow from the housing, with the louvre-like cover members preventing the seepage of grain into the primary flow channel.
a housing having a top, a bottom, and a central air plenum;
a grain inlet toward the top of the housing;
a grain outlet toward the bottom of the housing;
a plurality of inverted "V" shaped air ducts defining an open bottomed primary flow channel for at least one of ingress and egress of air extending substantially horizontally into the housing, the air ducts being configured in substantially horizontally aligned and vertically staggered rows such that kernels of grain are exposed to a flow of air through the ducts as the kernels of grain weave around the ducts in the process of migrating by force of gravity from the inlet to the outlet;
the plurality of air ducts for the ingress of air having a first end in fluid communication with the central air plenum, a majority of the plurality of air ducts for the ingress of air having air pervious defining walls with a plurality of secondary openings protected by louvre-like cover members, such that air is able to pass freely from the primary air flow passage through the secondary openings in the defining walls during ingress, thereby increasing ingress air flow into the housing, with the louvre-like cover members preventing the seepage of grain into the primary flow channel;
the plurality of air ducts for the egress of air having a second end in fluid communication to exterior of the housing, at least one of the plurality of air ducts for the egress of air having air pervious defining walls with a plurality of secondary openings protected by louvre-like cover members, such that air is able to pass freely through the secondary openings in the defining walls to join egress air exiting the housing via the primary flow channel, thereby increasing egress air flow from the housing, with the louvre-like cover members preventing the seepage of grain into the primary flow channel.
10. A grain dryer, comprising:
a housing having a top, a bottom, and a central air plenum;
a grain inlet toward the top of the housing;
a grain outlet toward the bottom of the housing;
a plurality of inverted "V" shaped air ducts defining an open bottomed primary flow channel for at least one of ingress and egress of air extending substantially horizontally into the housing, the air ducts being configured in substantially horizontally aligned and vertically staggered rows such that kernels of grain are exposed to a flow of air through the ducts as the kernels of grain weave around the ducts in the process of migrating by force of gravity from the inlet to the outlet;
the plurality of air ducts for the ingress of air having a first end in fluid communication with the central air plenum, a majority of the plurality of air ducts for the ingress of air having air pervious defining walls with a plurality of secondary openings protected by louvre-like cover members, such that air is able to pass freely from the primary air flow passage through the secondary openings in the defining walls during ingress, thereby increasing ingress air flow into the housing, with the louvre-like cover members preventing the seepage of grain into the primary flow channel;
the plurality of air ducts for the egress of air having a second end in fluid communication to exterior of the housing, a majority of the plurality of air ducts for the egress of air having air pervious defining walls with a plurality of secondary openings protected by louvre-like cover members, such that air is able to pass freely through the secondary openings in the defining walls to join egress air exiting the housing via the primary flow channel, thereby increasing egress air flow from the housing, with the louvre-like cover members preventing the seepage of grain into the primary flow channel.
a housing having a top, a bottom, and a central air plenum;
a grain inlet toward the top of the housing;
a grain outlet toward the bottom of the housing;
a plurality of inverted "V" shaped air ducts defining an open bottomed primary flow channel for at least one of ingress and egress of air extending substantially horizontally into the housing, the air ducts being configured in substantially horizontally aligned and vertically staggered rows such that kernels of grain are exposed to a flow of air through the ducts as the kernels of grain weave around the ducts in the process of migrating by force of gravity from the inlet to the outlet;
the plurality of air ducts for the ingress of air having a first end in fluid communication with the central air plenum, a majority of the plurality of air ducts for the ingress of air having air pervious defining walls with a plurality of secondary openings protected by louvre-like cover members, such that air is able to pass freely from the primary air flow passage through the secondary openings in the defining walls during ingress, thereby increasing ingress air flow into the housing, with the louvre-like cover members preventing the seepage of grain into the primary flow channel;
the plurality of air ducts for the egress of air having a second end in fluid communication to exterior of the housing, a majority of the plurality of air ducts for the egress of air having air pervious defining walls with a plurality of secondary openings protected by louvre-like cover members, such that air is able to pass freely through the secondary openings in the defining walls to join egress air exiting the housing via the primary flow channel, thereby increasing egress air flow from the housing, with the louvre-like cover members preventing the seepage of grain into the primary flow channel.
11. A grain dryer, comprising:
a housing having a top, a bottom, and a central air plenum; a grain inlet toward the top of the housing;
a grain outlet toward the bottom of the housing;
a plurality of inverted "V" shaped air ducts defining an open bottomed primary flow channel having a first end in fluid communication with the central air plenum and a second end in fluid communication to exterior of the housing, the air ducts extending substantially horizontally into the housing, the air ducts being configured in horizontally aligned and vertically staggered rows such that kernels of grain are exposed to a flow of air through the ducts as the kernels of grain weave around the ducts in the process of migrating by force of gravity from the inlet to the outlet;
a longitudinally extending wall divides the primary flow channel into an ingress flow path and an egress flow path, the area of the ingress flow path decreasing from the first end to the second end, the area of the egress flow path increasing from the first end to the second end;
a majority of the plurality of air ducts having air pervious defining walls with a plurality of secondary openings protected by louvre-like cover members, such that air is able to pass freely from the primary air flow passage through the secondary openings in the defining walls during ingress and air is able to pass freely through the secondary openings in the defining walls to join egress air exiting the housing via the primary flow channel, thereby increasing ingress and egress air flow, with the louvre-like cover members preventing the seepage of grain into the primary flow channel.
a housing having a top, a bottom, and a central air plenum; a grain inlet toward the top of the housing;
a grain outlet toward the bottom of the housing;
a plurality of inverted "V" shaped air ducts defining an open bottomed primary flow channel having a first end in fluid communication with the central air plenum and a second end in fluid communication to exterior of the housing, the air ducts extending substantially horizontally into the housing, the air ducts being configured in horizontally aligned and vertically staggered rows such that kernels of grain are exposed to a flow of air through the ducts as the kernels of grain weave around the ducts in the process of migrating by force of gravity from the inlet to the outlet;
a longitudinally extending wall divides the primary flow channel into an ingress flow path and an egress flow path, the area of the ingress flow path decreasing from the first end to the second end, the area of the egress flow path increasing from the first end to the second end;
a majority of the plurality of air ducts having air pervious defining walls with a plurality of secondary openings protected by louvre-like cover members, such that air is able to pass freely from the primary air flow passage through the secondary openings in the defining walls during ingress and air is able to pass freely through the secondary openings in the defining walls to join egress air exiting the housing via the primary flow channel, thereby increasing ingress and egress air flow, with the louvre-like cover members preventing the seepage of grain into the primary flow channel.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2215230 CA2215230A1 (en) | 1997-09-12 | 1997-09-12 | Grain dryer |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2215230 CA2215230A1 (en) | 1997-09-12 | 1997-09-12 | Grain dryer |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2215230A1 true CA2215230A1 (en) | 1999-03-12 |
Family
ID=4161443
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2215230 Abandoned CA2215230A1 (en) | 1997-09-12 | 1997-09-12 | Grain dryer |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA2215230A1 (en) |
Cited By (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP2420132A1 (en) * | 2009-04-16 | 2012-02-22 | Otalício Pacheco Da Cunha | Perforated air duct for towers of grain driers |
| CN115540576A (en) * | 2022-10-09 | 2022-12-30 | 佛冈明阳机械有限公司 | Hot air circulating system for drying grains |
| WO2024078054A1 (en) * | 2023-05-17 | 2024-04-18 | 华北理工大学 | Mineral powder pellet drying apparatus |
-
1997
- 1997-09-12 CA CA 2215230 patent/CA2215230A1/en not_active Abandoned
Cited By (6)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP2420132A1 (en) * | 2009-04-16 | 2012-02-22 | Otalício Pacheco Da Cunha | Perforated air duct for towers of grain driers |
| US20120090722A1 (en) * | 2009-04-16 | 2012-04-19 | Otalicio Pacheco Da Cunha | Perforated air duct for towers of grain driers |
| EP2420132A4 (en) * | 2009-04-16 | 2014-08-06 | Da Cunha Otalício Pacheco | Perforated air duct for towers of grain driers |
| US8961277B2 (en) * | 2009-04-16 | 2015-02-24 | Otalicio Pacheco Da Cunha | Perforated air duct for towers of grain driers |
| CN115540576A (en) * | 2022-10-09 | 2022-12-30 | 佛冈明阳机械有限公司 | Hot air circulating system for drying grains |
| WO2024078054A1 (en) * | 2023-05-17 | 2024-04-18 | 华北理工大学 | Mineral powder pellet drying apparatus |
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