DE202019103459U1 - Round bale drying plant - Google Patents

Abstract

Round bale drying plant (1) with a hollow bottom with at least one upper-side opening (3) on which a round bale can be placed, wherein the bottom can be acted upon by negative pressure and / or overpressure, through the opening (3) an air flow through the round bale to produce, characterized in that the bottom of box modules (2) is modular.

Description

The invention relates to a round bale drying plant having a hollow bottom with at least one upper-side opening, on which a round bale can be placed, wherein the bottom can be acted upon by negative pressure and / or overpressure to produce an air flow through the opening through the round bale.

With a round bale drying plant of the type mentioned in particular mown grass is dried to obtain hay with a desired degree of moisture or a desired dryness. For this purpose, the grass is cut on a meadow and can be pre-dried in the meadow. After predrying or immediately after the cut, the grass is pressed into round bales and tied with ribbons or the like or wrapped with a plastic film wrapper. Subsequently, the round bale is dried in a suitably trained drying plant by a stream of air flowing through the bale to a desired degree of moisture.

Such a round bale drying plant is in the DE 10 2015 001 058 A1 described. This drying plant comprises a hollow bottom, which is formed as a box. On the upper side, a plurality of openings are formed on the box, can be placed on the round bales. Air is extracted from the box to create an air flow through the attached round bales. At the same time, the round bale is pressurized from above with compressed air. Also, a sealing housing may be provided for the round bale to prevent lateral outflow or inflow of air. By means of the air flow through the round bales, the grass is dried in the round bale and hay is obtained, for example as storable feed.

A disadvantage is considered in this prior art that a change in the capacity of the round bale drying plant is not readily possible. Thus, in particular, an increase in the drying capacity can take place here only by adding another complete round bale drying plant.

For the present invention is therefore based on this prior art, the task of specifying a round bale drying plant of the type mentioned, with a simple and flexibly adaptable to the particular required amount of grass to be processed device is obtained.

The solution of this object succeeds according to the invention with a round bale drying plant according to claim 1.

The core idea of the invention is that a floor or box is provided with at least one upper-side opening in a manner known per se. On the opening a round bale of fresh or pre-dried grass can be placed. The round bale is usually aligned with its winding axis parallel to the center axis of the opening. The bottom or box is designed as a hollow body, to which a fan can be connected. With the fan, an air flow is generated either in negative pressure or overpressure, which flows through the round bale and dries it. Essential to the invention, however, is now the modular structure of the hollow bottom forming box. This means that it is composed of several essentially identical modules, components or segments. Only the two end pieces, one with a connecting piece for the blower and one with a final end wall, are designed differently. In between, several similar modules can be arranged depending on the desired size and capacity of the entire round bale drying plant. Thus, the round bale drying plant can be arbitrarily adjusted depending on the number of round bales to be dried at the same time by using similar further modules.

It is understood that the individual modules of the hollow floor or box are substantially airtight connected to each other, for example, with appropriate rubber seals. Furthermore, the bottom or box can be connected via a connecting piece to a fan to produce an air flow in the negative or positive pressure. The box can therefore be easily prefabricated and delivered as a space-saving kit to a customer and assembled there. A mobile use, for example, on the back of a van with a bed or on a trailer, is possible. Also, the bottom or box of the round bale drying plant, for example, after the harvest season easily disassembled, removed and stored to save space next to the next use.

Since the round bales are usually densely pressed on their outer circumference than in their interior, hardly any air can pass through the grass, which is compressed more densely radially on the outside. Thus, in particular, an additional housing for receiving the round bale above the openings of the round bale drying plant is unnecessary. This is especially true if the round bales are already wrapped in a foil. You must then be placed only with a front page with a breakthrough in the film on the opening of the bottom or box. To facilitate the passage of air through the round bale also becomes the other Front side, for example, with a knife, pierced and made so permeable to air.

Due to the modular structure, each newly manufactured round bale drying plant can be executed exactly according to the specific needs of the customer and it can also be an existing drying plant with increasing attack of grass amount subsequently arbitrarily and in the size of a module corresponding steps to be expanded.

The hollow bottom or box of the round bale drying plant is preferably made of corrosion-protected metal, such as galvanized steel sheet.

Furthermore, a fan is assigned to generate the air flow in the negative or positive pressure.

It is also possible for the round bales placed on the openings to be acted upon at their opposite side pointing away from the box by a further fan in order to intensify the flow of air through them. Also, if necessary, a housing may be provided for the round bales in order to prevent lateral outflow or inflow of air.

Preferably, the hollow bottom or box is designed to optimize flow in order to generate the lowest possible air resistance.

The advantage of the invention is in particular that with the round bale drying plant according to the invention a wide variety of grasses can be dried to obtain high-quality hay. Likewise, different amounts of accumulating to be dried grass can be processed. Due to the modular design, the entire device can be easily moved in a disassembled state as needed from a first location to a second location. For this purpose, the entire system can also be arranged on the bed of a van. Similarly, when not in use, the entire system can be quickly disassembled and stored.

It is understood that the round bale drying plant may be equipped with a heater to heat, for example, a blown air stream to increase the drying performance. Likewise, with a cooling device assigned if necessary, the air flow can be cooled, if desired. Furthermore, a heat energy storage can be provided to increase the energy efficiency when heating an air flow.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject of dependent claims.

In an advantageous embodiment, the / each opening has a circumferential, upwardly projecting collar on which a round bale can be placed. The collar also serves to fix the round bales, so that they can not slip off the opening.

According to a further embodiment, the / each collar is continued in the hollow bottom or box and formed there as a grid. With this grid, which surrounds the opening within the hollow bottom or box, on the one hand the hollow floor or box is mechanically stabilized and on the other hand it can be prevented, in particular during suction, that blades of grass or the like are sucked into the hollow floor or box and, for example clog the vacuum blower.

In order to enable a weather-independent operation of the round bale drying plant on an open space, the round bale drying plant is expediently equipped with a roof to prevent in particular rain from the placed on the openings round bales. The roof is supported, for example, on a plurality of supports arranged on the hollow floor or box.

In addition, the roof may be equipped with a solar collector to generate power to operate, for example, the fan and / or to recover heat energy for an additional heater of the round bale drying plant.

For the purpose of further increasing the capacity of the round bale drying plant, in particular with a small available area for their installation, it is proposed that the round bale drying plant is designed with several floors with two or more spaced hollow floors or boxes. For example, in addition to the roof or on separate additional supports in addition to the above-described roof supports, a second, substantially similar to the first floor or box bottom can be placed in order to double the drying capacity for the same space requirement.

According to a further embodiment, the individual components, segments or modules of the hollow floor or box are constructed substantially symmetrically with, for example, in each case two juxtaposed openings for the round bales. Alternatively, the modules may also be formed asymmetrically with only two half openings, which are arranged laterally offset and each supplement with a further half opening of the adjacent module to a complete opening.

For drying round bales of various sizes, an intermediate ring for the openings is provided. This essentially comprises a ring with the desired diameter of the round bale to be dried, which is formed in a transition region such that it is sealingly placed on the actual opening and the round bale is in turn placed on the intermediate ring fitting. Thus, for example, round bales can be dried with conventional diameters of about 1.25 m to about 1.70 m in practice.

In order to use the round bale drying plant for other drying purposes, a bulk container is provided. This is placed on the opening in the hollow bottom or box with a bottom opening, which is secured for example with an air-permeable sieve or grid against the trickling out of bulk material. Already before this placement or subsequently, a bulk material to be dried is filled into the bulk material container via a filling opening and the air stream flows through it and dried. For example, so cereals or the like can be dried with the drying system according to the invention.

To optimize the function of the round bale drying plant, this is preferably equipped with sensors, for example for temperature and humidity of the air stream, and with a controller to dry round bales or other items to be dried in a desired course. The controller is, for example, wirelessly controlled via a mobile device with appropriate software. Thus, the user can equip the drying system with round bales or other Trocknungsgut to be dried, start the drying process and monitor this process in other activities wirelessly from a distance and possibly stop or nachsteuern. With the drying system can be controlled and monitored in particular in connection with the preferably wireless control of the drying process in the desired manner and to obtain hay or other dried good desired quality with the lowest possible energy consumption.

The round bale drying plant according to the invention can be designed as a stationary plant or as arranged on a chassis and movable on this, mobile plant.

The above-described components of the round bale drying plant, such as a heating or cooling device or an additional fan, may also be designed as modular accessories, in order to be retrofitted as simply as possible.

With the round bale drying plant according to the invention any grasses can be dried in order to gently produce hay of desired composition, high quality and high dryness. With the appropriate additional equipment, bulk materials can also be dried in the drying plant, which offers additional benefits for the plant operator.

• 1 eine erste Rundballen-Trocknungsanlage in Draufsicht und Seitenansicht,
• 2 eine zweite Rundballen-Trocknungsanlage in verschiedenen Ansichten,
• 3 einen Anschlussstutzen der Rundballen-Trocknungsanlage,
• 4 einen Schüttgutbehälter für die Rundballen-Trocknungsanlage und
• 5 einen Zwischenring für die Rundballen-Trocknungsanlage.

In the following, embodiments of the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to a drawing. The figures of the drawing show:

• 1 a first round bale drying plant in plan view and side view,
• 2 a second round bale drying plant in different views,
• 3 a connecting piece of the round bale drying plant,
• 4 a bulk material container for the round bale drying plant and
• 5 an intermediate ring for the round bale drying plant.

In the following description of the figures, the same parts in the various drawing figures are always provided with the same reference numerals, so that not all drawings have to be explained again.

In the 1 is a first round bale drying plant 1 with a hollow bottom of several substantially similar or symmetrical modules 2 shown top in top view and bottom in side view.

The bottom is with a connecting piece 4 equipped to produce by means of one or more, not specifically shown here fan air flow in the negative or positive pressure through the box-shaped bottom. At the connecting piece 4 opposite module 2 is the floor with a sealing front wall 5 locked.

At the individual, arranged in series, in continuous flow connection and releasably connected modules 2 of the floor here are each two upper-side openings 3 formed on the example, for example, a round bale of grass with its one end face on each one around the opening 3 circumferential collar 15 slip-proof can be placed. Thus flows through in operation of the round bale drying plant 1 the air stream round bales of pressed grass and dries this to hay.

Inside the modules 2 are each around the openings 3 circumferential grids or perforated sheets 17 arranged, here each a continuation of the collar 15 down into the hollow bottom or box. The grids or perforated sheets 17 provide a mechanical reinforcement of the individual modules 2 and have a corresponding mesh size, for example, to retain blades of grass or the like, but still to allow sufficient airflow. Instead of the grid or perforated plate 17 In each case, a circumferential row of vertical bars with the same effect and function can be provided.

Furthermore, the round bale drying plant 1 here with additional supports 6 fitted. These props 6 carry a roof 7 as rain and weather protection for on the openings 3 standing round bales, so that also a use of the round bale drying plant 1 outdoors and in rainy weather is possible.

The roof 7 can also be equipped with solar cells for power generation and / or solar panels for heat energy recovery for preheating the round bales flowing air stream.

Other types of drying air heating, z. B. with a woodchip heating, can be used.

In this case, heated drying air in practice should not be warmer than about 55 ° C, so that in round bales, the air temperature remains below 40 ° C if possible, to spare for hayed animals, such as horses, valuable ingredients of the grass or hay and to obtain.

Furthermore, on the supports 6 or on separate additional supports another, essentially similar modules 2 composite floor for space-saving doubling of the drying capacity of the round bale drying plant 1 to be ordered.

To dry it is in each case a substantially cylindrical round bale with its one end face on the opening 3 surrounding collar 15 put on or alternatively in this collar 15 plugged in. The round bale can be tied with ribbons, which does not hinder the drying air flow. If the round bale should be strapped with a foil, only air permeability must be provided at the ends of the round bale in order to be able to dry it.

In the in 1 The embodiment shown is the round bale drying plant 1 a stationary plant. By placing the round bale drying plant 1 on a chassis, this can also be configured as a mobile, directly movable system.

In 2 is another round bale drying plant 1 from top to bottom in plan view, in side view and in oblique view from above. Also this round bale drying plant 1 is made up of several modules 2 assembled and with a connecting piece 4 at a first end and a sealing end wall 5 equipped at a second, opposite front end.

Here are, unlike the example after 1 , the modules 2 formed asymmetrically and each have only two half-circular openings, each with a further half opening of the adjacent module 2 to a complete round opening 3 complete.

Again, at every opening 3 a circumferential, towering collar 15 provided for placing a round bale with one end face.

In addition, here also, in the 2 not shown, roof be provided with the functions described above.

In 3 is a connecting piece 4 for the round bale drying plant 1 as an individual part in side view and diagonally from above.

The connecting piece 4 comes with an end module 2 and is part of the bottom or box of the round bale drying plant 1 , For example, the connection opening 9 connected to a pressure or suction fan via a hose, thus an air flow of the desired direction, amount and strength in the round bale drying plant 1 , specifically in the module 2 composite hollow bottom or box, as well as to be dried by the round bales, not shown here.

In 4 is a bulk material container 10 as an accessory for the round bale drying plant 1 obliquely from below, viewed from below and in side view.

The here about cuboid bulk container 10 comes with a ventilation opening 11 in one of its walls on an opening 3 the round bale drying plant 1 sealingly placed and, for example, by the collar 15 at the opening 3 fixed. Through the ventilation opening 11 and an invisible vent opening, an air flow flows through the bulk material container 10 , In the bulk container 10 For example, grain can be dried as a drying material.

So that the bulk or Trocknungsgut not from the drying operation with its ventilation opening 11 downwardly pointing bulk container 10 trickles out, is at the ventilation opening 11 of the bulk goods container 10 arranged a screen, a grid, a fabric or the like element with a corresponding mesh size, although permeable to air, but impermeable to the bulk material to be dried. The appropriately executed, not visible here vent opening is at the vent 11 opposite side of the bulk goods container 10 arranged. In addition, at least one drying material filling and emptying opening is provided, these coinciding with the ventilation opening or separately on the bulk material container 10 can be arranged.

To bridge possibly different diameter and / or outline of the opening 3 at the drying plant 1 and the ventilation opening 11 of the bulk goods container 10 If necessary, an intermediate adapter ring can be used.

In 5 is an intermediate ring 12 for the round bale drying plant 1 shown in plan view and in oblique view from above.

The intermediate ring 12 comes with radially outer protrusions 13 on the opening 3 so that it does not fall into the hollow floor or box. Preferably, a seal between the opening 3 or collar 15 on the one hand and the intermediate ring 12 provided on the other hand. Here is the intermediate ring 12 in particular smaller than the opening in its diameter 3 in order to dry in their diameter smaller round bales. In addition, on the intermediate ring 12 also another flow opening 14 be provided for the application of a blower.

The entire round bale drying plant 1 is suitably made of weather-resistant material, such as galvanized sheet steel. The modules 2 and the connecting piece 4 For example, they are equipped with rubber seals. Due to the modular construction of the round bale drying plant 1 this can be easily assembled and disassembled and transported or stored. By using additional modules 2 the drying capacity can be adapted to different quantities of round bales to be dried at the same time.

The round bale drying plant 1 can be equipped from its two sides with her round bales and it can be lifted from both sides of the dried round bales. However, because of the relatively small width of the round bale drying plant, it is also possible to load and unload only one longitudinal side. The loading and unloading of the round bales can z. B. with a farm already existing tractor with fork-front loader.

In addition, the round bale drying plant 1 be equipped with a second blower to direct an air flow through negative and positive pressure through the round bales and to increase the drying performance. Likewise, heating and / or cooling devices may be provided for the air flow in order to temper it in the desired manner.

Furthermore, sensors, in particular temperature, air quantity and humidity sensors, and a data processing, in particular remotely controllable, programmable electronic control can be provided, are controlled or regulated by means of which air volume and speed and the air temperature and the drying time.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

character description 1 Round bale drying plant 2 module 3 opening 4 spigot 5 bulkhead 6 support 7 top, roof 9 port opening 10 intermediate bulk containers 11 ventilation opening 12 intermediate ring 13 head Start 14 flow opening 15 collar 17 Grid or perforated sheet

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• DE 102015001058 A1 [0003]

Claims (10)

Round bale drying plant (1) with a hollow bottom with at least one upper-side opening (3) on which a round bale can be placed, wherein the bottom can be acted upon by negative pressure and / or overpressure, through the opening (3) an air flow through the round bale to produce, characterized in that the bottom of box modules (2) is modular. Round bale drying plant (1) according to Claim 1 , characterized in that the / each opening (3) has a circumferential, upwardly projecting collar (15). Round bale drying plant (1) according to Claim 2 , characterized in that the / each collar (15) is continued in the hollow bottom and there as a grid (17) is formed. Round bale drying plant (1) according to one of Claims 1 to 3 , characterized in that it is equipped with a roof (7). Round bale drying plant (1) according to one of Claims 1 to 4 , characterized in that it is designed multi-level with two or more spaced-apart hollow floors. Round bale drying plant (1) according to one of Claims 1 to 5 , characterized in that the box modules (2) are formed symmetrically or asymmetrically. Round bale drying plant (1) according to one of Claims 1 to 6 , characterized in that on the / each opening (3) an intermediate ring (12) can be placed. Round bale drying plant (1) according to one of Claims 1 to 7 , characterized in that a bulk material container (10) can be placed directly on the opening (3) or on an adapter ring placed on the opening. Round bale drying plant (1) according to one of Claims 1 to 8th , characterized in that it is equipped with sensors, in particular moisture and / or temperature and / or air quantity sensors, and with a control the round bale drying plant (1) in accordance with measured by means of the sensors measured data control. Round bale drying plant (1) according to one of Claims 1 to 9 , characterized in that it is designed as a stationary system or that it is arranged on a chassis and designed as movable on this, mobile plant.

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