A Low Temperature Grain Drying Experiment in an Artificially Reproduced Environment

Abstract

ABSTRACT LOW temperature drying is an accepted grain conditioning method, but it does have limitations. Because of low airflow rates and small quantities of supplemental heat used, it may take several weeks to dry a deep bin of grain. Ambient air conditions obviously play a major role in determining the rate of mois-ture removal. Extensive research in the central corn belt has provided most of the design criteria utilized in present day low temperature drying systems. These criteria, however, are based upon local weather and crop con-ditions, two factors which become less favorable for low temperature drying as one moves north of the major corn belt. For this reason, an experiment was conducted to deter-mine some of the modifications re-quired to successfully employ low temperature grain drying in Wiscon-sin.