Ecological efficiency of post-harvest processing of grain during the use of combined solar and wind energy systems

Abstract

With increasing production of cereals and legumes, the amount of energy used during their post-harvest processing increases, and, consequently, greenhouse gas emissions from the consumption and production of such energy increase. Since post-harvest processing of grain is one of the energy-intensive processes in agricultural production, and the greatest use of energy in this process is grain drying, the purpose of this study is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from electricity consumption in post-harvest processing of grain by using combined solar and wind energy systems meeting the needs of low-temperature drying of grain. Installations that use this process are active ventilation hoppers. Power supply of such systems is accompanied by indirect emissions of carbon dioxide from electricity consumption. It is established that one of the ways to reduce the emission of such gases, as well as to ensure the reliability and energy efficiency of low-temperature grain drying in active ventilation systems is the use of wind energy and solar radiation. To compare environmental efficiency, it was determined that the criterion for the effectiveness of combined solar and wind energy systems to improve the process of lowtemperature drying of grain is a direct environmental criterion for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from electricity consumption. It is established that the ecological effect of reducing carbon dioxide emissions depends on the levels of autonomy of the use of combined solar and wind energy systems and the amount of electricity consumed in the process of lowtemperature drying of grain. Theoretically, it is calculated that the use of such systems for the supply of active ventilation bunkers can reduce greenhouse gas emissions from 122.7 to 16,564.5 kg·CO2 with lowtemperature drying of grain from 25 to 225 tonnes of grain per year. The practical value of this study is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions during low-temperature drying of grain through the use of combined solar and wind energy systems