Grain cooling studies—I: Observations during a large scale refrigeration test on damp grain

Abstract

The paper describes one of the first refrigerated grain stores in Britain. A refrigeration unit, totalling 25 h.p. was used to chill wheat and barley in ten, 100-ton (101·6 metric tonne) silo bins to 15–21°C below ambient temperatures, at a 3800 ton (3860 metric tonne) grain store. The volume of air required for chilling varied from 750 ft 3 of air/ft 3 of damp grain to 1120 ft 3 of air for dry grain (750–1120 m 3 air/m 3 grain). The rate of chilling depended mainly upon the rate of airflow and the evenness of air distribution, and was faster in damp grain than in dry grain. High initial grain temperatures did not noticeably extend the cooling period. The germinative power of wheat, at 16 to 22 per cent moisture content, fell appreciably during storage for two months and some grain surrounding the ducts was dampened and infested by mites.