PreprintArticleVersion 1Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed
Number of Sensors Needed to Achieve Reliable Aeration Cooling During the Fall Harvest and Monitoring of Grain Quality During the Non-Aerated Storage Period Based on Predicted Temperatures in a Grain Mass Using Cable-Based Sensors Versus Wireless Sensors a
Version 1
: Received: 24 July 2023 / Approved: 25 July 2023 / Online: 26 July 2023 (11:27:32 CEST)
How to cite:
Aby, G.R.; Maier, D.E. Number of Sensors Needed to Achieve Reliable Aeration Cooling During the Fall Harvest and Monitoring of Grain Quality During the Non-Aerated Storage Period Based on Predicted Temperatures in a Grain Mass Using Cable-Based Sensors Versus Wireless Sensors a. Preprints2023, 2023071806. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202307.1806.v1
Aby, G.R.; Maier, D.E. Number of Sensors Needed to Achieve Reliable Aeration Cooling During the Fall Harvest and Monitoring of Grain Quality During the Non-Aerated Storage Period Based on Predicted Temperatures in a Grain Mass Using Cable-Based Sensors Versus Wireless Sensors a. Preprints 2023, 2023071806. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202307.1806.v1
Aby, G.R.; Maier, D.E. Number of Sensors Needed to Achieve Reliable Aeration Cooling During the Fall Harvest and Monitoring of Grain Quality During the Non-Aerated Storage Period Based on Predicted Temperatures in a Grain Mass Using Cable-Based Sensors Versus Wireless Sensors a. Preprints2023, 2023071806. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202307.1806.v1
APA Style
Aby, G.R., & Maier, D.E. (2023). Number of Sensors Needed to Achieve Reliable Aeration Cooling During the Fall Harvest and Monitoring of Grain Quality During the Non-Aerated Storage Period Based on Predicted Temperatures in a Grain Mass Using Cable-Based Sensors Versus Wireless Sensors a. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202307.1806.v1
Chicago/Turabian Style
Aby, G.R. and Dirk E. Maier. 2023 "Number of Sensors Needed to Achieve Reliable Aeration Cooling During the Fall Harvest and Monitoring of Grain Quality During the Non-Aerated Storage Period Based on Predicted Temperatures in a Grain Mass Using Cable-Based Sensors Versus Wireless Sensors a" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202307.1806.v1
Abstract
Monitoring the quality of stored bulk grain is generally done using temperature cables hung from silo roofs. Little investigation has been done into the effects of number of sensors and their placement in terms of reliability of the monitoring system with regard to making stored grain quality management decisions. A previously developed 3D finite element simulation model was verified and used to investigate these aspects. In the first study, a silo was loaded with about 228.6 Mg (9000 bushels) of maize and six temperature cables were placed in the grain mass. The maize was aerated continuously for a period of two weeks, and the cable sensor temperatures were compared to the predicted temperatures which were in close agreement with the observed readings. The standard error of prediction ranged from 2.0 to 3.7°C. In the second study, 15 and 30 sensors were placed at manufacturer recommended depths and horizontal locations in the grain mass of three silo sizes (i.e., 11x11, 14.6x14.6 and 14.6x18.3 m diameter by eave height). The average grain temperatures predicted by the 15 and 30 sensors over a one-year simulation period were compared to the average grain temperatures predicted for the entire grain mass (1968, 3052, and 3204 mesh nodes). The number of sensors needed to monitor stored grain temperatures reliably in the three silo sizes investigated heavily depended on whether the aeration control strategy achieved a sufficiently low temperature by the time the aeration fans were turned off and sealed ahead of the non-aerated storage period. Fifteen or 30 sensors were sufficient to monitor grain temperatures during the aeration cooling period but for the two larger silo sizes more than 30 sensors would be needed during the storage period. As silo size increased, and surface-to-volume ratio decreased, grain temperatures remained lower during the storage period. Results support the best management practice recommendation of leaving cooled grain cold and not warming it up in the spring ahead of storage into the summer.
Keywords
Sensors; Aeration; Cool-down; Storage; Silo;
Subject
Engineering, Other
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
