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Optimizing Your Grain Harvesting System

Optimizing Your Grain Harvesting System . Sam G. McNeill Extension Agricultural Engineer UKREC Princeton, KY 270-365-7541 x 213 smcneill@ca.uky.edu. Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering. Information for Combine(s). Harvesting rate (bu/h) Capacity of grain tank (bu)

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Optimizing Your Grain Harvesting System

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  1. Optimizing Your Grain Harvesting System Sam G. McNeill Extension Agricultural Engineer UKREC Princeton, KY 270-365-7541 x 213 smcneill@ca.uky.edu Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

  2. Information for Combine(s) • Harvesting rate (bu/h) • Capacity of grain tank (bu) • Unloading rate (bu/min) • Stationary/mobile unloading? • Up to 10 combines

  3. Data for Hauling Vehicle(s) • Type of vehicle • Cart, wagon, truck, trailer • Hauling capacity (bu) • Unloading rate (bu/min) • Travel time from field to bins • Up to 20 trucks

  4. End of Day Operation

  5. Elevator Delivery Option

  6. On-Farm Handling Equipment • Receiving pit/hopper (bu) • Wet grain auger/leg (bu/h) • Wet holding bin (bu) • Dry grain conveyor/leg (bu/h) • Surge bin (between dryer and leg/conveyor) (bu)

  7. Dryer Types • Storage only (no drying) • Bin Dryers (bu/d) • Layer • Batch/continuous -in-bin • High speed dryers (bu/h) • Automatic Batch • Continuous Flow

  8. Layer & Batch/Bin Dryers • Drying capacity (bu/day) • Size of bin/fan • Depth of grain • Drying air temp. / r.h. • Initial/final corn moisture • Unloading rate (b/h)

  9. Automatic Batch Dryers • Drying capacity (bu/h) • Drying air temp. / r.h. • Amount of air (cfm/bu) • Initial/final corn moisture • Holding capacity (bu) • Load/unload time (min)

  10. Continuous Flow Dryers • Drying capacity (bu/h) • Drying air temp. / r.h. • Amount of air (cfm/bu) • Initial/final corn moisture • Holding capacity (bu)

  11. Sizing Dryers • operate 20 hours/day for your harvest moisture • (20%+) allows for wet seasons /harvest pressure • Expl: for a harvest rate of 12,000 bu/day, select a 600 b/h dryer at 7-10 points of moisture removal

  12. Sizing Wet Holding Bins • Wet tanks should be large enough to hold ~ 1.5 x EOD capacity, for example… • Combine cap. = 12,000 bu/day • Dryer capacity = 8,000 bu in 20 h • Difference is 4000 bu/day • Wet tank should be 5000 bu

  13. Sizing Surge Bins • Base size on time to collect amount of dry grain x 1.2 • Expl: for a 300 b/h dryer that will be serviced by a 1500 b/h leg used to unload a 600 bu truck…the leg will need 24 min. to unload the truck • Surge bin should be 145 bu(0.4 h * 300 b/h * 1.2)

  14. Effect of component size on combine efficiency

  15. Conclusion • Use available computer programs to evaluate system performance • Good system design will be limited by the combine • Plan for future expansion so that equipment replacement / upgrades are cost effective

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