AgEnergy

Grain Drying

Grain dryers are generally divided into batch and continuous flow type dryers. Dryers can be operated at high temperatures using propane or natural gas or other fuels to heat the air or use unheated ambient air or low temperature air that is heated up 10°F using solar heating or an electric resistance heater. Continuous flow dryers are usually described by the air flow path in relation to the grain flow hence grain dryers have names that include cross flow, concurrent flow, counter flow and mixed flow.

Dr. Dirk Maier and Dr Fred Bakker-Arkema have written a paper, Grain Drying Systems, that was presented at the 2002 Facility Design Conference of the Grain Elevator & Processing Society which provides a good overview of drying concepts, drying system considerations and a brief discussion of the different dryers types and the some of the advantages and limitations for each dryer type. The paper can be accessed at http://www.abe.iastate.edu/AE469_569/GrainDryingPaper.pdf.

If you have information you think would be useful to this site please contact
Scott Sanford, Senior Outreach Specialist, University of Wisconsin, sasanford@wisc.edu.