5 Ways to Improve Grain Dryer Efficiency
As we prepare for harvest, I can’t help but think how this unusual spring will impact growers and not just from a yield perspective. Between a pushed back fall and the itch to get in the field, there will likely be higher than normal moisture levels harvested, making it more important than ever to improve your grain dryer efficiency. To ensure your drying equipment is running at peak efficiency and to prevent any downtime, check out these five simple tips.
1. Pre-season & in-season maintenance to improve grain dryer efficiency
- On portable dryers, check for any obstructions that can interrupt the grain flow in columns and meter rolls.
- For in-bin drying systems, make sure that the area under the bin floor allows for free movement of air and heat. Check the transition that connects the fan and heater to your bin for any leaks. This can have a major impact on efficiency.
- While the burner is running with grain in the columns, ensure you have a blue flame; a yellow flame indicates you are wasting gas.
- Consider emptying your dryer weekly during harvest to clean out the accumulation of fines and bee wings. These can reduce airflow costing you time and money.
2. Run plenum at a higher temperature
Many assume that reducing the plenum temperature when removing fewer points of moisture will save gas. The opposite is true. According to Gary Woodruff of GSI, turning the heat down takes more gas per bushel dried. To improve grain dryer efficiency, keep your plenum temperature high.
3. Verify moisture
Verify that the actual grain moisture matches your moisture control readings. This will help prevent the unnecessary expense of over-drying. The last few moisture points that remain in the drying process are the most expensive to remove on a cost per point basis.
4. Be mindful of different corn varieties
Kernel characteristics can vary which can affect dry down. Monitor your dryer closely when switching varieties so you can adjust the settings accordingly. This will help your dryer run efficiently.
5. Use multiple bins to improve grain dryer efficiency
When possible, transfer hot grain into storage bins to cool down. The process of cooling in-bin not only gets more bushels through the dryer each day, but it also helps in grain quality by reducing stress cracks. However, only 50,000-bushel bins or less should be used for cooling. Cooling requires ⅓ to ½ CFM of air per bushel: larger bins develop enough static pressure to make that outflow difficult to obtain.
If the fall shakes out like we think it will, minimizing downtime and maximizing dryer performance will be key. If you want more ways to improve grain dryer performance, reach out to our team of grain-handling experts.