Glacier FarmMedia – Being able to cool stored grain has taken on more importance in recent years, as growers push the limits of suitable harvesting conditions to maximize equipment efficiency.
So the older hopper bins without aeration that have been populating farmyards for decades now have limited uses, especially when it comes to storing grain harvested in less-than-ideal conditions. The cost and effort to upgrade them to aeration bins often makes that option unrealistic.
But growers now have a lower-cost option — one that’s easy to install and could give those older bins a lot of added value.
Read Also
Interest in biological crop inputs continues to grow
It was only a few years ago that interest in alternative methods such as biologicals to boost a crop’s nutrient…
The compact Wavcor Manhole system inserts a short length of ducting through existing manhole covers on bin hoppers. It provides an easy, bolt-on way to get airflow through stored grain — and doesn’t require any cutting or modifying of the bin.
“It makes it very easy to install, and it still moves out of the way,” says Jason Griffith, an engineer at Wavcor. “You just remove the two locking bars and move it out of the way so you can still get into the bin and clean it out.”
The Saskatoon company provides a flexible connection that allows connection of a fan to the Manhole system without it being bolted to the bin, keeping installation and removal fast and easy.
“We don’t mount the fan right to it, so we provide an air sock, so you can run it to whatever fan you have sitting there,” Griffith says. “The idea of that is it makes it easy to get in the bin. You don’t have to unbolt and move a fan every time you want to get into the bin.”
The duct work on the system extends close to the centre of the bin, but not quite all the way, because when grain flows out of the bin it’s pulled down through the centre. Keeping the duct work out of that downward flow minimizes the pressure that would be applied to it when removing grain.
”If this was any longer, it would protrude into that flow of grain and you’d have a lot of force put on this thing,” Griffith says.
That also allows for a lighter design, making it easier to install and remove. Despite its limited ducting, it can still provide significant cooling airflow. How much depends on the fan you use.
“We have our 20-horsepower air fan,” Griffith says. “On the 3,000-bushel bin we did testing on we were getting over 3,000 c.f.m. (cubic feet per minute) of air flow. Now if you have a three-horsepower fan on there, you’re going to get a lot less airflow.
“Where this is good is if you have that old 2,000- or 3,000-bushel bin you don’t want to get rid of in case you need the space, but you’re also scared to use it because you can’t get any air in there. This gives you an option without spending very much money and doing a big upgrade. You can get air into that bin and have peace of mind when you put grain in it.”
The Wavcor system could also make a good fit with smooth-wall fertilizer bins. It could allow for airflow when grain is stored in them, where permanent ductwork would be corroded by contact with the fertilizer. The system could be removed when fertilizer is stored in the bin and reinstalled when used for grain.
In bins used to store cleaned seed, it eliminates the need to go into an aeration bin and clean out permanent ducting to avoid contamination from whatever was in the bin previously.
“We promote this for cooling the grain, not drying the grain,” Griffith adds. “You could do drying with it, but that one side of the bin is probably going to dry faster than the other.”
Retail price for the Wavcor Manhole system is $1,190, and it’s available in different sizes to match common round or square manhole sizes. The systems are currently being sold directly from Wavcor, which can be contacted directly through its website at Wavcor.ca.
