This invention in the field of grain drying, along with other particulates, provides an apparatus which dehumidifies air, then heats the air to relative low drying temperatures (95-160 Deg. F.), provides the dehumidified, heated air as process air to a system which uses the airflow as a transport method to fluidize the particulate matter and move the mixed process air and particles through a process column for drying. Once a particle reaches a designed moisture level, its mass will have been reduced, and that effect plus the velocity of the process air in the column will float the dried particle up and out of the column for further handling.

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for drying materials using hydrogen combustion exhaust. The system generally includes a hydrogen generator, a burner, and a drying chamber. The method generally includes burning hydrogen and directing the combustion exhaust to a drying chamber, wherein the heat from the combustion exhaust dries the material.

Potentially off-grid grain conditioners that can be operably connected to an aeration grain bin or silo to blow heated air through the crop to dry the crop or to blow ambient temperature air through the crop to cool it are disclosed. A fan is powered by a motor that may be mounted inside the air stream to allow the heat from the motor to be collected and forced into the airstream that is blown into the grain bin. The engine exhaust may be routed through an air exchanger to remove heat from the exhaust and direct heat into the grain bin, or the exhaust may be put into the atmosphere without capturing any of the heat, which allows the fan to operate in a cooling mode. The motor may be mounted inline or mounted to the side for a centrifugal aeration fan.

Drying of newly harvested grain wherein the grain has a preferred market moisture content target and the grain is heated and dried to within about four percent above the target and discharged at about 110° F. Thereafter, the grain is cooled to ambient by circulating ambient air at preferably one third of a cubic foot per minute per bushel through the grain thereby removing about two percent additional moisture. When required the grain is further dried to target moisture utilizing an equilibrium moisture process.

A system for drying grain in a storage bin, having an air injector for injecting external air into the bin interior to displace moist warm air toward an air extractor and the air extractor for extracting moist warm air from the bin interior and directing it outside the bin.

A grain bypass can be retrofit to an out auger of a grain bin. This allows for the transfer of grain, such as corn, from the grain bin to a portable auger and/or truck or other type of transfer vehicle. The grain bypass can be configured to instead divert grain down a second bypass path so as to substantially cleanout the grain bypass housing. The grain bypass includes a slide that can be inserted into the grain bypass in two separate positions so that the slide can always be contained within the system, and thus remain with the system at all times.

A grain dryer has an upper plenum in communication with a pair of heating columns. Each heating column has an inner boundary and an outer boundary being formed with a plurality of angled containment baffles configured to funnel grain down the heating column while allowing heated air to be drawn from the upper plenum through the grain. At least one fan takes a suction from the ductwork to draw heated air from the upper plenum through the heating column such that grain is exposed to heated air. The orientation of the containment baffles forming the inner boundary directs the flow of the heated air in a downward direction through an inner portion of a grain column between the inner boundary and the outer boundary, and the orientation of the containment baffles forming the outer boundary directs the heated air in an upwards direction in an outer portion of the grain column.

A grain dryer has pair of heating columns in communication with an upper plenum, and a pair of cooling columns in communication with a lower plenum. A heater is located between the lower plenum and the upper plenum, wherein air is heated by the heater as air in the lower plenum is pulled through the heater and into the upper plenum. As the grain flows into the cooling column, it is exposed to cooling air being pulled through the cooling column into the lower plenum. A cooling air bypass system having a plurality of bypass tubes brings bypass air into the lower plenum from outside the grain dryer without having the bypass air come into contact with the grain being cooled in the cooling section. The cooling air bypass system includes a grill with an adjustable damper to adjust the amount of bypass air that flows into the lower plenum.

A grain dryer has pair of heating columns in communication with an upper plenum, and a pair of cooling columns in communication with a lower plenum. A heater is located between the lower plenum and the upper plenum, wherein air is heated by the heater as air in the lower plenum is pulled through the heater and into the upper plenum. As the grain flows into the cooling column, it is exposed to cooling air being pulled through the cooling column into the lower plenum. Ductwork adjacent each heating column includes vertical sections arranged along a length of the grain dryer. Each vertical section has a fan located adjacent the uppermost horizontal level of the heating column. Each fan takes a suction from the ductwork to draw heated air from the upper plenum through the heating column.

A locking device for preventing freewheeling of an aeration fan rotor. The locking device comprises an elongated body having a predetermined length. The elongated body is adapted for being disposed through an opening of a fan housing containing the aeration fan rotor therein such that in a first position a first end portion of the elongated body is enabled to interact with the aeration fan rotor for preventing freewheeling of the aeration fan rotor and a second opposite end portion of the elongated body is placed outside the fan housing. The locking device further comprises means for holding the elongated body in the first position and a second position such that in the second position the first end portion of the elongated body is prevented from interacting with the aeration fan rotor.