Mass exchange in adjacent layers of grain material stored in silo
,
 
,
 
 
 
More details
Hide details
1
Department of Food Engineering and Machinery.University of Agriculture, Doświadczalna 44,20-236 Lublin, Poland
 
2
School of Engineering, Ontario Agric. College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G2W1, Canada
 
 
Acceptance date: 1997-12-09
 
 
Int. Agrophys. 1998, 12(2): 103-108
 
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
The paper presents the results of a study on the process of moisture diffusion during barley grain storage in a grain storage silo. The moisture migration was caused by concentration gradient. The study was conducted using a model test station and consisted in the measurement of barley grain moisture and temperature in a silo, and in measuring the pressure exerted by the grain bulk on the silo wall. Analysis of the results showed that none of the parameters studied was stable. It was found that when the grain moisture content applied was 16% in the bottom layer and 10% in the upper layer the average value of grain moisture content in the silo increased from 13.2% to 14.1% over the ten days of the process, while with reverse positioning of the layers in the silo the corresponding increase reached 13.8%. This was due to additional precipitation of water in the course of the process of grain respiration. Moisture diffusion caused an increase in the temperature of the grain within the silo (up to 33°C at ambient temperature of 16°C). Another important effect of the moisture diffusion was the swelling of grains, which caused an increase in the pressure of the barley grain bulk against the silo wall. The highest increase in the wall load was observed at the boundary line between layers of grain of different moisture content levels. The changes in the values of the parameters under study were described by means of regression equations.
eISSN:2300-8725
ISSN:0236-8722
Journals System - logo
Scroll to top