Lecture 23Site Selection

Layout and Design of Grain Storage Systems Two general (guiding) principles:  closed loop - deliver or receive grain from

same location.  expansion - able to expand from two to four

times the original capacity without violating the first principle

Site Selection well drained  accessible  room to expand  available fuel and electrical power  all weather roads  location in relation to residential housing  physical security

Developing a Plan scaled drawing  paper cutouts  bins, buildings, pit, bucket elevator, dryers,

augers, wet holding bins, surge bins, Dryeration bins, single axle trucks, tandem trucks, trailer trucks and tractors with wagons.

 lay in handling system

For each plan, ask the following:1.  Delivery vehicles move easily?  2.  Closed loop apply?  3.  Electrical power get there?  4.  Where will you place the LP tank?  5.  Solar orientation ok?  6.  Will equipment remain ABOVE water?  7.  Fans too much noise?  8.  Room to add feed processing equipment?  9.  Large enough for anticipated harvest rate?  10.  Are parts of system mismatched?  11.  Safe arrangement?  Blind spots?  12.  Expanded easily?

Planning - Summary

1.  Plan for 20 to 30 years 2.  Allow for 2 - 4 times expansion 3.  Bottleneck should be combine 4.  Move a building/ bin if in wrong place 5.  No out of the way spots 6.  Identify bottlenecks in system...     Perhaps spend $2000 on auger rather than 20,000 on a combine. 7.  Safe as possible

Basic Schemes Advantages Centralized:  Flexible  ease of expansion -

include any # bins / dryers  low labor requirement  meets needs of both large

and small operator

Disadvantages Centralized:  more skill required during

construction  larger initial investment

for handling equipment

Basic Schemes Circular Advantages  efficient handling of grain

with portable augers

Circular disadvantages  Expansion more difficult  best served if all bins are

the same size  2nd tier of bins requires

two staged augering  Delivery vehicles may

need to back out  If bucket elevator used,

will need to be taller

Circular DesignGiven these limitations, the following must be

specified before laying out a circular design:  present & future capacity as determined by the

max. # of bins of a given diameter that can be constructed on the circle

 eave height and roof slope of bins delivery conveyer geometry width of receiving area

Issues concerning expansion radius should be determined on potential

capacity,  NOT length of present auger   could a leg be installed later?   can a wet holding bin be installed or will you

need to use the pit for temporary wet holding storage?

  is there room for a portable dryer

Summary concerning circular arrangements total storage related to radius   45 degree auger slope is not preferred   auger length and degree slope = design

Flat Storage  rectangular buildings, forced into storage  portable equipment used to fill & empty  duct type aeration (above floor)  grain generally not placed "against wall

Flat Storage Advantages of Flat Storage  multipurpose facilities

Disadvantages of Flat Storage   shear strength is greatest

at floor   large open doors   aeration more difficult   insect and rodents

difficult to control   must fill completely right

away   use only with dry grain