Farming- Solutions
Moisture Monitoring During Grain Storage by Ergson GmbH Grain is a staple food of the world's popula on. The demand for grain is increasing steadily due to the growing world popula on. Providing people with high quality food is a strategic and important issue for a country. It plays a significant role in the growth and future of our popula on. Grain is nutri ous and low in water which makes it suitable for storage. However, during storage there is a high risk of quality losses. It is es mated that up to a third of the grain harvested is lost before consump on and sales. A er harvest, grain con nues to ripen. Moisture and thermal energy is released while the grain is stored in a closed container. This encourages the growth of mold fungus and insects. The two indicators temperature and humidity influence each other with regard to the shelf life and quality maintenance of grain. Warm and humid condi ons during storage promote early germina on, outgrowth and infesta on of mold and microorganisms. An increase in microorganisms means that the grain spoils rapidly. Fungi are a big problem because they produce toxins. In order to enable a long-term storage without quality losses, the grain must be kept in an ideal state. Monitoring physical quan es in the silo is of great importance in order to make an exact statement about the condi on of the grain and to introduced preven ve measures at the right me. Maintaining a certain humidity content inside the storage bin is important to prevent ro ng and fungal a acks. When a moisture development is recognized early, moisture-reducing measures such as drying, cooling and aera ng can be ini ated to protect the grain quality. Sensor monitoring systems for grain silos
help to keep the grain healthy and in good quality condi on over long me periods. Our GrainManagement System is a con nuous temperature and humidity monitoring system. The monitoring system consists of sensor cables and devices measuring the condi ons inside the storage bin. Sensor cables are suspended from the silo roof and are distributed evenly within the storage bin. The cable solu on allows the temperature and humidity values to be measured at different heights of the stored grain bulk during the en re storage period. The sensor cables are protected by an outer protec on tube. They are built to various lengths to match the silo height. The spacing between the sensors may be a standard distance or customized to match the installa on. The sensors are polled individually for their data. A Remote Terminal Unit (RTU) operates as an interface converter to digital sensors and other analog or digital signals. It is a unique equipment ideal as a signal converter between site sensors and PC.
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The measured data can be read from a local site control room or with a mobile device from anywhere via cloud. Our program informs you via computer, tablet or smartphone with alarms at the right me to protect your grain. Grain ro ng can thus be detected at an early stage. Pre-warning systems and informa on messages to the user offer great advantages in terms of economy, health and environmental protec on. Spoilage, breaking and shrinking of grains are avoided. The environment is protected with less waste, less use of chemicals and energy savings. Contamina on of the grain can be reduced or even avoided by predic ve monitoring.
