Aeração automatizada de grãos em protótipo de silo metálico com tratamento do ar

Abstract

Superdrying of stored grains is a recurring problem that occurs with products stored mainly in central regions of Brazil, due to the prolonged period of drought. The need to use new technologies to improve the efficiency of grain storage has increased due to the search for better quality products, as well as the importance of reducing losses. Thus, the objective of this work was to carry out adaptation in prototypes of metallic silos of thermometry and hygrometry systems, aeration with automatic control and activation and atmospheric air rewetting system, through an expanded clay chamber saturated with water. The study consisted of two prototype silos called “conventional silo” and “humiaerated silo”. In the validation of the systems, the storage of corn was tested from 08/27 to 11/27/2021, coinciding with the end of the dry season, transition and beginning of the rainy season. The data collected by the thermometry and digital hygrometry system were stored in a database and later processed and analyzed, making comparisons with the grain moisture monitored during the experiment. The results obtained by the study indicated the effectiveness of the use of the air treatment system, where the "humiaerated silo" presented the control of temperature and relative humidity of the intergranular air in a more satisfactory way than the "conventional", presenting, in the end, content closest to commercially practiced, 13.91 and 12.90% bu, respectively. The prototypes, due to their very small scale, showed influence of the wall effect on the stored grain mass. With the use of the air humidification system, the aeration system, compared to the "conventional", presented a shorter operating time, allowing the reduction of expenses with electric energy. In the dry period, the humidified silo kept the water content of the grains stable, avoiding evaporative losses.