“We dry the grain to 13% to be sure that it is dry enough to store for a longer time. This is very costly and also reduces the drying capacity in tonnes of grain per day,” said Fredrik Blad, chief executive officer of Varaslättens Lagerhus. “With the IDC, we will speed up the capacity, and at the same time, reduce the energy costs.”
With the IDC, the average outgoing moisture content of the grain is maintained at an even level despite large variations in incoming moisture content, said Rolf Andersson, technical manager at TORNUM. There is no need for manual adjustments during the drying process; the user can easily choose the drying recipe and the system takes care of the process.
Relying on manual methods of drying means there is a risk of not reaching the desired moisture content levels, TORNUM said, as well as the risk of overdrying. Overstepping the mark by drying to 13% instead of 14% can typically add up to 20% to an energy bill, while simultaneously reducing a dryer’s capacity by up to 16%.
