Farmer Roy's Random Thoughts - I never said it was easy.

[Farmer Roy]

Automatic Controllers
Aeration | Silo Aeration | Shed Aeration | Temporary Storage | Automatic Controllers

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Aeration Protects Stored Grain Quality
GRAINSAFE-5000 AERATION-FAN CONTROL Protect stored grain & seed against heating, moisture and insect damage
BENEFITS

• 
  Earlier start of harvesting operations
• More harvesting hours each day
• Grain QUALITY protected during storage
• Lower-risk holding of over-moisture grain

HOW IT WORKS
The Grainsafe-5000 Aeration-Fan Controller monitors air humidity & temperature at the storage site. It uses this information to decide when to run aeration fans on grain storages. The controller generates INDEPENDENT fan-control signals for each storage/silo. These signals control hardware supplying electricity to fans.

On auto-control, the unit selects the ‘best available’ air (based on ‘wet-bulb’ temperature) to protect grain & seed quality after harvest and during storage. The system uses both temperature AND humidity in it’s decision-making. This ‘Wet-Bulb-Temperature’ control allows more effective protection of grain than systems which use ‘dry-bulb’ temperature.

Features of the Grainsafe-5000 aeration-fan controller include:

• Large-format TOUCHSCREEN for operator control interface
• Independent control of each storage on both Manual & Automatic
• A Full-Auto mode to manage aeration from harvest through to out-load
• Built in time-delays between storages to reduce start-up current demand
• Optional DRY function - Only suits HIGH air-flow-rates ‘drying silos’
• Pre-programmed air-flow-rate for each storage to control fan-run-hours
• Simple upgrading/trouble-shooting via USB port on front panel

FAN-CONTROL CABINETS
Most sites purchase a pre-assembled FAN CONTROL CABINET which includes a Grainsafe-5000 aeration-fan controller. These cabinets are individually designed to best suit site needs. Fan-control cabinets include:

• Electrical hardware (e.g. contactors/overloads) installed & pre-wired
• Lockable door/s & personal-safety-protection hardware
• Re-settable electronic fan-hour meters - more reliable than mechanical Site electrician supplies & instals any hardware required outside the cabinet e.g. cabling & isolating switches. Electrician runs power (mains or GenSet) into cabinet & cabling to individual silos

 

[Blaithin]

Pretty sure around here they're still on the Plug in to turn on, Unplug to turn off, boat. No automated stuff

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Just watched a neat video clip on bin aeration. Complete opposite of what I think most guys at work seem to do... I'll have to pay more attention next year and see!

That's completely logical when you hear the reasoning. I think most farms here that dry grain largely have it running non-stop, but not too sure as there aren't many this far south.

 

[Kiwi Pete]

any excuse, they'll use it, the penises

Penii?

 

[Blaithin]

That's completely logical when you hear the reasoning. I think most farms here that dry grain largely have it running non-stop, but not too sure as there aren't many this far south.

It does when you hear him explain it! But you've seen how low our humidity gets here in summer. It's hard to get your head around the fact that 16% humidity and high temps can put more moisture into your grain than it takes out...

I know many farmers try not to run it on rainy days with high humidity. Which seems to make sense to me, you're not wanting to pull moisture from outside into the bin. However I do think a lot tend to shut off the aeration at night unless the grain has gone into the bin hot and they're trying to cool it down. I want to say something about the idea of dew point and stuff.

Like I said, something I'll have to pay attention to this fall! I may have to go on a more in-depth search about outside humidity affecting grain moisture levels. The temperature difference is making sense after that video, but how much does a high humidity day affect the grain.

 

[Kiwi Pete]

It does when you hear him explain it! But you've seen how low our humidity gets here in summer. It's hard to get your head around the fact that 16% humidity and high temps can put more moisture into your grain than it takes out...

I know many farmers try not to run it on rainy days with high humidity. Which seems to make sense to me, you're not wanting to pull moisture from outside into the bin. However I do think a lot tend to shut off the aeration at night unless the grain has gone into the bin hot and they're trying to cool it down. I want to say something about the idea of dew point and stuff.

Like I said, something I'll have to pay attention to this fall! I may have to go on a more in-depth search about outside humidity affecting grain moisture levels. The temperature difference is making sense after that video, but how much does a high humidity day affect the grain.

Yeah, it's exceptionally damp down here, I think you would instantly be aware of it if you suddenly teleported here.
We are basically almost always over 80% humidity, right now we are sitting on 78% and 29.4°, to give you an indication (as this is about harvest time, re. my spaz about that jock, this time yesterday).
Dew is always heavy, unless the wind dries it off my boots will be soaked if I walk 100 yds through my pasture.

So that puts pressure on driers and pockets as well, simply put it's not viable to put the bulk of your harvest through a drier here - hence the lack of cropping in marginal areas - it's more of a Southland plains/Canterbury plains thing for this reason.
They get more wind and warmer wind at that - down here the trend has either been heavy fungicide use (or undersowing with prostrate white clover varieties to regulate the amount of water under the canopy) otherwise it's all very tough, unless you get a good March

 

[Kiwi Pete]

See, I called it "tough", you taught me well Grasshopper

 

[Blaithin]

Humidity is an odd thing... As is dew point. I've never sat down and tried to figure that one out.

You're at 78% at 29.4.
I'm at 77% at -22.

I'll have to check what the humidity is the next time we have a "damp cold" day. That's what everyone says is worse than a dry cold, but 77% humidity isn't even all that dry!

(Just checked the weather at work and it's 92% and -15. Take that UK people who talk like they're the only ones who get damp cold!)

 

[Farmer Roy]

err, 92 % sounds pretty damp to me, be very sticky & uncomfortable at 35 C.


22 % at 35 C
dew point is 10 C ( min is 21 C today )

 

[Blaithin]

I may have blown through the 5-10 sentences part on this assignment

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Just had a look on my BS weather app and the dew point here goes from 10° in the morning to about 15° at 4pm
The humidity fluctuates between 57% and 97% in that time - and the temperature only ranges from 14-25, yet we still have dews.

So they don't know Jack, that's the first thing I know
I don't either, so that's two things.....

 

[Kiwi Pete]

err, 92 % sounds pretty damp to me, be very sticky & uncomfortable at 35 C.


22 % at 35 C
dew point is 10 C ( min is 21 C today )

It is uncomfortable when it reaches that sort of temp here: firstly it is little cooler in the shade than in the sun, secondly you sweat profusely but it doesn't evaporate enough to cool you down.
I drink 6 litres of water almost every day, plus about 8 big coffees, plus an alcoholic beverage - and I may pee 3 times

I think the humidity affects how the sun "hits you" ie we have really high skin cancer rates because people don't cover - yet it seems to affect those in drier sunnier climates less?
Some of it will be genetic, some tanning, but also I think the humidity/sweat behaves like baby oil .

 

[Blaithin]

Aren't you under a hole in the ozone layer?

 

[Farmer Roy]

It is uncomfortable when it reaches that sort of temp here: firstly it is little cooler in the shade than in the sun, secondly you sweat profusely but it doesn't evaporate enough to cool you down.
I drink 6 litres of water almost every day, plus about 8 big coffees, plus an alcoholic beverage - and I may pee 3 times

I think the humidity affects how the sun "hits you" ie we have really high skin cancer rates because people don't cover - yet it seems to affect those in drier sunnier climates less?
Some of it will be genetic, some tanning, but also I think the humidity/sweat behaves like baby oil .

yes, ive heard anecdotal claims that seasoned Queenslanders get sun burnt / heat affected in Tassie, even though the max temps are lower, something to do with latitude, altitude, humidity etc . . .

 

[Farmer Roy]

I think we collectively have very high rates of skin cancer partly due to our position on the globe & under the hole in the ozone layer . . .

 

[Blaithin]

I read an article somewhere about diet and heavy use of sunscreen might play a bigger role in skin cancer than the actual sun. I'll see if I can go find the link...

Seemed an out there view but it did make a person think.

 

[Farmer Roy]

I know I got burnt on my arms & legs in the Snowy high country over Christmas, & I don't here with much higher temps ( not really burnt, just red for a few hours then went a bit darker )

 

[Farmer Roy]

I read an article somewhere about diet and heavy use of sunscreen might play a bigger role in skin cancer than the actual sun. I'll see if I can go find the link...

Seemed an out there view but it did make a person think.

I wont wear sunscreen because I don't want any of those chemicals on my skin, especially when its hot & the pores are so open. I also think it makes you feel hotter. I am also firmly in favour of covering the skin if any chance of burning, besides, a long sleeved cotton shirt is much cooler & more comfortable than the sun directly blazing down on bare skin
there is a reason the desert Arabs covered themselves up completely . . .
and why northern Australian ringers wear long sleeved collar shirts, broad brimmed hats & jeans instead of tshirts & shorts . . .

 

[Kiwi Pete]

yes, ive heard anecdotal claims that seasoned Queenslanders get sun burnt / heat affected in Tassie, even though the max temps are lower, something to do with latitude, altitude, humidity etc . . .

Most North Islanders who emigrate to the right island end up bitching about the cold, and the sun, and then move to Aussie

 

[Blaithin]

https://www.outsideonline.com/2380751/sunscreen-sun-exposure-skin-cancer-science?

So it's point is mostly that we're making ourselves less healthy by depriving ourselves of Vitamin D.

Kind of makes sense, if you consider the sun as important to our health as it is to plants and photosynthesis. We need the sun to survive, so do plants. Has there been an increase in plant death and disease because the sun has stronger UV rays now?