Grain dryer moisture sensor

[Phil P]

Anyone fitted an aftermarket moisture sensor to their grain dryer? Or a recommendation for a basic system.
Our current dryer just works on grain temp then have to keep sampling the batch, trouble is air temp and moisture content means it’s a constant juggling act!

Thanks

 

[Steevo]

I fitted a Master sensor (RDS) to our Mecmar a few years ago. It’s ok as a guide but no more than that. I’m not sure I would want to recommend it.

Despite temperature compensation on it, it still seems to change as the dryer heats up, most especially I think because the steam being emitted through the grain and out the sides.

I doubt there is anything that will/can do it reliably. Mecmar much prefer the grain temperature as a more accurate method and I think they are right on that.

How do those with automatic batch dryers get on? I would think that’s fundamental to the system working effectively.

 

[goodevans]

Got one on my shivers which was meant to be wired in to compu- dry control panel but never has been,but not sure it is any better than temperature control,you just get the feel of it, itball averages out

 

[bravheart]

I fitted a Master sensor (RDS) to our Mecmar a few years ago. It’s ok as a guide but no more than that. I’m not sure I would want to recommend it.

Despite temperature compensation on it, it still seems to change as the dryer heats up, most especially I think because the steam being emitted through the grain and out the sides.

I doubt there is anything that will/can do it reliably. Mecmar much prefer the grain temperature as a more accurate method and I think they are right on that.

How do those with automatic batch dryers get on? I would think that’s fundamental to the system working effectively.

Used to have a wilder auto static batch. Worked OK as long as you understood that the grain next the flame was much drier than the grain on the outside but mixed when emptying to get an average.
You needed to know the inlet moisture as the wetter it was the longer it sat in the drier so the exhaust Temperature trigger had to be raised slightly.

 

[quattro]

Had a rds on a new master once never seemed very reliable last few dryers I never bothered getting it just use grain temp

 

[Clive]

have never come across a system that actually works

seems most dryers work on temperature setting and it varies season to season even varieties seem to need different settings

 

[bravheart]

Build up a database of type being dried against intended use, inlet temp, outlet temp and moisture in and out. You'll soon have a reasonable chance of setting the exhaust temperature

 

[Secret Agronomist]

Only temp seems to give you a good idea of moisture, none of these auto systems appear to work well. Best dryer control system ever was running a recirc batch drier with grain temp, reliable results no matter what goes in for a given grain and burner temp. Continuous dryers rely on a degree of averaging to run properly and constant adjustment can make them run worse, smal, adjustments and a long wait!

 

[Phil P]

Looks like I’m sticking with the temperature sensor then by the sounds of it. I just thought there would be a system that worked on actual moisture by now.

 

[Exfarmer]

during the drying process there is a huge moisture gradient in the grain and any system which does not grind it is going to be extremely insensitive

 

[Secret Agronomist]

Looks like I’m sticking with the temperature sensor then by the sounds of it. I just thought there would be a system that worked on actual moisture by now.

What kind of dryer?

 

[Tim G]

I worked for Masters, and fitted a few of the RDS moisture meters onto machines. The key to them was to calibrate them at the moisture % you wanted to achieve and then ignore it the rest of the time. People who did this got on fine with them. The trouble with them, in my opinion, was that people would fiddle with them. You would calibrate it at 14.5% say, at the end of a cycle, then someone would fill it with 18% grain, the moisture meter would read 20%. They would then think it was 2% out and either recalibrate it or mentally subtract 2% off the reading so would stop the burner when the meter read 16.5%. Those that followed the advice we gave got on fine with them, and you could set them up to automatically cut out the burner when they got to the target moisture.

 

[Phil P]

What kind of dryer?

Pedrotti/Master

 

[Secret Agronomist]

I worked for Masters, and fitted a few of the RDS moisture meters onto machines. The key to them was to calibrate them at the moisture % you wanted to achieve and then ignore it the rest of the time. People who did this got on fine with them. The trouble with them, in my opinion, was that people would fiddle with them. You would calibrate it at 14.5% say, at the end of a cycle, then someone would fill it with 18% grain, the moisture meter would read 20%. They would then think it was 2% out and either recalibrate it or mentally subtract 2% off the reading so would stop the burner when the meter read 16.5%. Those that followed the advice we gave got on fine with them, and you could set them up to automatically cut out the burner when they got to the target moisture.

So it is ok at a constant temperature with well mixed grain, going by grain temp works just as well but some people would probably find a moisture figure easier.

 

[Tim G]

So it is ok at a constant temperature with well mixed grain, going by grain temp works just as well but some people would probably find a moisture figure easier.

That's pretty much it, consistent temperature at calibration, which is why it was best at the end of the drying cycle when you wanted the accurate figure, but obviously the grain is a different temp at loading which is when the figure looked wrong.
It was a marmite product, those that did it properly and took time to get it right loved it. I remember one customer who got his wife to run the drier used to have each channel programmed for a different end moisture, so he told her which channel to put it on depending on where the grain was going, and she'd load it and then leave it to run itself.
But the grain temp setting was repeatable and consistent enough that the moisture meter wasn't really necessary.

 

[Alex72]

Wireless Sensor Spear - AgroLog

The Wireless Sensor Spear collects moisture and temperature data in a single device using wireless technology to provide real-time insights. It is connected to the Farmer App, which displays data collected from multiple spears placed in different locations and sends notifications whenever critical t

www.agrolog.io

Wonder if this would work?