A recent study by the GRDC National Grain Storage Extension Team highlights a vital insight: relying on theoretical models for aeration fan performance isn’t enough — real-world testing is critical. Research involving backpressure and flow testing showed that fans with identical motor specifications performed very differently under typical storage conditions. In practical terms, at a backpressure of around 300 pascals (a level you’d encounter in around 100 tonnes of grain), airflow varied dramatically—from just 120 liters per second to as much as 360 L/s—depending solely on the fan’s impeller and housing design.
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The GRDC Grain Storage Extension team travelled extensively, gathering data on aeration performance in the field. The team tested some 48 different silo configurations with a range of fan types and with different grain types and depths.
Continue readingGRDC Grains Research Update, Online – Grain Storage update for the Western Region
Aeration, Back Pressure, fan performance, field testing, Fumigation, phosphine, Resistance, update, Venting, webinar
Continue readingGRDC Grains Research Update Online – Grain storage update for the Northern & Southern regions
GRDC Grains Research Update, Online – Grain Storage update for the Western Region. Including topics – Aeration, Back Pressure, Fan performance, Field testing, Fumigation, Phosphine Resistance, Venting.
Continue readingLocal study breathes fresh air into grain aeration
Key points
– Existing back-pressure data for aerating grain was largely developed in the Northern Hemisphere via studies that date back as far as the 1950s
– Flow rates vary depending on the back pressure exerted by different grain and storage systems
– A prototype test rig is under development to enable testing of local storage systems