Oilseed Rape Drying, Storage & Cooling

Posted in: , on 20. May. 2010 - 00:09

Hello, I am new here.

I have moved jobs to a grain store in the UK which has had historic problems with OSR setting in silos and bridging over the discharge hoppers. The silos are flat bottomed, and range in size from 1500 to 3500 metric tonnes. There is no access to flat stores.

I have been set on to establish a best practice protocol for staff to follow with regard to drying, storage and cooling of OSR to try to reduce problems for the 2010 harvest.

It is my suspicion that OSR has been insufficiently cooled when stored after drying, which has led to condensation then growth, mould, mites etc...

There have also been problems with heating of OSR silos during storage. Would I be correct in blaming microflora and their respiration for the temperature rises?

Does anybody have any experience in grain storage?

Any comments would be greatly appreciated. ■

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Re: Oilseed Rape Drying, Storage & Cooling

Posted on 20. May. 2010 - 04:44

I have no experience with grain, but a bit of experience with commercial composting operations. If you have organic bulk material with the correct amount of moisture and air, the "bugs" will take off and there is a particular temperature rise then fall as the material and/or air is consumed. I suspect this is what you are getting.

Spontaneous combustion can occur in some materials but you would see that as an ash like substance when you reclaim. ■

Re: Oilseed Rape Drying, Storage & Cooling

Posted on 23. May. 2010 - 09:31

Teus,

Many thanks for the link. It suggests that any heating after drying is likely to be due to moisture ingress and the resultant proliferation of bacterial/fungal organisms, which is what I had suspected.

Many thanks again.

O ■

Re: Oilseed Rape Drying, Storage & Cooling

Posted on 7. Jun. 2010 - 09:23

Dear oilseed,

it is common practice to provide aeration ducting in silos, to cool content over the first fresh fall nights. We can forward by Email photo of typical arrangement of vibrating floor & ducting for rapeseed storage.

all the best

Jean-Claude Poncet

Silexport International ■

Re: Oilseed Rape Drying, Storage & Cooling

Posted on 8. Jul. 2010 - 10:18
Quote Originally Posted by Laidig SystemsView Post
We have installed some units at Cargill in Amsterdam and France to handle oilseed rape meal and they have no issues with this.

I thought he was handling seed not meal, or did I miss something ■