How to Store Grains in Steel Silo in Winter

Winter is the coldest season of the year for grain storage that will enter into a critical period. How do you finish the job successfully in winter? It needs you to master storage techniques. Here we will tell you something about them.

Raw Material Selection

Through the process of engineering practice of steel silo, Flyer steel silo has summed up a set of measures to prevent and eliminate phenomenon of low temperature brittleness. These measures are based on a large number of theoretical results and experimental research on engineering practice, and relates to various processing stage of the design installation and transportation of steel silo.

The weather is very cold in winter, so steel properties at low temperatures will change greatly. Its brittleness will increase obviously, which brittle fracture may suddenly take place. That will make engineering application of steel silo be in great trouble. Seen from changes of mechanical properties of steel as temperature changes, for brittle fracture prevention design we find it dangerous that temperature is in the range of ductile-brittle transition. In this range, with changes of temperature, some ductility index of steel will change dramatically. In actual production process, you should fully consider the influence of temperature.

• Reduce the stress concentration caused by the structure and processing techniques;
• Reduce stress concentration: the method of reducing stress concentration is to improve the angle of anti-brittleness properties at low temperature and artificially adjust the stress state of component. To reduce the stress concentration of the structure, the change can make the temperature reduce in the ductile-brittle transition. That is to say, to reduce the risk of brittle cracks of the component. 
• For steel, cold working will cause cold deformation, therefore in the process it is not allowed to make steel over-hardening and cause crack defects, scratches, etc.

Temperature

In winter, grain temperature control is very important, which is the key to safe storage of grain silo. The temperature of outer silo is very low, so most of people would think that grain silo isn’t necessary and appropriate for ventilation. However, the truth is grain silo ventilation in winter is still the most important thing. The storage of grain silo at low temperature is more popular storage method for many countries, which makes full use of winter cold resource and prevents high loss of low temperature.

For new grain, due to its strong respiratory function and relatively higher moisture and temperature, it should be timely ventilated and cooled, and reduce the moisture content. When the weather is cold, there is great difference between inner and outer grain silo, so we should add ventilation frequency, combined with deep plowing the surface of the grain to prevent dewing. We can also insert ventilation pipes into grain for ventilation. Mechanical ventilation is better selection for the silo.

We should make cold air flow through grain layers, which relatively keep grain temperature of each layer gradually stable from bottom to top till the April of next year is coming with the rise of temperature. Grain silo door should be closed insulation materials on the surface of, which can lock the temperature.

Input Quality of Grain

To ensure the quality of grain storage: we should master the knowledge of mildew. For example, high percent of moisture, impurities, imperfect grains are inclined to be easy to mildew and can’t have a long lifespan of storage. Therefore, to improve the input quality of grain storage is the key to safe storage of grain. Before storage, grain should be timely drying, sieving and winnowing. Relevant safety standards should be affirmed according to breed, season, area, climate conditions, etc.

The following is to take soybean as an example to tell the specific methods for long-term storage of grain.

Natural low temperature in winter for long-term storage of soybean

In winter, the same quality of soybean should be input into steel silo once till the silo is full. If the same soybean is input several times, this would cause condensation due to grain temperature difference. Before charging, soybean should be strictly cleaned, moisture lowered and the maximum impurities and particles removed. So the original low temperature of soybean in the silo can keep this till in May next year. Before temperature rises in the spring, we should prevent condensation from temperature difference caused by outer temperature and dampness invasion. Even at the highest temperature in July and August, soybean is not easily affected by outer high temperature and easy to maintain a stable temperature due to loose and dry. So although the surface temperature is higher, but lower part still maintains low temperature. At this time, as long as silo is carried out punctual test determination of temperature and humidity, soybean is safe in the whole summer. In November and December, the silo should be timely ventilated. But when ventilation, we should prevent condensation. Once condensation occurs, we should be timely treated. If no ventilation equipments, we can transfer soybean from the silo to another one for cooling in order to fully reduce the temperature.

Make use of high temperature to promote ripening and increase oil yield

According to normal biology growth rhythm, newly harvested soybean must be stored for some time, which can enable it to complete physiological maturity and mature technology. After the ripening, a variety of low molecular substances continues to compounds with synthetic polymer amino acid decreased, protein increased, fat acid reduced and fat increased. At this time, the soybean is stored for some time at high temperature and in humidity environment, which can promote the further ripening and improve its oil yield. Thereafter, the soybean acquired from winter can be met good requirements through high temperature and low humidity.

Drying process should be based on the soybean moisture by presetting reasonable temperature and time. After drying, soybean should be stored in a grain silo at temperature of 20℃ for one month. After completion, its oil content can be increased by more than 0.8%, and oil yield can be increased by 1.3%.