KR102418885B1 - Machine for drying forage and method for drying forage using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The roughage drying apparatus of the present invention comprises: a roughage conveying unit for conveying the input forage in a specified direction; a drying unit for providing hot air to the forage transfer unit; a temperature measuring unit for measuring the temperature of the roughage; and a control unit set to receive the temperature measurement data of the roughage from the temperature measurement unit, and adjust the temperature or intensity of the hot air provided from the drying unit or the transport speed of the roughage conveying unit based on the temperature measurement data have.

Description

Roughage drying apparatus and roughage drying method using the same

The present invention relates to a roughage drying method, and more particularly, to a roughage drying apparatus and a roughage drying method using the same.

Herbivores of livestock farms must consume supplementary feed and forage, such as hay or rice straw, in addition to grain feed and concentrated feed. This is because forage contains a large amount of fiber that cannot be consumed in grain feed or concentrated feed.

However, hay production in Korea is mostly dependent on imports, as it is difficult to achieve stable hay production due to frequent rainfall at harvest time. Accordingly, there is a need for an apparatus and method for drying forage that is easy to manufacture in a domestic climatic environment for industrialization and to expand the use of domestic forage.

A key technique for producing a generally known high-quality forage is to minimize nutrient loss. Unlike silage, hay is a method to improve the storability of forage by rapidly lowering the moisture content. To this end, an apparatus and method capable of rapidly lowering the moisture content of the roughage are required, and it is very important to ensure that the roughage of the desired moisture content is constantly produced.

An object of the present invention is to provide a roughage drying apparatus and a roughage drying method thereof for changing the drying method of the roughage step by step based on the drying temperature of the roughage.

The roughage drying apparatus of the present invention includes a roughage conveying unit for conveying the input forage in a specified direction, a drying unit for providing hot air to the roughage conveying unit, a temperature measuring unit for measuring the temperature of the forage, and the temperature measuring unit of the forage from the Receive the temperature measurement data, based on the temperature measurement data may include a control unit set to adjust the transfer speed or the temperature or intensity of the hot air provided from the drying unit for the forage transfer unit.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the control unit may control the drying unit to reduce the temperature or strength of the hot air when the temperature of the forage is changed to a specified temperature value or more.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the control unit calculates the moisture content of the roughage based on the temperature measurement data, and when the moisture content is changed to less than a specified moisture value, to reduce the temperature or intensity of the hot air The dryer can be controlled.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the control unit may control the roughage transfer unit to reduce the feed rate of the forage when the temperature of the forage is less than or equal to a specified temperature value.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the control unit calculates the moisture content of the roughage based on the temperature measurement data, and when the moisture content is greater than or equal to a specified moisture value, the roughage conveying unit to reduce the conveying speed of the roughage can be controlled

In one embodiment of the present invention, the roughage transfer unit, a first conveyor for transferring the first roughage in a first direction, is disposed under the first conveyor, the second forage delivered from the first conveyor to the A second conveyor for transporting in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and a third conveyor disposed under the second conveyor and transporting a third forage delivered from the second conveyor in the first direction can do. This is exemplary, and the forage transfer unit may include four or more stages of conveyors.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the temperature measuring unit, a first temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the first forage moving on the first conveyor, measuring the temperature of the second forage moving on the second conveyor It may include a second temperature sensor, and a third temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the third roughage moving on the third conveyor.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the control unit controls the first conveyor to reduce or stop the transfer of the transfer speed of the first conveyor when the temperature of the first forage is less than or equal to a first reference temperature, When the temperature of the second roughage exceeds the first reference temperature and is less than or equal to the second reference temperature, the second conveyor is controlled to reduce the conveying speed of the second conveyor or to stop conveying, and the temperature of the third roughage is the second reference temperature. When the second reference temperature is greater than or equal to the third reference temperature, the third conveyor may be controlled to reduce the transfer speed of the third conveyor or to stop the transfer.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the drying unit, a drying housing forming a drying space to surround the forage transfer unit, a hot air generator for generating hot air supplied to the drying housing, hot air from the hot air generator to the first conveyor a first supply duct for transferring the hot air, a second supply duct for transferring hot air from the hot air generator to the second conveyor, a third supply duct for transferring hot air from the hot air generator to the third conveyor, and residual heat of the drying housing It may include a circulation duct for recovering the hot air generator.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the controller controls the hot air generator to increase the temperature or intensity of the hot air delivered to the first supply duct when the temperature of the first roughage is less than or equal to the first reference temperature, When the temperature of the second roughage exceeds the first reference temperature and is less than or equal to the second reference temperature, the hot air generator is controlled to increase the temperature or intensity of the hot air transmitted to the second supply duct, and the temperature of the third roughage is the second reference temperature. When the second reference temperature is lower than the third reference temperature, the hot air generator may be controlled to increase the temperature or intensity of the hot air transmitted to the third supply duct.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the control unit, when the temperature of the third roughage exceeds the third reference temperature, control the hot air generator to reduce the temperature or intensity of the hot air delivered to the third supply duct can do.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the roughage drying apparatus may further include a forage supply unit for supplying the forage to one end of the forage transfer unit. The roughage supply unit, an input unit for removing foreign substances from the roughage and cutting the roughage to a specified size, an input conveyor for moving the roughage from the input unit to the roughage conveying unit, and a specified height supplied to the roughage conveying unit and It may include a dispenser for aligning the roughage to have a specified density.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the roughage drying apparatus may further include a roughage recovery unit for packaging the dry roughage discharged from the roughage transfer unit after drying is completed in a designated unit.

The present invention relates to a method for drying roughage using a roughage drying device, wherein the roughage drying device includes a roughage conveying unit that transports the input forage in a specified direction, a drying unit that provides hot air to the roughage conveying unit, and measuring the temperature of the roughage A temperature measuring unit, and a control unit operatively connected to the roughage transfer unit, the drying unit and the temperature measuring unit, wherein the roughage drying method includes a roughage supply step of supplying the forage to the roughage conveying unit, by the drying unit A heating step of providing hot air to the roughage conveying unit, a temperature measuring step of measuring the temperature of the forage moving on the roughage conveying unit, and based on the temperature measurement data of the roughage measured from the temperature measuring unit, by the control unit , It may include a control step of adjusting the transfer speed of the forage transfer unit or the temperature or intensity of the hot air provided from the drying unit.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the control step, when the temperature of the roughage is less than or equal to a specified temperature value, reducing the transport speed of the forage conveying unit or increasing the temperature or intensity of the hot air in the drying unit may include .

In one embodiment of the present invention, the control step, when the temperature of the roughage exceeds a specified temperature value, increasing the conveying speed of the roughage conveying unit or reducing the temperature or intensity of the hot air in the drying unit can

In an embodiment of the present invention, the roughage transfer unit is a first conveyor for transferring a first forage, a second conveyor for transferring the second forage delivered from the first conveyor, and a third transferred from the second conveyor A third conveyor for transferring the roughage, and the temperature measuring step may include measuring the temperature of each of the first roughage, the second roughage, and the third roughage.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the control step, when the temperature of the first roughage is less than the first reference temperature, reducing the transport speed of the first conveyor, the temperature of the hot air supplied to the first conveyor and It may include increasing the intensity.

In an embodiment of the present invention, in the controlling step, when the temperature of the second forage is greater than the first reference temperature and less than or equal to the second reference temperature, the conveying speed of the second conveyor is reduced, and the It may include increasing the temperature and intensity of the supplied hot air.

In an embodiment of the present invention, in the controlling step, when the temperature of the third roughage is greater than the second reference temperature and less than or equal to the third reference temperature, the transport speed of the third conveyor is reduced, and the increasing the temperature and intensity of the supplied hot air, and when the temperature of the third roughage exceeds the third reference temperature, increasing the transport speed of the third conveyor, and the hot air supplied to the third conveyor reducing the temperature and intensity.

According to the present invention, by changing the drying method of the roughage step by step based on the temperature of the roughage, the optimum drying method can be applied according to the state of the roughage, so that the efficiency is increased, and thus the drying cost can be reduced.

1 is a block diagram showing an apparatus for drying forage according to an embodiment.
2 is a block diagram showing a forage supply unit according to an embodiment.
3 is a block diagram showing a forage transfer unit according to an embodiment.
4 is a block diagram illustrating a drying unit according to an exemplary embodiment.
5 is a view showing an exemplary forage drying apparatus according to an embodiment.
6 is an enlarged view showing the distributor of FIG. 5 in detail.
7 is a flowchart illustrating a method for drying forage according to an embodiment.
8 is a graph showing the relationship between the moisture content of the roughage and the temperature of the roughage over time when hot air of a specified temperature is constantly provided according to an embodiment.
9 is a graph showing a result of measuring the time taken to dry alfalfa with different moisture content according to an embodiment of the present invention.
10 is a result showing the change in the moisture content measured in the process of drying alfalfa having a moisture content of 82 wt% according to an embodiment of the present invention.
11 to 13 are photographs illustrating dried alfalfa according to an exemplary embodiment.

Hereinafter, a roughage drying apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Prior to this, the terms used in the present specification and claims should not be construed as being limited in the dictionary meaning, and based on the principle that the inventor can appropriately define the concept of the term to describe his invention in the best way. , should be interpreted as meanings and concepts consistent with the technical spirit of the present invention.

Exemplary embodiments described above in the detailed description, drawings, and claims are not intended to be limiting, and other embodiments may be used, and other changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the technology disclosed herein. .

Therefore, the configurations shown in the embodiments and drawings described in this specification are only preferred embodiments of the present invention, and do not express all the technical ideas of the present invention, so various equivalents that can be substituted for them at the time of the present application It should be understood that water and variations may exist.

A person skilled in the art may arrange, construct, combine, and design in variously different configurations the elements of the present disclosure, ie, the elements generally described herein and illustrated in the drawings, all of which are explicitly contemplated, and the present disclosure It can be easily understood that it forms a part of

The present invention relates to a roughage drying apparatus comprising a roughage transfer unit, a roughage temperature measuring unit and a drying unit, and for changing the drying method of the roughage step by step based on the temperature of the roughage, and a roughage drying method thereof.

Roughage, like hay or straw, has a low content of fat, protein, and starch and has a lot of fiber. Kentucky bluegrass, bentgrass, candles, Sudangrass, oats, rye, sorghum, corn, wheat, barley, reeds, alfalfa and others.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described clearly and in detail to the extent that those skilled in the art can easily practice the present invention.

1 is a block diagram showing an apparatus for drying forage according to an embodiment. 2 is a block diagram showing a forage supply unit according to an embodiment. 3 is a block diagram showing the forage transfer unit 120 according to an embodiment. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a drying unit according to an exemplary embodiment. Referring to FIG. 1 , the roughage drying apparatus 100 includes a roughage supply unit 110 , a roughage transfer unit 120 , a drying unit 130 , a temperature measurement unit 140 , a roughage recovery unit 150 and a control unit 160 . may include

1 and 2 , the roughage supply unit 110 may include an input unit 111 , an input conveyor 112 , and a distributor 113 . For example, the roughage supply unit 110 may deliver the roughage before being dried to the roughage transfer unit 120 . The roughage before drying may be input to the input unit 111 . For example, the input unit 111 may include a hopper. The input unit 111 may remove foreign substances such as dust and stones included in the input forage. The input unit 111 may be subjected to a conditioning treatment that crushes the input roughage through a compression-type means or gives a wound through a striking-type means. The input unit 111 may cut the input forage to a set size. As an example, the input unit 111 may cut the input forage into 5 cm to 50 cm. As another example, the input unit 111 may cut the input forage into 10 cm to 20 cm. As another example, the input unit 111 may cut the input forage to 10 cm to 18 cm. As another example, the input unit 111 may cut the input forage to 10 cm to 15 cm.

According to an embodiment, the input conveyor 112 may move the input forage to the roughage transfer unit 120 . For example, when there is a height difference between the input unit 111 and the roughage transfer unit 120, the input conveyor 112 may move the inputted forage with a specified inclination. According to the difference in height between the input unit 111 and the roughage transfer unit 120 , the inclination of the input conveyor 112 may be adjusted.

According to one embodiment, the distributor 113 may adjust the height of the roughage moved to the roughage transfer unit (120). For example, there may be a case where the roughage moved to the roughage transfer unit 120 does not have a constant height (eg, when it exists in lumps of different sizes). If the roughage exists in lumps of different sizes, the drying efficiency of the roughage may be reduced. Accordingly, the distributor 113 may distribute the input forage to be aligned at a specified height. As an example, the distributor 113 may include a screw-type distributor.

1 and 3, the roughage transfer unit 120 may include at least one conveyor. For example, the roughage transfer unit 120 may include a first conveyor 121 , a second conveyor 122 , and a third conveyor 123 . However, the number of conveyors included in the roughage conveying unit 120 is exemplary, and the coarsening conveying unit 120 may include at least one conveyor. As an example, the first conveyor 121 may receive the roughage through the input conveyor 112 . The second conveyor 122 is disposed at the lower end of the first conveyor 121 , and may receive primary dried forage from the first conveyor 121 . The third conveyor 123 is disposed at the lower end of the second conveyor 122 , and may receive secondary dried forage from the second conveyor 122 . The third conveyor 123 may deliver the tertiary dried roughage (or dried roughage) to the roughage recovery unit 150 .

According to an embodiment, the roughage transfer unit 120 may be located inside the drying unit 130 . The input forage may be dried by the drying unit 130 while being moved through the roughage transfer unit 120 . At this time, the transfer start, transfer stop or transfer speed of the roughage transfer unit 120 (or the moving speed of the roughage) may be adjusted by the control unit 160 . The third conveyor 123 may discharge the tertiarily dried forage (or dried forage) to the outside of the drying unit 130 .

1 and 4 , the drying unit 130 may include a drying housing 131 , a hot air generator 132 , a supply duct 133 , a circulation duct 134 , and an exhaust fan 135 . For example, the drying unit 210 may be dried by applying hot air to the provided forage. In this case, the temperature of the hot air, the wind pressure of the hot air, the air volume of the hot air, etc. may be adjusted by the controller 160 .

According to an embodiment, the drying housing 131 may form a drying space blocked from the outside so that the drying temperature is maintained while the roughage is dried. For example, the roughage transfer unit 120 may be disposed inside the drying housing 131 . However, a portion of the roughage transfer unit 120 (eg, a start portion of the first container 121 or an end portion of the third container 123 ) may be exposed to the outside of the drying housing 131 . Accordingly, the dry housing 131 may include an air curtain in a portion to which a portion of the roughage transfer unit 120 is exposed. By including such an air curtain, it is possible to prevent heat from escaping to the outside, thereby minimizing the heat that had to be lost.

According to an embodiment, the hot air generator 132 may generate hot air supplied to the drying housing 131 . For example, the hot air generator 132 may include an airfoil fan or a hot air fan. Alternatively, the hot air generator 132 may include a gas burner that generates heat and a hot air circulation fan that circulates heat.

According to an embodiment, the drying unit 130 may include a means for providing heat to the forage transfer unit 120 . For example, the hot air generator 132 may be connected to at least one supply duct 133 . The supply duct 133 may be connected between the roughage transfer unit 120 and the hot air generator 132 . For example, the hot air generator 132 may provide hot air to each of the first conveyor 121 , the second conveyor 122 , and the third conveyor 123 through the supply duct 133 . The hot air generator 132 may provide hot air of different temperatures or wind speeds to each of the first conveyor 121 , the second conveyor 122 , and the third conveyor 123 according to the control of the controller 160 . The at least one supply duct 133 may be disposed at a lower end of each of the first conveyor 121 , the second conveyor 122 , and the third conveyor 123 to provide hot air to a portion in contact with the conveyor. When the supply duct 133 is disposed at the lower end of the conveyor, a hole is formed in the conveyor belt to allow hot air or wind to pass through, or the conveyor belt itself may be configured to allow air to pass therethrough.

According to an embodiment, the drying unit 130 may include a means for recovering heat. For example, the hot air generator 132 may be connected to the circulation duct 134 . The circulation duct 134 may be connected between the drying housing 131 and the hot air generator 132 . The hot air generator 132 may recover residual heat remaining after the drying process or drying is finished through the circulation duct 134 . By including such a circulation duct 134, it is possible to prevent heat from escaping to the outside, and thus it is possible to minimize the heat that had to be lost. In particular, when the circulation duct 134 is used, the hot air generator 132 may circulate the residual heat and may be used, and the residual heat recovery rate may be separately adjusted.

According to an embodiment, the exhaust fan 135 may be disposed in a part of the drying housing 131 . The exhaust fan 135 may discharge heat to the outside of the drying housing 131 to maintain a constant temperature in the drying housing 131 under the control of the controller 160 . The exhaust fan 135 may discharge heat in the drying housing 131 upon completion of the drying operation of the roughage.

According to an embodiment, the temperature measuring unit 140 may measure the temperature of the roughage on the roughage transfer unit 120 . For example, the temperature measuring unit 140 may include at least one temperature sensor. At least one temperature sensor is disposed on each of the first conveyor 121 , the second conveyor 122 and the third conveyor 123 , and the first conveyor 121 , the second conveyor 122 and the third conveyor 123 . ), it is possible to measure the temperature of the forage in motion. The temperature measurement unit 140 may transmit the temperature measurement data of the roughage to the control unit 160 .

According to an embodiment, the roughage recovery unit 150 may recover the roughage for which the drying operation is completed. The roughage recovery unit 150 may be disposed at one end of the roughage transfer unit 120 . For example, the roughage recovery unit 150 may be disposed at the lower portion of the end of the third conveyor (123). The roughage recovery unit 150 may package the dried roughage in a designated unit.

According to an embodiment, the controller 160 may control the roughage supply unit 110 , the roughage transfer unit 120 , the drying unit 130 , the temperature measurement unit 140 , and the roughage recovery unit 150 . For example, the control unit 160 receives the temperature measurement data of the roughage from the temperature measurement unit 140, and controls the drying unit 130 based on this, the drying time of the drying unit 130, the temperature of the hot air, wind pressure , and the air volume can be controlled. In addition, based on the temperature measurement data of the roughage, the control unit 160 may control the transfer start, transfer, or transfer speed of the roughage transfer unit 120 .

More specifically, the temperature of the hot air may be adjusted to 40 ℃ to 150 ℃. In addition, for example, the temperature of the hot air may be adjusted to 50 ℃ to 100 ℃. In addition, for example, the temperature of the hot air may be adjusted to 50 ℃ to 90 ℃. In one embodiment of the present invention, the temperature of the hot air may be adjusted to 50 ℃ to 75 ℃. Preferably, the temperature of the hot air may be adjusted to 50 ℃ to 70 ℃.

In addition, the wind pressure of the hot air may be adjusted to 50mmAq to 300mmAq. In addition, for example, the wind pressure of the hot air may be adjusted to 80mmAq to 240mmAq. In addition, for example, the wind pressure of the hot air may be adjusted to 120mmAq to 180mmAq. In an embodiment of the present invention, the wind pressure of the hot air may be adjusted to 140mmAq to 160mmAq. Preferably, the wind pressure of the hot air may be 150mmAq.

In addition, the air volume of the hot air may be 3,000 m 3 /min to 9,000 m 3 /min. Also, for example, the air volume of the hot air may be 4,000 m 3 /min to 8,000 m 3 /min. In one embodiment of the present invention, the air volume of the hot air may be 5,000 ㎥ / min to 8,000 ㎥ / min. Preferably, the air volume of the hot air may be 6,000 m 3 /min to 8,000 m 3 /min.

According to one embodiment, the control unit 160 may calculate the moisture content of the roughage based on the temperature measurement data of the roughage. For example, the higher the moisture content of the roughage, the greater the difference between the temperature of the roughage and the hot air temperature due to the heat of vaporization. As the moisture content of the roughage decreases, the difference between the temperature of the roughage and the hot air temperature decreases, and when a specific water content (eg, 20wt%) is reached, the temperature of the roughage may rise similarly to the hot air temperature. Accordingly, the control unit 160 may indirectly measure the time when the target moisture content of the roughage is reached based on the temperature change of the roughage. The controller 160 may calculate the moisture content of the roughage based on the temperature measurement data of the roughage, and control the roughage transfer unit 120 and the drying unit 130 based on the calculated moisture content. The control unit 160 may adjust the drying time of the drying unit 130 and the temperature of the hot air, wind pressure, and air volume based on the temperature measurement data (or calculated moisture content) of the roughage. For example, by measuring the temperature of each of the first conveyor 121, the second conveyor 122, and the third conveyor 123, the control unit 160 controls the first conveyor 121, the second conveyor 122. And the third conveyor 123 by adjusting the transfer speed of each, the first conveyor 121, the second conveyor 122, and the third conveyor 123, the temperature, wind pressure, air volume and drying time of the hot air provided to each of the can be adjusted

5 is a view showing an exemplary forage drying apparatus according to an embodiment. Referring to FIG. 5 , the roughage drying apparatus 100 may include a roughage conveying unit 120 including three conveyors 121 , 122 , 123 . The roughage drying apparatus 100 of FIG. 5 is an exemplary form of the roughage drying apparatus 100 of FIG. 1 , and the specific configuration of the roughage drying apparatus 100 is not limited to the configuration of the roughage drying apparatus 100 of FIG. 5 . .

According to one embodiment, the roughage may be moved according to the hollow arrow. For example, the roughage may be input to the input unit 111 . The roughage input to the input unit 111 may be moved to the first conveyor 121 along the input conveyor 112 . The input conveyor 112 may have a designated inclination based on a height difference between the input unit 111 and the first conveyor 121 . A portion of the first conveyor 121 may protrude to the outside of the drying housing 131 , and the input conveyor 112 may supply roughage to the protruding portion of the first conveyor 121 . The distributor 113 may be disposed above the protruding portion of the first conveyor 121 . The distributor 113 can be spread evenly so that the supplied roughage has a specified height.

According to an embodiment, the supplied roughage may be discharged to the roughage recovery unit 150 through the first conveyor 121 , the second conveyor 122 , and the third conveyor 123 . For example, the first conveyor 121 , the second conveyor 122 , and the third conveyor 123 may be disposed at different heights within the drying housing 131 . The second conveyor 122 may be disposed under the first conveyor 121 . The third conveyor 123 may be disposed under the second conveyor 122 . The first conveyor 121 may move the forage in the first direction. The roughage falling from the first conveyor 121 may be seated on a part of the second conveyor 122 . The second conveyor 122 may move the forage in a second direction opposite to the first direction. The roughage falling from the second conveyor 122 may be seated on a part of the third conveyor 123 . The third conveyor 123 may move the forage in the first direction. The end of the third conveyor 123 may protrude to the outside of the drying housing 131 to drop the roughage into the roughage recovery unit 150 .

According to one embodiment, the input unit 111 may perform a pre-treatment before drying the input forage. For example, the input unit 111 may remove foreign substances such as dust and stones included in the input forage. The input unit 111 may be subjected to a conditioning treatment that crushes the input roughage through a compression-type means or gives a wound through a striking-type means. On the other hand, the input unit 111 may cut the input forage to a set size. As an example, the input unit 111 may cut the input forage into 5 cm to 50 cm. As another example, the input unit 111 may cut the input forage into 10 cm to 20 cm. As another example, the input unit 111 may cut the input forage to 10 cm to 18 cm. As another example, the input unit 111 may cut the input forage to 10 cm to 15 cm.

According to an embodiment, the hot air generator 132 may be connected to at least one supply duct 133 . For example, the supply duct 133 may include a first supply duct 133a , a second supply duct 133b , and a third supply duct 133c . For example, the hot air generator 132 may provide hot air to the first conveyor 121 through the first supply duct 133a. The hot air generator 132 may provide hot air to the second conveyor 122 through the second supply duct 133b. The hot air generator 132 may provide hot air to the third conveyor 123 through the third supply duct 133c. The hot air generator 132 may provide hot air of different temperatures or wind speeds to each of the first supply duct 133a, the second supply duct 133b, and the third supply duct 133c under the control of the controller 160. have. The first supply duct (133a), the second supply duct (133b) and the third supply duct (133c) are disposed at the lower ends of the first conveyor 121, the second conveyor 122 and the third conveyor 123, respectively. , it is possible to provide hot air to the part in contact with the conveyor. When the supply duct is disposed at the lower end of the conveyor, a hole is formed in the conveyor belt to allow hot air or wind to pass therethrough, or the conveyor belt itself may be configured to allow air to pass therethrough.

According to an embodiment, the hot air generator 132 may recover residual heat remaining after the drying process or drying is completed through the circulation duct 134 . By including such a circulation duct 134, it is possible to prevent heat from escaping to the outside, and thus it is possible to minimize the heat that had to be lost. In particular, when the circulation duct 134 is used, the hot air generator 132 may circulate the residual heat and may be used, and the residual heat recovery rate may be separately adjusted.

According to an embodiment, the exhaust fan 135 may be disposed in a part of the drying housing 131 . For example, the exhaust fan 135 may be disposed on the upper end of the drying housing 131 . The exhaust fan 135 may discharge heat to the outside of the drying housing 131 to maintain a constant temperature in the drying housing 131 under the control of the controller 160 . The exhaust fan 135 may discharge heat in the drying housing 131 upon completion of the drying operation of the roughage.

According to an embodiment, the temperature measuring unit 140 may include at least one temperature sensor. For example, the temperature measuring unit 140 may include a first temperature sensor 141 , a second temperature sensor 142 , and a third temperature sensor 143 . As an example, the first temperature sensor 141 may be disposed on the upper end of the first conveyor 121 to measure the temperature of the forage to be transported through the first conveyor 121 . The second temperature sensor 142 may be disposed on the upper end of the second conveyor 122 to measure the temperature of the forage to be transported through the second conveyor 122 . The third temperature sensor 143 may be disposed on the upper end of the third conveyor 123 to measure the temperature of the forage to be transported through the third conveyor 123 .

According to an embodiment, the roughage recovery unit 150 may recover the roughage for which the drying operation is completed. The roughage recovery unit 150 may be disposed at one end of the roughage transfer unit 120 . For example, the roughage recovery unit 150 may be disposed at the lower portion of the end of the third conveyor (123). The roughage recovery unit 150 may package the dried roughage in a designated unit.

6 is an enlarged view showing the distributor of FIG. 5 in detail. 5 and 6 , the distributor 113 may be disposed above the first conveyor 121 . The roughage 10 supplied through the input conveyor 112 may be gathered at the front end of the distributor 113 and moved on the first conveyor 121 in the direction of the arrow 1 (eg, the first direction). The roughage 10 supplied through the input conveyor 112 may have different heights and different densities depending on the location. After distribution, the roughage 20 may be distributed to have a specified height H1 and a specified density by the distributor 113 . Accordingly, after distribution, the roughage 20 can be efficiently dried, and the temperature measuring unit 140 (eg, the first temperature sensor 141, the second temperature sensor 142, and the third temperature sensor 143) The temperature measurement data measured by the can be determined as the average temperature of the roughage 20 after distribution. If the height and density of the roughage are not constant, the temperature of a part cannot represent the temperature of the whole roughage. As an example, the distributor 113 may include a screw-type distributor. The designated height H1 may be set to 30 cm.

According to various embodiments, the distributor 113 may be additionally disposed not only on the first conveyor 121 but also on the second conveyor 122 or the third conveyor 123 . The height and density may be changed between the roughage moving from the first conveyor 121 to the second conveyor 122 or from the second conveyor 122 to the third conveyor 123 .

7 is a flowchart illustrating a method for drying forage according to an embodiment. 8 is a graph showing the relationship between the moisture content of the roughage and the temperature of the roughage over time when hot air of a specified temperature is constantly provided according to an embodiment. Referring to FIG. 7 , the roughage drying method may be performed by the roughage drying apparatus 100 of FIG. 1 .

According to one embodiment, in step S110, the roughage transfer unit 120 may be supplied with the roughage. For example, the roughage supply unit 110 may supply the roughage to one end of the roughage transfer unit 120 . For example, the roughage supply unit 110 may remove foreign substances from the roughage through the input unit 111 , cut the roughage into a specified size, and supply it to the roughage conveying unit 120 .

According to an embodiment, in step S120 , the drying unit 130 may provide hot air to the forage transfer unit 120 under the control of the control unit 160 . For example, the control unit 160 may control the drying unit 130 to provide hot air to the roughage transfer unit 120 according to the set temperature and intensity. For example, the roughage transfer unit 120 may include a first conveyor 121 , a second conveyor 122 and a third conveyor 123 as shown in FIG. 3 or 5 . The control unit 160 may control the transfer speed of each of the first conveyor 121 , the second conveyor 122 , and the third conveyor 123 . The controller 160 may control the drying unit 130 to provide hot air having different temperatures and strengths to each of the first conveyor 121 , the second conveyor 122 , and the third conveyor 123 . For example, the controller 160 may provide the first hot air to the first conveyor 121 . The controller 160 may provide a second hot air that is weaker (or a lower temperature or a smaller intensity) than the first hot air to the second conveyor 122 . The controller 160 may provide a third hot air that is weaker than the second hot air to the third conveyor 122 .

According to an embodiment, in step S130 , the temperature measuring unit 140 may measure the temperature of the roughage moving on the roughage transfer unit 120 . For example, the temperature measuring unit 140 may include a first temperature sensor 141 , a second temperature sensor 142 , and a third temperature sensor 142 as shown in FIG. 5 . The first temperature sensor 141 may measure the temperature of the forage moving on the first conveyor 121 . The second temperature sensor 142 may measure the temperature of the forage moving on the second conveyor 122 . The third temperature sensor 143 may measure the temperature of the forage moving on the third conveyor 123 . The temperature measurement unit 140 may transmit the temperature measurement data of the forage measured by each of the first temperature sensor 141 , the second temperature sensor 142 , and the third temperature sensor 142 to the control unit 160 .

According to one embodiment, in step S140, the control unit 160, based on the temperature measurement data of the roughage, to adjust the moving speed of the roughage transfer unit 120 or to adjust the temperature or intensity of the hot air provided from the drying unit 130 can For example, referring to FIG. 8 , when hot air of a constant temperature and intensity is provided, the temperature of the roughage may increase as the moisture content of the roughage decreases. In addition, the higher the moisture content of the roughage, the greater the difference between the temperature of the roughage and the hot air temperature due to the heat of vaporization. As the moisture content of the roughage decreases, the difference between the temperature of the roughage and the hot air temperature decreases, and when a specific water content (eg, 20wt%) is reached, the temperature of the roughage may rise similarly to the hot air temperature. Accordingly, the control unit 160 may indirectly measure the time when the target moisture content of the roughage is reached based on the temperature change of the roughage. For example, the control unit 160 may calculate the moisture content of the roughage based on the temperature measurement data of the roughage, and control the roughage transfer unit 120 and the drying unit 130 based on the calculated moisture content.

According to an embodiment, the control unit 160 may adjust the conveying speed of the roughage conveying unit 120 based on the temperature measurement data (or the calculated moisture content) of the roughage. As an example, the control unit 160 may adjust the transfer speed of each of the first conveyor 121 , the second conveyor 122 , and the third conveyor 123 . As moving from the first conveyor 121 to the second conveyor 122 and from the second conveyor 122 to the third conveyor 123, the moisture content included in the roughage may decrease. In addition, the temperature of the roughage may increase as it moves from the first conveyor 121 to the second conveyor 122 and from the second conveyor 122 to the third conveyor 123 . When the temperature of the forage moving on the first conveyor 121 is less than or equal to the first reference temperature, the control unit 160 may decrease the transport speed of the first conveyor 121 . When the temperature of the forage moving in the second conveyor 122 is greater than the first reference temperature and less than or equal to the second reference temperature, the controller 160 may decrease the transport speed of the second conveyor 122 . When the temperature of the forage moving in the third conveyor 123 is greater than the second reference temperature and less than or equal to the third reference temperature, the control unit 160 may decrease the transport speed of the third conveyor 123 . When the temperature of the roughage moving in the third conveyor 123 exceeds the third reference temperature (eg, the temperature at which the moisture content of the roughage reaches 20 wt%), the control unit 160 controls the feed speed of the third conveyor 123 By increasing the dry roughage can be discharged to the outside of the drying unit 130.

According to an embodiment, the control unit 160 may adjust the drying time of the drying unit 130 and the temperature or strength (eg, wind pressure and air volume) of the drying unit 130 based on the temperature measurement data (or the calculated moisture content) of the roughage. have. For example, by measuring the temperature of each of the first conveyor 121, the second conveyor 122, and the third conveyor 123, the control unit 160 controls the first conveyor 121, the second conveyor 122. And it is possible to adjust the temperature or intensity of the hot air provided to each of the third conveyor 123.

When the temperature of the forage moving on the first conveyor 121 is less than or equal to the first reference temperature, the controller 160 may increase the temperature or intensity of the hot air provided to the first conveyor 121 . When the temperature of the forage moving in the second conveyor 122 is greater than the first reference temperature and less than or equal to the second reference temperature, the controller 160 may increase the temperature or intensity of the hot air provided to the second conveyor 122 . When the temperature of the forage moving in the third conveyor 123 is greater than the second reference temperature and less than or equal to the third reference temperature, the controller 160 may increase the temperature or intensity of the hot air provided to the third conveyor 123 . When the temperature of the roughage moving on the third conveyor 123 is higher than the third reference temperature (eg, the temperature at which the moisture content of the roughage reaches 20 wt%), the control unit 160 is provided to the third conveyor 123 By reducing the temperature or strength of the hot air, it is possible to maintain the current moisture content of the roughage.

Example 1

To check the rate of leaf dropout of alfalfa in the roughage according to the moisture content, the green plants were dried with hot air, and some were reversed when the moisture reached 46wt%, and some were reversed when the moisture reached 15wt%. The weight ratio of fallen leaves according to inversion was calculated. The results are shown in Table 1 below.

moisture Leaf dropout rate (%) 46wt% 3% 15wt% 37%

Referring to Table 1, it was confirmed that the higher the moisture content when the roughage was inverted, the lower the rate at which the leaves of alfalfa fell off. In particular, it was confirmed that 37% of the leaves of alfalfa fell off when the moisture content of the roughage was 15wt%, whereas 3% of the leaves of alfalfa fell off when the moisture content of the alfalfa was 46wt%. Accordingly, it was confirmed that the difference in the leaf dropout ratio according to the moisture content of alfalfa was significantly large.

Example 2

Two sets of three alfalfa samples with moisture content of 30 wt%, 40 wt%, and 60 wt% were used to determine drying time and throughput data according to moisture content (drying unit loadable weight, product weight, throughput per hour, etc.) prepared. The roughage drying apparatus 100 (refer to FIG. 1 ) according to an embodiment of the present invention was configured as a conveyor type consisting of one stage (3㎥) or a conveyor type (15㎥) consisting of a plurality of stages. The conveyor-type (3㎥) drying device composed of the one stage has a size of 2.5m in width, 1.5m in length, and 0.8m in height, and is 100 kg of raw grass (water content 80wt%) or silage and haleage (moisture content 30wt% to 60wt%) 70kg to 90kg can be processed, and the temperature of the hot air is 65°C, the wind pressure is 150mmAq, and the air volume is 6,000m3/h to 7,000m3/h.

The fuel required to operate the roughage drying apparatus 100 takes 1 lube per 30 minutes on the basis of LPG, and the types and cost of the fuel required to operate the apparatus are calculated as shown in Table 2 below. The value of calculating the cost to be described later will be calculated based on Table 2 below.

division 1 lube 1 rube price (KRW) Etc LPG 2 kg 2,156 city gas - General 609
Industrial 531 City gas 1 lube 10,300Kcal,
LPG 1 lube 12,000 Kcal
LPG has a high calorific value Electricity (kW, for agriculture) 30-40kW 1,019~1,568 1kW=860Kcal,
If there is a lot of wind
unable to generate heat

One set of three prepared roughage samples was administered to a conveyor-type drying apparatus consisting of one stage, and the other set was administered to a conveyor-type drying apparatus consisting of a plurality of stages to conduct an experiment, and the results are shown in Table 3 below .

Input sample conditions
(moisture, wt%) drying time
(minute) Dryer loadable weight
(3㎥,kg) product weight
(kg) Unit price per kg (KRW) throughput per hour
(kg) Production per hour (kg) 3m3 Multi-level (15㎥) 30 30 85 74 30 170 148 740 40 60 95 71 70 95 71 355 60 160 100 54 210 38 20 100

Referring to Table 3, it was confirmed that as the moisture content of the input roughage increased, the drying time and the weight available for the dryer increased, and the weight of the product and the processing capacity per hour decreased. Conversely, it was confirmed that as the moisture content of the input roughage decreased, the drying time and the weight that could be put into the dryer decreased, and the weight of the product and the processing capacity per hour increased.

The unit price per kg was 30 won/kg to 70 won/kg when the moisture content was 30wt% to 40wt%, but sharply increased to 210 won/kg when the moisture content was 60wt%. Accordingly, when the moisture content is around 40%, it is considered to be suitable for hot air drying, and it was confirmed that drying efficiency should be improved in a high moisture condition (eg, moisture content 60wt%).

Example 3

Alfalfa having various moisture contents was administered to the drying apparatus previously disclosed in Example 2 and dried. Alfalfa prepared as a sample was prepared to have a moisture content of 80 wt%, 77 wt%, 63 wt%, 41 wt%, 37 wt%, 29 wt%, and 27 wt%. After adjusting the remaining conditions except for the moisture content, the experiment was conducted by administering to the drying device.

9 is a graph showing a result of measuring the time taken to dry alfalfa with different moisture content according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 9 , it can be seen that the higher the moisture content, the longer the drying time of alfalfa is required. Based on the moisture content of 20 wt%, it was found that the drying time of alfalfa having a moisture content of 27 wt% and 29 wt% was about 15 minutes. It was found that the drying time of alfalfa with a moisture content of 37wt% and 41wt% was about 45 minutes. Alfalfa with a moisture content of 63wt% was found to have a drying time of about 150 minutes. Alfalfa with a moisture content of 77 wt% and 80 wt% was found to exceed 200 min.

Accordingly, it was confirmed that economic feasibility should be provided when a means for improving drying efficiency is provided in a high moisture condition in which the moisture content is 50 wt % or more.

Example 4

In order to calculate the cost of hay production according to the moisture content, 100 kg of alfalfa having a moisture content of 82 wt% was administered to the drying apparatus disclosed in Example 2 above and dried. The temperature condition of the hot air was 65℃ and the relative humidity of the atmosphere was 60%.

10 is a result showing the change in the moisture content measured in the process of drying alfalfa having a moisture content of 82 wt% according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 10 , a change in the moisture content that decreases with time and a decrease in moisture every 30 minutes or 15 minutes can be confirmed. By combining the fuel cost criteria disclosed in Example 2 above and the results of Example 4, the cost according to the change in water content was calculated.

As a result of the calculation, when the water content was reduced from 82 wt% to 20 wt%, it took 195 minutes and the cost per kg was 627 won. When the water content was decreased from 57wt% to 20wt%, it took 75 minutes and the cost per kg was 102 won. When the water content was decreased from 45wt% to 20wt%, it took 45 minutes and the cost per kg was 44 won.

Similarly, it was tested using Italian ryegrass (IRG). As a test subject, 90.97 kg of Italian ryegrass having a moisture content of 41 wt% was used, and the Italian ryegrass was cut into 10 cm to 15 cm. The temperature conditions were 65° C. to 70° C., and the atmospheric relative humidity was 57%.

As a result, when the water content was decreased from 41 wt% to 22 wt%, it took 45 minutes and the cost per kg was found to be 61 won.

Accordingly, it was confirmed that, when the moisture content was 60 wt% or more, the drying time and cost were rapidly increased, and when the moisture content was high, it was confirmed that the economic feasibility was remarkably low.

11 to 13 are photographs illustrating dried alfalfa according to an embodiment.

11 to 13 , it can be seen that most of the leaves are attached to the dried alfalfa according to an embodiment of the present invention even after the drying process is finished. Accordingly, in the dried alfalfa according to an embodiment of the present invention, leaves rich in nutrients can be preserved, and it can be confirmed that the quality of the dried alfalfa is excellent.

As described above, in the present invention, since the drying method can be changed according to the temperature of the roughage, drying efficiency can be improved, and the moisture content of the roughage can be adjusted in the same or similar manner, so that it is possible to produce high-quality roughage. As a factor for changing the drying method, the optimum drying method can be applied to the moisture content of the roughage, including the drying time according to the temperature of the roughage, the transport speed, the hot air temperature and strength, and the like.

In particular, it is possible to determine whether to transfer according to the moisture content, which can significantly reduce the forage leaf fallout that may occur in the process of transferring the roughage. If the leaves are preserved, it is possible to prevent the loss of nutrients in the forage, so that it is possible to manufacture a forage with excellent quality, and it is possible to constantly maintain the production of high-quality forage.

In addition, since it is possible to know the drying time according to the temperature or moisture content of the roughage, it is possible to prevent unnecessary energy waste, and to prevent less drying or excessive drying.

The above are specific embodiments for carrying out the present invention. In addition to the above-described embodiments, the present invention may include simple design changes or easily changeable embodiments. In addition, the present invention will include techniques that can be easily modified and implemented using the embodiments. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the above-described embodiments, and should be defined by the claims and equivalents of the claims of the present invention as well as the claims to be described later.

100: roughage drying device
110: roughage supply unit
120: roughage transfer unit
130: drying unit
140: temperature measurement unit
150: roughage recovery unit
160: control unit

Claims (20)

In the roughage drying device,
a roughage transfer unit for transferring the input forage in a specified direction;
a drying unit for providing hot air to the forage transfer unit;
a temperature measuring unit for measuring the temperature of the roughage; and
A control unit configured to receive the temperature measurement data of the roughage from the temperature measurement unit, and adjust the temperature or intensity of the hot air provided from the drying unit or the transport speed of the roughage conveying unit based on the temperature measurement data,
The forage transfer unit,
a first conveyor for transferring the first roughage in a first direction;
a second conveyor disposed under the first conveyor and transferring the second forage delivered from the first conveyor in a second direction opposite to the first direction; and
A roughage drying apparatus including a third conveyor disposed under the second conveyor and transferring the third roughage delivered from the second conveyor in the first direction. According to claim 1,
The control unit is a roughage drying device for controlling the drying unit to reduce the temperature or intensity of the hot air when the temperature of the forage is changed to more than a specified temperature value. According to claim 1,
The control unit calculates the moisture content of the roughage based on the temperature measurement data, and when the moisture content is changed to less than a specified moisture value, the roughage drying device for controlling the drying unit to reduce the temperature or intensity of the hot air. According to claim 1,
The control unit is a roughage drying apparatus for controlling the forage transfer unit to reduce the feed rate of the forage when the temperature of the forage is less than or equal to a specified temperature value. According to claim 1,
The control unit calculates the moisture content of the roughage based on the temperature measurement data, and when the moisture content is greater than or equal to a specified moisture value, a roughage drying device for controlling the roughage conveying unit to reduce the conveying speed of the forage. delete According to claim 1,
The temperature measuring unit,
a first temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the first roughage moving on the first conveyor;
a second temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the second roughage moving on the second conveyor; and
Forage drying apparatus comprising a third temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the third roughage moving on the third conveyor. 8. The method of claim 7,
The control unit is
When the temperature of the first roughage is below the first reference temperature, controlling the first conveyor to reduce the conveying speed of the first conveyor or to stop the conveying,
When the temperature of the second roughage exceeds the first reference temperature and is less than or equal to a second reference temperature, controlling the second conveyor to reduce the conveying speed of the second conveyor or to stop the conveying,
When the temperature of the third roughage exceeds the second reference temperature and is less than or equal to a third reference temperature, a roughage drying apparatus for controlling the third conveyor to decrease the conveying speed of the third conveyor or to stop the conveying. 8. The method of claim 7,
The drying unit,
a drying housing forming a drying space to surround the roughage transfer unit;
a hot air generator for generating hot air supplied to the drying housing;
a first supply duct for transferring hot air from the hot air generator to the first conveyor;
a second supply duct for transferring hot air from the hot air generator to the second conveyor;
a third supply duct for transferring hot air from the hot air generator to the third conveyor; and
Roughage drying apparatus comprising a circulation duct for recovering the residual heat of the drying housing to the hot air generator. 10. The method of claim 9,
The control unit is
When the temperature of the first roughage is less than the first reference temperature, controlling the hot air generator to increase the temperature or intensity of the hot air delivered to the first supply duct,
When the temperature of the second roughage exceeds the first reference temperature and is less than or equal to a second reference temperature, controlling the hot air generator to increase the temperature or intensity of the hot air delivered to the second supply duct,
Roughage drying apparatus for controlling the hot air generator to increase the temperature or intensity of the hot air delivered to the third supply duct when the temperature of the third roughage exceeds the second reference temperature and below the third reference temperature. 11. The method of claim 10,
The control unit is
When the temperature of the third roughage exceeds the third reference temperature, roughage drying apparatus for controlling the hot air generator to reduce the temperature or intensity of the hot air delivered to the third supply duct. According to claim 1,
Further comprising a roughage supply unit for supplying the roughage to one end of the roughage transfer unit,
The forage supply unit,
an input unit for removing foreign substances from the forage and cutting the forage to a specified size;
an input conveyor for moving the roughage from the input unit to the roughage transfer unit; and
A roughage drying device comprising a distributor for aligning the roughage to have a specified height and a specified density supplied to the forage transfer unit. According to claim 1,
Roughage drying apparatus further comprising a roughage recovery unit for packaging the dried roughage discharged from the roughage transfer unit after drying is completed in a designated unit. In the roughage drying method using the roughage drying device,
The roughage drying device includes a roughage conveying unit for transferring the input forage in a specified direction, a drying unit for providing hot air to the roughing conveying unit, a temperature measuring unit for measuring the temperature of the roughage, and the roughage conveying unit, the drying unit and the temperature a control unit operatively connected to the measurement unit;
a roughage supply step of supplying the roughage to the roughage transfer unit;
a heating step of providing hot air to the forage transfer unit by the drying unit;
a temperature measuring step of measuring the temperature of the roughage moving on the roughage transfer unit; and
On the basis of the temperature measurement data of the forage measured from the temperature measurement unit, by the control unit, comprising a control step of adjusting the temperature or intensity of the hot air provided from the drying unit or the transport speed of the roughage conveying unit,
The forage transfer unit,
a first conveyor for transferring the first roughage in a first direction;
a second conveyor disposed under the first conveyor and transferring the second forage delivered from the first conveyor in a second direction opposite to the first direction; and
A roughage drying method comprising a third conveyor disposed under the second conveyor and transferring the third roughage delivered from the second conveyor in the first direction. 15. The method of claim 14,
The control step is
When the temperature of the roughage is less than or equal to a specified temperature value, the roughage drying method comprising reducing the transport speed of the roughage conveying unit or increasing the temperature or intensity of the hot air in the drying unit. 15. The method of claim 14,
The control step is
When the temperature of the roughage exceeds a specified temperature value, the roughage drying method comprising the step of increasing the feed rate of the roughage conveying unit or reducing the temperature or intensity of the hot air in the drying unit. 15. The method of claim 14,
The temperature measuring step is a roughage drying method comprising measuring the temperature of each of the first roughage, the second roughage, and the third roughage. 18. The method of claim 17,
The control step is
When the temperature of the first roughage is less than the first reference temperature, reducing the transport speed of the first conveyor, roughage drying method comprising the step of increasing the temperature and intensity of the hot air supplied to the first conveyor. 19. The method of claim 18,
The control step is
When the temperature of the second roughage exceeds the first reference temperature and is less than or equal to a second reference temperature, reducing the transport speed of the second conveyor and increasing the temperature and intensity of the hot air supplied to the second conveyor How to dry forage. 20. The method of claim 19,
The control step is
When the temperature of the third roughage is higher than the second reference temperature and less than or equal to the third reference temperature, reducing the transport speed of the third conveyor and increasing the temperature and intensity of the hot air supplied to the third conveyor; and
When the temperature of the third roughage exceeds the third reference temperature, increasing the transport speed of the third conveyor, and reducing the temperature and intensity of the hot air supplied to the third conveyor Drying method comprising the steps of: .

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