Grain Auger / Conveyor

[nomad]

I did a search about grain augers here, but, couldn't find anything, that is interesting. Do you hobby farmers here not use any conveying machinery?

Nowadays, I am at a workshop /a mfg, grain augers / conveyors mfg to develop a new simple grain auger which can be used for small conveying things (grain, sesame, etc). For example, I started a small flexible screw conveyor / auger similar to this one seen in the picture. But, you know, these augers are electric motor driven and I am thinking to convert it to pto driven one. But, is there such a need?

(I am not sure if this "attachment" section is correct section or not for this post about grain augers which are not talked any. Note that I opened this thread not only to talk about my project, but, also about grain augers/conveyors in general as there isn't much here.)

 

[pedalstomper78]

As someone that works in the grain handling industry, I'm not sure when something like that would be needed as a PTO driven model. Typically, it's much cheaper to run an electric model than a PTO driven model auger. You can buy a lot of electricity at $4.00 per gallon.... Most of those usually are under 10hp.....even up to an 8 or 10" auger that's 72' long.

Neat looking little machine though.

 

[nomad]

I am new to this grain handling industry although I am not so new to conveying industry (used in flour milling factories etc.) I had a look at grain augers by some top auger mfgs such as Sudenga, Westfield, etc. They have big big augers say their augers are of different types in driving methods such as electric motors, pto, gasoline engine, etc. Pto application has its own usage area in this grain augers field, I guess. Anyway, we know pto powered bale loaders which are actually chain conveyors. Similarly, in the middle of farm/harvest/seeding field where there is no electric grid, I thought pto powered grain augers too can be used for loading / unloading grain seeds from / to small trailers. Since these grain augers are to be small capacity, adding flexibility to screw will be required, I guess. If there is such a pto powered flexible screw conveyor, I can buy one. If not, maybe, I can make its design and mfg.

 

[pedalstomper78]

It's a neat idea and I by no means want to discourage you. Most of the farms that I go to that are using pto driven augers are doing so because they don't have enough electric on site to push that much grain. They have some electric on site though to run the fans on the bins which would be more than plenty for a 4" or so auger.

Most of the flex augers out there are used for feed. That side of things...I don't know much about honestly. Might be your best side to explore.

Even smaller grain bins, the guys seem the be using augers. If they want to go around a corner, they will use an air system or a vac system. I know that seed companies require that all seeds be removed from the bin with a vacuum system.

 

[nomad]

Thank you for your comments, Pedalstomper. Of course, at stations like bins areas, operating a grain auger by pto is meaningless. (if we make,) application place of pto powered grain auger will be in the middle of farm lands where there is no electric grid. Maybe, we can couple it, an elastic auger with a pto powered bale loader conveyor, like a combined conveyor, two in one. (anyway, my friend, a small workshop manufacturing some grain augers and belt conveyors is planning to make a new grain auger which will fill a demand gap in small farming field. Since you are experienced in this grain handling field, maybe, you have an idea that we can realize together. Thanks again.)

 

[lutt]

All our augers at the farm are pto,the unloading augers in the bins are hydraulic.All the bin drying fans are powered by power units. The only electric augers we have are at the shop on bins that were built in the 70's,the fans there are electric also. When we use to raise seed beans, we never used a vacuator,seed companies didnt make us,they still dont our neighbours who still raise them. LUTT

 

[pedalstomper78]

Interestingly enough, I did some more research. Talked with a few seed growers here (Not as many in this area it seems) and they don't have to vac them. Up in the Chatham area of Canada, Pioneer pays to get them vac'd out of the bin. So I'm still kinda right....in a Canadian kind of way. LOL

 

[lutt]

Interestingly enough, I did some more research. Talked with a few seed growers here (Not as many in this area it seems) and they don't have to vac them. Up in the Chatham area of Canada, Pioneer pays to get them vac'd out of the bin. So I'm still kinda right....in a Canadian kind of way. LOL

We raised ours for Pioneer here locally. Dont fool with it anymore,really not worth the money and time. But I guesss you were kinda right. LUTT

 

[nomad]

I have no knowledge about the seed industry. By vacuum tech, you mean pneumatic transportation? Air conveying has been used by Buhler for 60 years, but, it is in milling industry. I can think of that the pneumatic is more suitable to the seed or precious materials conveying. Actually, all mechanical conveyors like screw conveyors should have been replaced by pneumatic conveyors, except some few applications like in the middle of farming field where there is no fixed location and equipment.

Btw, lately, I am more into granular flows like grain flows and I see that this granular field has been studied much less than fluid or gas flow by engineering sciences, therefore, there are many things to be invented and developed in this granular or grain flows and transportations. Granular flows, also called "solid flows", much less touched field by scientists, are really interesting from mathematics to physics to engineering to crafting point of views. I am really interested in collobrating with someone experienced in this grain handling field.

 

[nomad]

I am into these grain vacs more and finding them interesting more, especially, small size pto powered ones.
What about this?

(made by Kongsgilde, denmark)
A 540 rpm, 35-40 hp pto can pump upto 20 tons (450 bushels) of grains at 10 m (~30 ft) conveying distance. (12 tons / 350 bushels at 30 m /90 ft). I saw many similar small portable pto grain vacs, probably, with better prices. Since these small hp grain vacs can pump any granular particles, they can be useful for compact tractor owners who need to convey relatively small amount of grain, etc. Also, it is a simple machinery, can be even DIY made. Just buying blower fan, rotary valve and a gearbox / pulley system and weld & bolt them. That's it. But, I haven't seen any grain vac here on this biggest compact implement/machinery web site of the world. It is winter time, maybe, time to make one.

 

[pedalstomper78]

The only thing to watch is to make sure that you keep the speed of the grain low enough. Move it too fast and suddenly you end up with a high BCFM when you take the loads in.

 

[nomad]

At first, when I read, spead of grain should be kept low, I thought its speed, ft / min, should be low and, it can be done easily by making bigger duct / pipe diameter. But, you say BCFM (Bushel Cubic Flow) should be low.. Then, its capacity will be low. Do you mean it should be low at start-up?

 

[pedalstomper78]

Actually, by BCFM I meant Broken Corn and Foreign Matter. Usually about 3-4% most elevators will start to dock you from what I've seen. Also, fines and broken grain tend to lead to storage issues and the grain going bad. That's why there's cushion boxes in the end of most legs.

 

[nomad]

Aha, I thought it was flowrate. Ok, I am new to abravations and terms in this field. Does such things happen in vacuum type elevators? A few days ago, I looked into a mobile vacuum grain auger powered by tractor and it looks very simple. Grain flows through cyclone, ducts and rotary valve (also called air lock here.) Blower or fan doesn't have any contact with grain. So, I see only critical component in this mobile vacuum grain transporter in the flow is rotary valve and it too is a simple drum which opens and closes grain flow periodically. Maybe, you are talking about big, industrial vacuum types.

 

[pedalstomper78]

Honestly, I haven't had one of the ones that I'm usually around apart. I do know that if you get the grain going too fast, it'll break when it comes to that sudden stop. That's why when you look at a leg system, there is a cushion box at the end of it. Those restrict a small amount of grain into a "pocket" of sorts. The other grain comes down and hits this instead of steel offering it some cushion and less breakage.

 

[nomad]

Thanks Pedalstomper. In last days, I've read somethings more, conversations of end users (more realistic than company websites) on forums and found out that most of them are not happy about their mobile/portable, tractor attached, vacum grain loaders. They look like they are happy only about its flexibility character of suction hose part which can be moved easily. Maybe, manufacturers haven't focused themselves much about the vacuum type as tractor attachment (probably, due to there is much more money in industrial types such as systems in flour mills where the vacuum is used everywhere.) When I get more info and if we make a new simple design, I'll post here.

 

[pedalstomper78]

Something else to watch is the fact that it does take a lot of air to move grain.....but speeds need to be kept down. It's a delicate balance. Hopefully this can work out!

 

[nomad]

I'll take this into consideration. Thanks again. By the way, those who are interested in conveying/transporting grains, hay, etc may like to visit this very informative website I found a few days ago bulk-online Forums
However, my interest here is PTO powered utility equipment.