Bins with Brains
Aug 1, 2009 12:00 PM, By David Hest
New automated grain-monitoring systems reduce drying costs and storage risks
Data from the controller at each bin are transferred for viewing by computer by either of two methods, depending on which option the customer chooses. The first pathway uses 900-megahertz (MHz) radios, which can transmit data up to 40 miles, depending on antenna height, terrain and other factors. This allows the operator to use a home computer to monitor and control multiple bins on multiple sites. The operator also can view data collected on the office computer from computers at other locations by using remote access software. The system also can be controlled and monitored from the bin site by plugging a laptop computer into the controller or via a built-in screen on the Bullseye controller, which most customers order.
The second pathway uses a satellite modem to transfer data to Pioneer's MarketPoint Web site, as well as an AgriDry Web site. The password-protected Web sites can be accessed by computers or smartphones via a Web interface. This eliminates the need for specialized remote access software, which also requires that the central computer is running.
Currently, this second pathway offers only monitoring capability; it can't control the Bullseye monitor. By the fall of 2009, AgriDry plans to introduce a fee-based Web site offering two-way monitoring and control, as well as enhanced data archiving and an alert-based messaging service. The messaging service will alert a multi-person contact list (via phone/text and/or e-mail) in case of a bin system malfunction or other difficulty.
The retail price for hardware for a one-cable, six-sensor system, including a satellite modem, is about $3,600, plus installation, without the Pioneer discount. Many systems are self-installed, Troyer says. For information about the Pioneer discount, search for “Pioneer MarketPoint” using a Web search engine. Click on “latest promotions” on the MarketPoint home page.
Contact AgriDry LLC, Dept. FIN, Box 336, Edon, OH 43518, 419/459-4399, visit www.agridryllc.com or www.freeproductinfo.net/fin, or circle 101.
IntegrisPro
The IntegrisPro from Integris can monitor information from a virtually unlimited number of digital sensors. Typically, the controller for a 48-ft.-dia. bin would capture data from 60 temperature sensors arrayed along six cables. In addition, it would collect data from a humidity sensor at the top of the bin; temperature, pressure and humidity sensors in the fan plenum; and temperature and humidity sensors from an on-site weather station. All the data are fed into an aeration algorithm to automatically control fans for natural air and heat-supplemented drying and long-term storage.
Basing the system on digital sensors, which Integris's parent company pioneered more than a decade ago, improves accuracy and simplifies installation and servicing, Crompton says. As a result, “this system is so much more cost-effective” than analog systems, he says.
The system's digital temperature sensors are fed into a reinforced plastic housing, which allows them to be removed from inside the housing, serviced and replaced even when a bin is full. “A farmer can service it himself,” Crompton says.
Customers can add an Insector insect sensor system, which OPIsystems developed in conjunction with the USDA. The Insector system is able to detect and identify specific insects long before an infestation gets out of hand, he says.
The IntegrisPro system relays bin operating data to a farm's central computer using 900-MHz or 2.4-gigahertz (GHz) radios. Bins can be monitored and controlled from anywhere with Internet access using remote-access software. The operator can check bin conditions on site using a handheld plug-in StorMax monitor, which can capture and store up to a year's worth of bin data.
In addition to collecting ongoing data showing temperature changes through the grain, the graphical reporting system offers analysis tools. It also shows grain level and volume and includes a modeling tool that provides drying scenarios based on historic weather patterns. The owner can use this tool to design an aeration system or to determine when high-moisture grain put in a bin early in the season will dry down so bin filling can continue.
System costs typically run about $0.15/bu. for facilities with a capacity under 100,000 bu. The hardware and installation costs drop to $0.05 to $0.10/bu. on a 500,000-bu. facility. An extended warranty with ongoing call center support costs less than $0.01/bu./year. Complete systems also can be rented for about $0.02 to $0.04/bu./year, depending on facility size.
“Our goal is to offer a fully integrated solution that includes a complete technology package with follow-on services,” Crompton says. “We want to show customers how storing grain can be another profit center that can capture another 10 or 15 cents in extra value from their grain.”
Contact Integris USA LLC, Dept. FIN, Suite 700, 7300 W. 110th St., Overland Park, KS 66210, 913/653-8350, visit www.integrisusa.com or www.freeproductinfo.net/fin, or circle 102.
Intelliair BinManager
The BinManager uses digital moisture and temperature sensors arrayed every 4 ft. to monitor and control natural air and heat-supplemented drying and long-term storage. A 48-ft.-dia. bin typically is outfitted with six sensor cables, each with multiple sensors to detect moisture and temperature levels in the bin.
These sensors, as well as temperature and humidity sensors in the fan plenum, and temperature and humidity sensors in an on-site weather station, feed into a bin-mounted controller. A software formula in the controller's computer drives the drying process, including fan and heater use needed to maintain conditions for long-term storage. In the future, the system also will include a laser imagery system to monitor bin filling and emptying.
Although bin-operating parameters can be set and monitored from the bin site, BinManager relies primarily on a Web interface for monitoring and adjusting control functions.
“We wanted to be Web-based so a farmer could check his grain bins wherever he has Internet access, including his Blackberry [or other Web-capable cell phone or computer],” Sears says. “It would make him more mobile.” The Web interface also reduces software-related challenges, which can occur as computer operating systems change, he adds.
Communications to and from the bin site are through a cellular modem. If several bins on the site are outfitted with BinManager systems, information from each bin is relayed wirelessly to the cellular modem for transfer to BinManager Web server computers. In addition to control and monitoring functions, the system also has an alert feature, which automatically contacts up to five individuals via telephone, e-mail or text in case of a problem at a bin site that requires immediate attention.
The cost of installing BinManager on a 48- to 60-ft.-dia. bin typically is $0.10 to $0.12/bu. of storage capacity. Systems for smaller bins cost up to $0.20/bu. In addition, BinManager charges a $495 annual fee, which covers cellular airtime and Web site access.
Contact Intelliair LLC, Box 379, Garden City, MO 64747, 888/862-6046, visit www.binmanager.com or www.freeproductinfo.net/fin, or circle 103.
Trust the system
The biggest challenge after making a sale can be convincing a customer to trust the system's automated functions, Sears says. “New customers often try to out-guess the technology,” he says. “Just because the ambient air feels too humid to dry grain does not mean it is. The BinManager system takes into account the plenum air temperature and moisture levels, fan warm-up and heater availability to determine the best air to push through the grain mass. Customers often say the best thing they learn from the first year is to keep their hands off.”
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