New grain handling system installed following farm fire

• Dust accumulation causes blaze

• System redesigned to reduce risk

• Remote ability to shut down plant

Afarming family who suffered a fire in their grain dryer had it redesigned and safely installed for the following harvest.

WF Wells & Sons is a five-brother partnership and the third generation to farm at Camerton, near Bath, Somerset. The brothers grow winter wheat and barley, spring barley, spring beans, oilseed rape and maize to feed their dairy and beef herd.

“The dryer caught fire in 2021 as a result of an accumulation of dust,” says Andrew Wells.

Expert view

“Dry weather meant the crop was particularly dusty and dirty and the location of the dryer – which was installed in a tight space – meant it was dragging in air laden with dust which was settling on the burner tubes.

After the fire, Mr Wells called Andrew Head, sales director for grain drying experts BDC Systems. He confirmed the cause of the fire, which aligned with the view of the insurers.

Mr Head also worked out how to extract the grain from the fire-damaged dryer – instructing Mr Wells to call a demolition team.

“We did and they were brilliant, dismantling the dryer without damaging the shed itself, leaving the way clear for the new installation.”

Fire risk

Despite the new dryer having to fit within the same tight space as the destroyed dryer – and having to protrude through the roof of the grain shed, Mr Head worked closely with Mr Wells to re-design the plant and greatly reduce the fire risk.

Following discussions with insurers around the need to provide best value for money, Mr Head safely installed a Svegma 37tph continuous flow dryer with a 4m footprint into the available space.

The design of the new plant enabled the Svegma to be rotated 180 degrees enabling dust-free fresh air to be drawn into the drier’s furnaces – future-proofing the plant which includes the latest grain handling equipment.

Gravity discharge

Grain from the field is now tipped into a large gravity discharge intake bunker. A belt and bucket elevator then drops through an Aagaard heavy duty aspiration pre-cleaner to remove light dust and chaff.

Grain is then transported via a Skandia SEI35/14, 60tph elevator which feeds a Skandia KTIFFR20/33, 60tph flow and return conveyor to the Svegma dryer. Once full, the surplus grain from the dryer flows back by gravity to the intake bunker.

The Svegma is fitted with vertical turboclean dust extraction fans and dust extracted is pneumatically conveyed to the dust box by a Kongskilde TLR blower, rather than remaining airborne around the furnaces.

The dryer is discharged through a Skandia KTIFb20/33, 60tph chain and flight conveyor with grain transported through a reciprocating cleaner or direct to store using the existing handling system.

Moisture content

Mr Wells also chose to deploy BDC’s moisture monitoring system to keep an eye on grain going into and out of the dryer. Should moisture vary beyond predefined levels, an email or text message alert allows adjustments to be made remotely.

The dryer was supplied with a touch screen control panel incorporating the drier, grain handling equipment and moisture controls.

This means Mr Wells can remotely view and adjust the dryer settings as well as recording all operating data – including temperatures, discharge speeds, incoming and outgoing moisture content.

“The upgraded plant is a dream to use,” said Mr Wells.

“I dared not leave the old dryer in case there was an issue. Now I am no longer tied to the grain shed during harvest.

“ The remote access to the control panel means that I can log-in and check what’s happening and make any modifications, including shutting the plant down, regardless of where I am.”