November 15, 2018

Wireless grain monitoring using IoT technology

by Vaughn Entwistle, Features editor, Milling And Grain

A silo full of grain is like a bank vault stuffed with cash—the result of a farmer’s investment in hard work, long hours, and capital expenditure.

But cash locked in a bank vault cannot degrade, whereas a silo full of grain can lose its value due to mould, fungus, and mildew, and even suffer potentially catastrophic losses due to an infestation of pests such as rodents and insects. Most banks add an additional layer of security in the form of alarm systems to protect what’s stored in their heavy steel vaults. Now there are monitoring systems available that allow companies to safeguard and monitor the conditions inside their grain storage facilities 24/7.
 


TeleSense
TeleSense, a California-based company, recently introduced its new monitoring system the TeleSense GrainSafe™. The system allows operators to quickly set up a remote monitoring solution to monitor all kinds of storage units, including sheds, silos, bins and bulkheads. GrainSafe works with most grains (such as wheat, corn, barley, etc.) and is an effective solution for continuously monitoring temperature, moisture, and poisonous gases in stored grains, and for receiving immediate alerts if any parameter breaches the user-defined, acceptable range.

Monitoring potential hazards
The most critical factors in grain storage are moisture and temperature. High moisture content in grain, at certain temperatures, can promote the growth of moulds and fungi. Grains stored with high moisture levels can spoil and become unfit for food, and can even spontaneously ignite under ideal conditions. Temperature is another factor that can affect the quality and storage period for grains. Higher temperatures affect grain quality and the ability of stored seeds to germinate over time.

Monitoring temperature with existing temperature cables

For storage units that already have temperature cables installed, TeleSense has developed a Wireless Junction Box (WJB) that interfaces with existing temperature sensing setups and converts them into a potent wireless remote monitoring and predictive solution system. The WJB continuously collects temperature data and sends it to the cloud for analysis. It preserves the investment in existing cables while upgrading them to the latest wireless IoT technology. It is ideal for remote monitoring of grain storages that may be located far away.


Read more HERE.
 

The Global Miller
This blog is maintained by The Global Miller staff and is supported by the magazine Milling and Grain
which is published by Perendale Publishers Limited.


For additional daily news from milling around the world: global-milling.com

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