METHOD AND ARRANGEMENT FOR THE PRODUCTION OF SILAGE

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method and an arrangement for silaging crops. State of the art

[0002] Silage is a type of fodder made from green leafy plants that are stored in a silo and stabilized through acidification. Acidification occurs through fermentation. The finished silage can be fed to cows, sheep, and other ruminants. The storage and fermentation process is called ensiling and is carried out using entire grass plants (not just the seed heads), such as corn, sorghum, or other cereals.

[0003] In the past, fermentation was carried out by indigenous microorganisms; nowadays, however, the silage is treated with silage additives containing special microorganisms to accelerate fermentation or improve the silage. Silage additives can contain one or more strains of lactic acid bacteria, usually Lactobacillus plantarum. Other bacteria used include the varieties Lactobacillus buchneri, Enterococcus faecium and Pediococcus.

[0004] The silage stored and covered in the silo undergoes anaerobic fermentation, which begins approximately 48 hours after the silo is filled and converts the sugars contained in the plants into acid. Fermentation is essentially complete after about two weeks. Before anaerobic fermentation begins, there is an aerobic phase in which the oxygen contained in the silage is consumed. The packing density of the forage determines the quality of the resulting silage, as it influences the chemical reactions occurring in the silo via the atmospheric oxygen content.

[0005] When the forage is well compacted, the oxygen supply is limited, and the resulting acid-based fermentation breaks down the existing carbohydrates into acetic, butyric, and lactic acids. This type of silage product is called acid silage.

[0006] However, if the forage is not compacted well, stored loosely, or the silo is filled gradually, oxidation occurs more quickly and the temperature rises. A similar situation occurs if the silage cover is damaged or the silo is opened prematurely. In these cases, the ingress of oxygen from the air can lead to the production of ammonia or butyric acid, which, in the worst case, can poison the silage and render it unusable as animal feed. If the fermentation process is not carefully conducted and controlled, the acidic silage will take on an unpleasant odor due to the excessive production of ammonia or butyric acid (the latter is responsible for the smell of rancid butter). To produce high-quality silage, it is therefore important to compact the forage sufficiently well to avoid the adverse effects of oxygen entrapment.

[0007] In order to avoid the problems described, it was proposed in the prior art, in addition to automating the compaction (see EP 3 403 488 A1), to produce the silage under vacuum, i.e. to store it in a tent from which the air is subsequently pumped out (DE 10 2006 005 933 A1) or to weld smaller portions of the silage into plastic containers from which the air is pumped out or which are filled with a protective gas such as nitrogen (DE 37 04 175 A1).

[0008] CN 110 301 538 A describes a silo that, after filling and sealing, is filled with an oxygen-free gas, such as biogas or oxygen-free air, either once or at specific intervals. This gas is completely or partially replaced in the silo and reduces silage losses due to atmospheric oxygen. A sensor can detect the air displaced from the silo and, based on this, stop filling with the oxygen-free gas. Another sensor can detect the pressure in the silo, which is higher than the ambient pressure. In the event of a pressure drop, an alarm is triggered, prompting the leak to be repaired. Task

[0009] While compaction, whether automatic or human-controlled, cannot always ensure the exclusion of oxygen in the silage to a sufficient extent, pumping out larger silos on farms is not economically viable due to the effort required to create an airtight container, which also applies analogously to filling the silage into pumped-out or inert gas-filled plastic containers.

[0010] The present invention therefore has the object of improving the fermentation process in a silo constructed on a conventional scale in agricultural holdings in an economical manner and, in particular, of avoiding or at least reducing the undesirable influence of atmospheric oxygen on the fermentation process. Solution

[0011] The present invention is defined by the claims.

[0012] A process for ensiling crops includes the following steps: Distributing and compacting silage from shredded green plants in a silo, sealing the silo, fermenting the silage in the silo, and flooding at least part of the silage with an inert gas after an aerobic fermentation phase.

[0013] In this way, the adverse effects of atmospheric oxygen on the silage after the aerobic phase of fermentation (see the introduction to the description for an explanation) are reduced or eliminated using relatively simple and largely economically viable means by flooding the silage with the inert gas, which can be, for example, nitrogen or a noble gas. It would also be conceivable to introduce the gas into the silo during the aerobic phase, i.e., before the anaerobic phase of fermentation, e.g., to accelerate the aerobic phase.

[0014] The ingress of atmospheric oxygen into the silage is detected by a sensor and serves to automatically control a valve through which the inert gas is directed from a container through one or more lines into the silage. Only the area of ​​the silo where one or more sensors detect atmospheric oxygen ingress is flooded with gas.

[0015] The end of the aerobic phase can be detected by the several sensors and can be used to automatically control the valve through which the inert gas is passed from a container through one or more lines into the (entire) silage or part of it.

[0016] The sensors can be configured to detect the end of the aerobic phase and / or the penetration of oxygen based on the temperature of the silage and / or based on one or more reaction products of atmospheric oxygen penetrating and / or a variable influenced by the reaction products (e.g. pH value of the silage) and / or the oxygen directly.

[0017] Based on the sensor signals, the position of a cutting point can be detected at which the silo is opened to remove silage. Based on this, the valve can be suitably controlled to prevent the nozzles from opening, which would otherwise release the gas into empty areas of the silo. Based on the sensor signals, the oxygen content in the silage in the vicinity of the cutting point can also be detected and, if necessary (if a threshold value is exceeded), the adjacent nozzles or all nozzles of the silo can be supplied with gas. In another embodiment, the detection of the cutting point can also be recorded using a camera or any other sensor technology and used to

[0018] can be used to control the valve.

[0019] An arrangement for ensiling crops comprises a silo for holding silage made from shredded green plants, which silo comprises a base and a silage seal, and in which the silage is fermentable, wherein means are provided for flooding the silage with an inert gas after an aerobic phase of the fermentation process. The silo can thus be filled with the silage made from shredded green plants, and the silage can be compacted in the silo by vehicles or other suitable devices. Another area of ​​application of the present invention is a silo tank (vertical silo) that is filled with silage.

[0020] The arrangement is equipped with several sensors that are configured to detect the ingress of atmospheric oxygen into the silage and are coupled to an adjustable valve, through which, in response to the detected ingress of atmospheric oxygen, the inert gas is automatically led from a container through one or more lines only into the area of ​​the silo in which the ingress of atmospheric oxygen is detected.

[0021] The sensors can be configured to detect the end of the aerobic phase of the fermentation of the silage in the silo and can be coupled in a controlling manner to the adjustable valve, through which the inert gas can be automatically fed from a container through the one or more lines into the silage in response to the detected end. Example

[0022] The figures show an embodiment of the invention, which is explained in more detail below. They show: Fig. 1a perspective view of a silo, and Fig. 2a vertical section through the silo along the line 2-2 of the Figure 1 .

[0023] In the Figure 11 shows a silo 10 in the form of a so-called silo bunker. The silo comprises a floor 12 and side walls 14, which are usually all made of concrete. The silo 10 is designed as a bunker silo, into which chopped green plants are introduced, distributed, and compacted, as is known per se in the prior art (EP 3 403 487 A1, EP 3 403 488 A1, the disclosure of which is incorporated into the present documents by reference), and is therefore open at the front and rear. The chopped green plants, referred to below as silage 16, can be treated with a silage additive during harvesting or during or after storage in order to improve fermentation. In addition, after compaction, the silage 16 is covered at the top and towards the open sides of the silo 10 with a film 18 (see Figure 2 ) to shield them from the oxygen in the surrounding air.

[0024] Openings are provided in the floor 12 and walls 14, through which gas-carrying lines 20 extend. Nozzles 22 are arranged on the insides of the floor 12 and walls 14, through which the gas supplied via lines 20 can flow into the interior of the silo 10 and thus into the silage 16. The lines 20 are connected to the outlet of a valve 24, the inlet of which is connected to a container 26 (e.g., a gas cylinder) filled with pressurized gas.

[0025] It would also be conceivable to route the lines 20 through openings in the film 18 to pressurize the silo 10 from above. The lines would also be routed through openings in the film 18 if the silage 16 is stacked in a pile that is covered at the top and on all sides by the film 18. In another embodiment, the silo is designed as a vertical tank that is filled with the silage. Compaction occurs there through the silage's own weight or additional means, and the nozzles 22 are installed in the floor and walls of the tank.

[0026] The valve 24 is controllable by a computer 28, which in turn is connected to sensors 30 and 32. The computer 28 could also be implemented as a mobile device (smartphone or similar) and wirelessly control the valve 24. The valve 24 can be moved by the computer 28 at least between an open and closed position and, in an advanced embodiment, also into one or more intermediate positions.

[0027] The sensors 30 arranged within the silage 16 detect the temperature of the silage 16, and the sensors 32 detect certain components of the silage 16, particularly those that indicate undesirable rotting (e.g., butyric acid or ammonia or the pH value), or serve to detect oxygen. The sensors 32 can be designed, for example, as near-infrared spectrometers or similar devices. It would also be possible to use the sensors 32 to detect the amount of gas from the container 26 that is in the vicinity of the sensor 32, in order to be able to close the valve 24 again when a predetermined pressure or gas content is reached.

[0028] The sensors 30, 32 can, as in the Figures 1 and 2shown, be connected to the computer 28 by cables (in this case the points at which the said cable passes through the film 18 would be sealed or the cables would be located under the film 18 and laid between the floor 12 or the side walls 14 on the one hand and the film 18 on the other hand and a suitable seal would be provided there to prevent the ingress of atmospheric oxygen), or they would be connected to the computer 28 by wireless signal transmission, e.g. by radio waves.

[0029] Unlike in the Figures 1 and 2 As shown, each nozzle 22 and line 20 can be individually assigned a valve 24, or several nozzles 22 are connected to a busbar 34, to which a separate valve 24 is assigned, as in the Figure 2for the nozzles 22 on the floor 12 and on the left wall 14. In other words, the nozzles 22 can be controlled individually or in groups by the computer 28 and the valve 24, wherein the groups comprise locally adjacent nozzles 22, be it for the entire floor 12 or a part thereof or for an entire wall 14 or a limited part thereof, with vertically or horizontally or in both directions adjacent nozzles 22. However, it would also be conceivable for all nozzles 22 to be actuated simultaneously by means of a single valve 24. A pressure reducer (not shown) can also be provided upstream or downstream of the valve 24 or integrated therein.

[0030] The gas in container 26 is a chemically inactive (inert) gas, such as a noble gas (helium, argon, etc.) or nitrogen. The silo 10 is thus filled with the gas after being filled with the silage 16, compacted and covered with the film 18, and the completion of the aerobic fermentation phase, to prevent the silage 16 from deteriorating due to potentially penetrating atmospheric oxygen.

[0031] In the simplest case, the silo 10 can be filled with gas by an operator input into the computer 28, for example, when the farmer, after observing the silo 10, determines that the aerobic phase is over. For this purpose, it would also be conceivable to dispense with the sensors 30, 32 and the computer 28 and operate the valve 24 manually. In a more advanced embodiment, however, the computer 28 detects the end of the aerobic phase based on the signals from the sensors 30 and / or 32 and opens the valve 24, possibly after displaying the intended filling of the silo 10 with gas on a user interface 36 and after receiving a confirmation input from the farmer using a keyboard or similar.

[0032] The silo 10 can be filled with gas, with individual or group-wise control of the nozzles 22, first from below (by pressurizing the nozzles 22 arranged below) if the gas in the container 26 is lighter than air, such as in the case of helium, or analogously from above, by pressurizing the nozzles 22 arranged above if the gas in the container 26 is heavier than air. The inflowing gas displaces any atmospheric oxygen still present in the silage 16 or penetrating through a leak in the film 18 or between the film 18 and the walls 14 or the floor 12, and prevents undesirable rotting processes in the silage.

[0033] Alternatively or additionally, it would also be conceivable to only expose the silage 16 to the gas from the container 26 when undesired reactions in the silage due to atmospheric oxygen occur or could occur (e.g., in the case of direct detection of oxygen by a sensor 32), which can be detected by the computer 28 based on the signals from the sensors 30, 32 distributed throughout the silo 10. In this case, either the entire silo 10 can be exposed to gas, or only the nozzles 22 adjacent to the neighboring sensor(s) 30 and / or 32 detecting the undesired reaction or the possibility of such a reaction are exposed, individually or in groups. In addition, based on the signals from the sensors 30, 32, a warning can be displayed on the operator interface 36 regarding the position and, if applicable, the size of the leak, so that the farmer can seal the leak if necessary.Sensors 30 detect any temperature increases that indicate an undesirable reaction, and sensors 32 detect the products of an undesirable reaction (indirect detection) and / or incoming atmospheric oxygen (direct detection). Sensors 32 could also be designed as sensors for detecting the pH value of the silage 16, which is also influenced by incoming atmospheric oxygen.

[0034] The signals from the sensors 30, 32 can also be used to detect the position of an interface at which the silo 10 is opened to remove silage 16, in order to prevent the opening of the nozzles 22 by the computer 28 and the valve 24 (with individual or group control of the nozzles 22), which would otherwise release the gas into empty areas of the silo 10 (no longer filled with silage 16). Alternatively or additionally, the sensors 30, 32 serve to detect the oxygen content in the silage 16 (or undesirable reaction products, such as butyric acid or ammonia, see above) in the vicinity of the cut point and, if necessary, to supply the adjacent nozzles 22 or, as a precaution, all nozzles 22 of the silo 10 (if necessary with the exception of the nozzles 22 that would release their gas into the areas of the silo 10 that are already emptied) with gas from the container 26.

Claims

1. Method for silaging harvested crops, comprising the following steps: distributing and compacting silage (16) consisting of shredded foliage plants in a silo (10), sealing the silo (10), fermenting the silage (16) in the silo (10), and flushing at least one part of the silage (16) with an inert gas after an aerobic phase of the fermentation, wherein sensors (30, 32) detect a penetration of atmospheric oxygen into the silage (16), characterized in that a penetration of atmospheric oxygen into the silage (16) detected by one or more of the sensors (30, 32) serves for the automatic activation of a valve (24), by which the inert gas is conducted from a container (28) through one or more lines (20) into the silage (16), wherein only the region of the silo (10) in which one or more sensors (30, 32) establish a penetration of atmospheric oxygen is supplied with inert gas.

2. Method according to Claim 1, wherein the end of the aerobic phase is detected by the sensors (30, 32) and serves for the automatic activation of the valve (24).

3. Method according to either of Claims 1 and 2, wherein the sensors are configured to detect the end of the aerobic phase and / or the penetration of oxygen on the basis of the temperature of the silage (16) and / or on the basis of one or more reaction products of penetrating atmospheric oxygen and / or variables influenced thereby and / or to detect the oxygen directly.

4. Method according to one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the signals of the sensors (30, 32) are used to identify the position of an interface at which the silo (10) is opened for removing silage (16), so as on this basis to prevent an opening of nozzles (22) which would otherwise discharge the gas into empty regions of the silo (10).

5. Method according to Claim 4, wherein the signals of the sensors (30, 32) are used to detect the oxygen component in the silage (16) in the vicinity of the interface and, when a threshold value is exceeded, gas is supplied to the respectively adjacent nozzles (22) or all of the nozzles (22) of the silo (10).

6. Arrangement for silaging harvested crops, comprising a silo (10) for receiving silage (16) consisting of shredded foliage plants, which comprises a base (12) and a seal (18) for the silage (16) and in which the silage (16) is able to be fermented, wherein means are provided for flushing at least one part of the silage (16) with an inert gas after an aerobic phase of the fermentation process and one or more sensors (30, 32) are configured to detect a penetration of atmospheric oxygen into the silage, characterized in that the sensors (30, 32) are coupled in a controlling manner to an adjustable valve (24), by which the inert gas can be guided from a container (28) through one or more lines (20) only into the region of the silo (10) in which a penetration of atmospheric oxygen is established.

7. Arrangement according to Claim 6, wherein the sensors (30, 32) are configured to detect the end of the aerobic phase of the fermentation of the silage (16) in the silo (10).