grain dryer drying system

Abstract

To provide a drying system hardly increasing the acidity of an aliphatic acid in grain.SOLUTION: The drying system of a grain dryer comprises aliphatic acid acidity measurement means of measuring the aliphatic acid acidity in grain and a grain dryer drying grain. The grain dryer is configured to be able to switch a mode of putting priority to grain quality by setting the grain drying speed at a low speed and a mode of putting priority to a time by setting the grain drying speed at a high speed. The system is characterized by operating the grain dryer in a mode of putting priority to grain quality by setting the drying speed at a low speed, when the aliphatic acid acidity measurement means detects high aliphatic acid acidity in the grain.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a system for drying grains.

Background Art

[0002] Regarding the technology for inspecting the quality of grains, for example, the technology described in the following Patent Document 1 is known.

[0003] Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-74618) describes a technology in which a grain sample after threshing is sorted into polished rice and immature rice by a grain sorting device (5), and after the polished rice is sent to a storage tank (21), the polished rice is sent from the storage tank (21) to a taste meter (registered trademark) (9) and a rice quality meter (10) to measure the taste and rice quality. In Patent Document 1, the rice quality meter (10) irradiates light to each grain of polished rice, and determines the quality such as good polished rice, immature rice, colored grains, dead rice, and cracked grains from the light transmission amount and reflection amount. Further, in Patent Document 1, the taste meter (registered trademark) (9) spectro-analyzes the transmitted light and reflected light when irradiating light to each grain of polished rice, and determines the quality such as amylose value, protein, moisture, etc. from the wavelength components related to the taste of grains, or irradiates light of a wavelength related to the taste to the polished rice and determines the quality from the absorbance.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The technical problem of this invention is to provide a drying system that makes it difficult for the fatty acid value of grains to increase.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The above-mentioned problems of this invention are solved by the following means. The invention described in claim 1 is, A means for measuring the fatty acid content of grains, Equipped with a grain dryer for drying grains, The grain dryer is configured to allow switching between a mode that prioritizes quality by drying the grain at a slow speed and a mode that prioritizes time by drying the grain at a fast speed. Based on the fatty acid content of the grain at harvest measured by the fatty acid content measuring means and the fatty acid content of the grain after drying, if the fatty acid content after drying is higher than the fatty acid content at harvest, Next time the grain will be dried Operates in a mode that prioritizes quality by setting the drying speed to low. control This is a drying system for a grain dryer characterized by the following:

[0007] The invention described in claim 2 is, The grain dryer drying system according to claim 1, characterized in that the fatty acid content measuring means controls the upper limit of the amount of grain that can be stored in the grain dryer when it detects that the fatty acid content of the grain is high. 。

[0008]

[0009] [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] The present invention provides a drying system that prevents the fatty acid content of grains from increasing. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram of the harvest evaluation system of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram of the control unit of the harvest evaluation system according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a display image of the total points in the embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0013] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

[0014] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the harvested product evaluation system of the present invention.

[0015] In FIG. 1, the harvested product evaluation system S of the embodiment of the present invention has a grain dryer 1. The grain dryer 1 is a device that dries grains by allowing the grains to pass through a portion where hot air is supplied while flowing grains such as rice and wheat inside. A moisture meter for measuring the moisture content of the grains is installed in the grain dryer 1, and during drying, the moisture content of the grains is monitored, and when a predetermined value is reached, the drying operation is terminated.

[0016] Such a grain dryer 1 is described in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-128206 and is publicly known, so detailed description thereof is omitted.

[0017] The harvested product evaluation system S of the embodiment has a combine 11 as an example of a harvesting machine. Since the combine 11 is a conventionally well-known device for harvesting grains in a field, detailed description thereof is omitted. When harvesting grains, the combine 11 of the embodiment also performs threshing, and the threshed grains are stored in a container (receptacle) installed in the combine 11. The grains stored in the container are transferred to the grain dryer 1 and dried. The container of the embodiment is, as an example, configured as a bag-shaped structure, so-called flexible container bag (flexible bag), but any form of container such as a box-shaped container can be used. Further, the flexible bag of the embodiment is provided with identification information for management. The identification information can use any form of identification information such as an ID number, a QR code (registered trademark), a barcode, etc.

[0018] In addition, in the embodiment, a clock for measuring time is installed in the combine 11. Further, in the combine 11 of the embodiment, a thermometer for measuring the temperature and a hygrometer for measuring the humidity are also installed.

[0019] The harvested product evaluation system S of the embodiment has a tablet terminal 21 as an example of a terminal. The tablet terminal 21 is configured to be able to transmit and receive information to and from the grain dryer 1 and the combine 11 through a communication line such as an Internet line.

[0020] The tablet terminal 21 has a touch panel 21a as an example of a display unit. The touch panel 21a of the embodiment also has a function as an input unit that can be input by a user touching it with a finger. (Explanation of the control unit) FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the control unit of the harvested product evaluation system of the embodiment.

[0021] In FIG. 2, the control unit Ca of the grain dryer 1, the control unit Cb of the combine 11, and the control unit Cc of the tablet terminal have an input / output interface I / O for inputting and outputting signals to and from the outside. Further, the control units Ca to Cc have a ROM: read-only memory in which programs and information for performing necessary processing are stored. Further, the control units Ca to Cc have a RAM: random access memory for temporarily storing necessary data. Further, the control units Ca to Cc have a CPU: central processing unit for performing processing according to the programs stored in the ROM and the like. Therefore, the control units Ca to Cc of the embodiment are configured by an information processing device, a so-called computer. Therefore, the control units Ca to Cc can realize various functions by executing the programs stored in the ROM and the like. (Signal input elements connected to the control unit Ca of the grain dryer 1) In FIG. 2, signals from a moisture meter SN1, a taste analyzer SN2, and other signal input members not shown are input to the control unit Ca of the grain dryer 1.

[0022] The moisture meter SN1 measures the moisture content of the grain.

[0023] The SN2 taste analyzer, as an example of a fatty acid content measurement method, measures the taste of grains. In this embodiment, the SN2 taste analyzer irradiates flowing grains with near-infrared light and measures the fatty acid content of the grains based on the transmitted, reflected, or scattered light. The SN2 taste analyzer itself is already known, as described in, for example, Patent Document 1, so a detailed explanation is omitted. (Controlled element connected to the control unit Ca of the grain dryer 1) The control unit Ca of the grain dryer 1 outputs control signals to the grain flowing device 1a, the temperature control device 1b, and other controlled elements (not shown).

[0024] The grain flowing device 1a controls the speed at which the grain flows. The grain flowing device 1a controls the conveying speed so that the grain is conveyed at either a predetermined high speed or a predetermined low speed.

[0025] The temperature control device 1b controls the temperature of the hot air used to dry the grain. The temperature control device 1b controls the temperature of the hot air so that it supplies either a predetermined high temperature or a predetermined low temperature of hot air. (Description of the control unit Ca of grain dryer 1) The control unit Ca of the grain dryer 1 has the following functions (functional means, program module):

[0026] The drying operation control means C1 performs a drying operation to dry the grain in response to input from an input button (not shown) on the grain dryer 1 or a control signal input from a tablet terminal 21. When quality priority is input, the drying operation control means C1 performs the drying operation in a quality priority mode (low-speed mode) with a low grain flow rate and a low hot air temperature. When time priority is input, the drying operation performs the drying operation in a time priority mode (high-speed mode) with a high grain flow rate and a high hot air temperature.

[0027] The taste measurement means C2 measures the taste of the grain as an example of harvested product information based on the measurement results of the taste analyzer SN2. In this embodiment, the taste measurement means C2 acquires taste information (fatty acid content) from a sample of the grain at the end of the drying operation and transmits it to the tablet terminal 21. (Signal input element connected to the control unit Cb of the combine harvester 11) In Figure 2, the control unit Cb of the combine harvester 11 receives signals from a moisture meter SN11, a taste analyzer SN12, a clock SN13, a thermometer SN14, a hygrometer SN15, and other signal input components (not shown).

[0028] The SN11 moisture meter measures the moisture content of grain at harvest time.

[0029] As an example of a means for measuring fatty acid content, the SN12 taste analyzer measures the taste of grain at harvest time. The SN12 taste analyzer on the combine harvester 11 is configured similarly to the SN2 taste analyzer on the grain dryer 1, so a detailed explanation is omitted.

[0030] The SN13 watch measures time.

[0031] The thermometer SN14 measures the ambient temperature around the combine harvester 11.

[0032] The hygrometer SN15 measures the humidity (ambient humidity) around the combine harvester 11. (Description of the control unit Cb of the combine harvester 11) The control unit Cb of the combine harvester 11 has the following functions (functional means, program module):

[0033] The moisture measurement means C11 measures the moisture content as an example of harvest information based on the measurement results of the moisture meter SN11. In this embodiment, the moisture meter SN11 measures the average value of the moisture content (initial moisture content) at the time of harvesting by the combine harvester 11. The moisture meter SN11 in this embodiment is positioned to measure the moisture content of the grain as it is being sent to the flexible container bag after threshing. The moisture measurement means C11 in this embodiment also measures the "moisture variation," which is the difference between the maximum and minimum values ​​of the initial moisture content at the time of harvesting. The measured information on the initial moisture content and moisture variation is transmitted to the tablet terminal 21 along with the identification information of the flexible container bag.

[0034] The taste measurement means C12 measures the taste of the grain based on the measurement results of the taste analyzer SN12. In this embodiment, the taste analyzer SN12 is positioned to measure the taste of the grain sent to the flexible container bag after hulling, similar to the moisture meter SN11. The taste measurement means C12 in this embodiment acquires the average value of the taste information (fatty acid content) at the time of harvest and transmits it to the tablet terminal 21 along with the identification information of the flexible container bag.

[0035] The harvest time measurement means C13 measures the harvest time, which is the time when harvesting is performed by the combine harvester, based on the time on the clock SN13. The harvest time measurement means C13 transmits the measured harvest time, along with the identification information of the flexible container bag, to the tablet terminal 21.

[0036] The temperature measuring means C14 measures the ambient temperature (outside temperature) during harvesting work with the combine harvester based on the temperature measured by the thermometer SN14. The temperature measuring means C14 transmits the measured ambient temperature, along with the identification information of the flexible container bag, to the tablet terminal 21.

[0037] The humidity measuring means C15 measures the ambient humidity during harvesting operations with the combine harvester based on the humidity measured by the hygrometer SN15. The humidity measuring means C15 transmits the measured ambient humidity, along with the identification information of the flexible container bag, to the tablet terminal 21. (Signal input element connected to the control unit Cc of the tablet device 21) The control unit Cc of the tablet terminal 21 receives signals from the touch panel 21a and other signal input components (not shown).

[0038] The touch panel 21a detects input based on the position where the user touches it with their finger. (Controlled element connected to the control unit Cc of the tablet terminal 21) The control unit Cc of the tablet terminal 21 outputs control signals to the touch panel 21a and other controlled elements (not shown).

[0039] The touch panel 21a displays an image corresponding to the signal from the control unit Cc. (Description of the control unit Cc of tablet device 21) The control unit Cc of the tablet terminal 21 has the following functions (function means, program module):

[0040] The environmental information input means C21 receives environmental information related to the environment at the time of harvesting. In this embodiment, as an example of environmental information, the environmental information input means C21 receives information such as the harvest time, ambient temperature, and ambient humidity from the combine harvester 11 via a communication line. The environmental information input means C21 in this embodiment also acquires (inputs) weather information at the time of harvest (sunny, cloudy, rainy, etc.) as an example of environmental information. In this embodiment, as an example, weather information is acquired by obtaining weather information distributed on the internet according to the harvest time and the location information of the field.

[0041] The harvest information input means C22 receives harvest information about the harvested crop at the time of harvest. In this embodiment, the harvest information input means C22 receives, as an example of harvest information, information on the initial moisture content and moisture variation from the combine harvester 11, information on the fatty acid content at the time of harvest from the combine harvester 11, and information on the fatty acid content after drying from the grain dryer 1, via a communication line.

[0042] The first calculation means C23 calculates a first evaluation point based on environmental information. In the embodiment, the first calculation means C23 assigns a first evaluation point lower than that for time periods other than the early morning period if the harvest time falls within a predetermined early morning period based on the harvest time in the environmental information. In the embodiment, as an example, if the harvest time is before 9 a.m., it is determined that the harvest time falls within the early morning period and that uneven moisture content and cracking of grains are likely to occur due to morning dew, and a low value (e.g., 3 points) is assigned as the first evaluation point. If the harvest time is between 9 a.m. and 16 a.m., it is determined that the harvest time falls within the daytime period and a high value (e.g., 5 points) is assigned as the first evaluation point. If the harvest time is after 16 a.m. (until 24 a.m.), it is determined that it falls within the evening period and an intermediate value (e.g., 4 points) is assigned as the first evaluation point.

[0043] Furthermore, in the embodiment, if the ambient temperature, as an example of environmental information, is higher than a predetermined temperature, the first calculation means C23 assigns a lower score as the first evaluation point compared to the case of a low temperature. In the embodiment, for example, if the ambient temperature is 35 degrees or higher, it is determined that the grain temperature is high and prone to damping, and a low value (for example, 3 points) is assigned as the first evaluation point. If the ambient temperature is less than 35 degrees, a high value (for example, 5 points) is assigned as the first evaluation point.

[0044] Furthermore, in the embodiment, the first calculation means C23 assigns a lower first evaluation point if the ambient humidity, as an example of environmental information, is higher than a predetermined humidity level, compared to the case of low humidity. In the embodiment, for example, if the ambient humidity is 90% or higher, it is determined to be prone to stuffiness, and a lower value (for example, 4 points) is assigned as the first evaluation point. If the ambient humidity is less than 90%, a higher value (for example, 5 points) is assigned as the first evaluation point.

[0045] Furthermore, in the embodiment, the first calculation means C23 assigns a lower first evaluation point if the weather, as an example of environmental information, is a predetermined weather condition, compared to other cases. In the embodiment, for example, if it is raining at harvest time or if a typhoon has passed through the day before, the system determines that the hulling rate is high and that condensation and mud contamination are likely to occur in the grain dryer 1, resulting in a decrease in quality, and assigns a lower first evaluation point (for example, 4 points). If the weather is otherwise, a higher first evaluation point (for example, 5 points) is assigned.

[0046] In the first calculation means C23 of the embodiment, a first evaluation point was assigned based on the harvest time, ambient temperature, ambient humidity, and weather, but this is not limited to that. For example, in areas where the field is in a cold region and the ambient temperature does not exceed 35 degrees Celsius throughout the year, it is possible to omit the judgment based on ambient temperature. Similarly, it is possible to reduce the number of parameters to be judged depending on the environment at the time of harvest. Furthermore, it is also possible to increase the number of parameters, for example, by assigning a higher first evaluation point to a producer who has a track record of successfully managing water and consistently producing high-quality rice, compared to other producers.

[0047] Furthermore, it is also possible to calculate the cumulative maximum (and minimum) temperatures from the day of heading to the day of harvest, and if the cumulative temperature on the day of harvest is not within a predetermined range (for example, ±50 degrees), it can be determined that the harvest was too early or too late, and the first evaluation point can be set to a lower value.

[0048] Similarly, ambient temperature, humidity, and weather are not limited to those at harvest time; it is also possible to assign the first evaluation points using information such as total sunshine hours from planting to harvesting, average ambient temperature, average ambient humidity, total rainy days, and daily temperature difference.

[0049] The second calculation means C24 calculates a second evaluation point based on the harvest information. In this embodiment, the second calculation means C24, based on the initial moisture content, which is the moisture content of the harvest immediately after harvest as harvest information, assigns a higher second evaluation point if the initial moisture content falls within a predetermined appropriate range than if it does not fall within the appropriate range. In this embodiment, as an example, if the initial moisture content is 19% to 23%, it is determined to be within the appropriate range, and a high value (e.g., 5 points) is assigned as the second evaluation point. If the initial moisture content is less than 19%, it is determined that there is a possibility of cracked grains (cracked grains) or damage from sparrows, etc. (sparrow damage), and a low score (e.g., 3 points) is assigned. Furthermore, if the initial moisture content exceeds 23%, it is determined that there is a high possibility of a large amount of immature or green rice, and a low score (e.g., 4 points) is assigned.

[0050] Furthermore, the second calculation means C24 of the embodiment assigns a second evaluation point that is higher than when the moisture content variation, as harvest information, falls within a predetermined appropriate range, if it falls within that range. In the embodiment, as an example, if 99% or more of the standard deviation σ of the moisture content variation of each grain falls within 3σ of the standard deviation σ, it is determined that the moisture content variation falls within the appropriate range, and a high value (for example, 4 points) is assigned as the second evaluation point. If 99% or more of the moisture content does not fall within 3σ, it is determined that the moisture content variation is outside the appropriate range, and there is a high risk that grains with low moisture content will crack due to over-drying during drying, and a low value (for example, 3 points) is assigned.

[0051] Furthermore, the second calculation means C24 of the embodiment assigns a lower second evaluation point when the fatty acid content after drying increases compared to the fatty acid content at harvest, based on the fatty acid content at harvest and the fatty acid content after drying as harvest information. This is compared to when the fatty acid content after drying does not increase compared to the fatty acid content at harvest. It is known that free fatty acids increase with age, and if the fatty acid content increases by 1% or more after drying compared to the initial level at harvest, a lower second evaluation point (e.g., 3 points) is assigned. If the increase in fatty acid content is less than 1%, a higher value (e.g., 5 points) is assigned.

[0052] The overall calculation means C25 calculates an overall score by adding the first evaluation points calculated by the first calculation means C23 and the second evaluation points calculated by the second calculation means C24. Based on the calculated overall score, the overall calculation means C25 of this embodiment performs an overall evaluation of the grain. In this embodiment, for example, an overall score of 34 to 30 points is evaluated as A, 30 to 25 points as B, and 24 points or less as C. In this embodiment, the calculation and evaluation of the first evaluation points, second evaluation points, and overall score are performed for each identification information of the flexible container bag. However, if the contents of multiple flexible container bags are mixed in the grain dryer 1, it is also possible to calculate the average of the points for each identification information.

[0053] The thresholds used in calculating and evaluating each point are examples only and can be changed as appropriate depending on the design and specifications. Furthermore, it is desirable to change the thresholds for each data point depending on the variety of harvested crop.

[0054] Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a display image of the total points in the embodiment.

[0055] The display means C26 displays the calculated total points as an image on the touch panel 21a. In Figure 3, the display image 31 includes a total points display field 31a where the total points are displayed, a total evaluation field 31b where the overall evaluation is displayed, an environmental points display field 31c where the first evaluation points are displayed, a harvest points display field 31d where the second evaluation points are displayed, an instruction button 31e for quality priority mode, an instruction button 31f for time priority mode, and so on.

[0056] The drying speed control means C27 outputs a control signal to the grain dryer 1 to control the drying speed of the grain in the grain dryer 1. In this embodiment, when the instruction button 31e for quality priority mode is pressed, the drying speed control means C27 sends a control signal to operate the grain dryer 1 in quality priority mode. Also, when the instruction button 31f for time priority mode is pressed, the C27 sends a control signal to operate the grain dryer 1 in time priority mode. In other words, in this embodiment, the drying speed of the grain can be switched between a low-speed quality priority mode and a high-speed time priority mode depending on the user's input.

[0057] Furthermore, the drying speed control means C27 of the embodiment controls the grain dryer 1 so that, if the fatty acid content after drying increases compared to the fatty acid content at harvest, the next drying operation (next year) will operate in a quality-priority mode with a slower drying speed. In other words, it is also possible to perform learning based on the increase in fatty acid content.

[0058] Furthermore, when the fatty acid content increases, it is not limited to reducing the drying speed; for example, it is also possible to send a control signal to the combine harvester 11 to reduce the threshing rate. In addition, it can be used to switch controls such as lowering the temperature when storing grain until shipment.

[0059] Additionally, if the fatty acid content increases, it is possible to control the process to reduce the amount of grain processed in a single drying cycle in subsequent cycles, in order to prevent further increases in fatty acid content. In other words, it is possible to control the process to lower the upper limit of the amount of grain that can be accommodated in the grain dryer 1.

[0060] In the harvest evaluation system S of the embodiment with the above configuration, a comprehensive evaluation of the quality of the grain is performed based on environmental information such as the time of harvest, temperature, humidity, and weather, as well as harvest information detected by moisture meters SN1 and SN11 and taste analyzers SN2 and SN12. Therefore, in this embodiment, a comprehensive evaluation of the quality of the grain is possible without providing a rice quality meter (grade meter) like the one used in Patent Document 1. Thus, a comprehensive evaluation of the quality of grain can be performed with an inexpensive configuration.

[0061] In the above embodiment, the calculation and evaluation of the first evaluation points, second evaluation points, and overall points are illustrated using a tablet terminal 21, but the system is not limited to this. For example, it is also possible to configure the system to calculate points using a grain dryer 1 or a combine harvester 11. Furthermore, the system is not limited to a configuration in which the calculation of points is centrally processed by one of the control units Ca to Cc, but is also possible to configure the system to distribute the processing among multiple control units Ca to Cc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 1...Dryer, 21a...display section, C21...Environmental information input means, C22... Harvest information input method, C23... First calculation method, C24... Second calculation method, C25...Comprehensive calculation method, C26...display means, Cc...control unit, S...Harvest evaluation system, SN2, SN12…Method for measuring fatty acid content.

Claims

1. A means for measuring the fatty acid content of grains, Equipped with a grain dryer for drying grains, The grain dryer is configured to allow switching between a mode that prioritizes quality by drying the grain at a slow speed and a mode that prioritizes time by drying the grain at a fast speed. Based on the fatty acid content of the grain at harvest measured by the fatty acid content measuring means and the fatty acid content of the grain after drying, if the fatty acid content after drying increases compared to the fatty acid content at harvest, A grain dryer drying system characterized by operating in a mode that prioritizes quality by setting the drying speed for the next batch of grain to a low speed.

2. The grain dryer drying system according to claim 1, characterized in that when the fatty acid content measuring means detects that the fatty acid content of the grain is high, it controls the upper limit of the amount of grain that can be stored in the grain dryer to be lowered.

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