Design of grain elevators

Design of grain elevators is being in requisition in Ukraine. For manufacturers, after harvesting new crops, it is important to have a safe place to keep it for a long period. This is equally important as for large plants and feed mills, also for small agricultural firms and private farms.

With the modern design of grain elevators, great attention is paid to the automation of all necessary processes. This approach is an important condition for reducing labor costs and reducing the risks of damage crops during the storage of agricultural products.

Grain elevator is a complex of structures aimed for storage and ripening of large volumes of grain, processing and further transfer to processing. Grain elevator must be equipped with devices designed for drying, cleaning and preparing production batches.

A modern grain elevator is a highly productive and automated agricultural complex that is equipped with efficient, individually selected equipment and complies quality standards.

The design of grain elevators includes: silos, grain dryers, workrooms, devices for unloading and loading grain.

Design of grain elevators is carried out by a qualified specialists with relevant experience. The construction of grain elevators requires comprehensive professional knowledge and significant experience in this field, because the success of construction depends on the quality of the grain elevator project.

Design of grain elevators is a complex process.

Criteria that the grain elevator project must meet:

1. The rational placement of buildings on the construction soil lot.
2. Using of an effective equipment and modern technology.
3. Convenience in operation, low maintenance costs.
4. Compliance with fire safety requirements, environmental and sanitary norms and standards.

Project design begins with the choice of a scheme that displays a set of structures, transport and technological equipment, connection between them.

Stages of design of grain elevator:

1. Determination of the planning and technical specifications.
2. Study of the site.
3. Development of a general plan, which indicates the facilities and transport interchanges.
4. Development of technological solutions.
5. Preparation of a draft plan.
6. Expert`s assessments: technological effectiveness of planned work, compliance with regulatory documents, environmental impact.
7. Costs estimation and schedule of work.

The quality of the project affects the entire construction process, technology productivity and investment attractiveness of the facility. The design of the granary should ensure reliable and efficient operation.

The design of grain elevators consider 2 categories of factors:

1. Functional factors – ensuring adequate capacity, proper protection of the products that are stored and methods of reception, storage, loading and unloading.
2. Building factors ensuring the reliability of structures, taking into account all pressures: the weight of the building and its parts, which have a common foundation with it, the weight of the products that are stored, the pressure on the floor and roof, wind and seismic effects.

When design a granary the following factors are taken into account:

1. The type, number and productivity of conveyors, depending on the vehicles that are unloaded and on the amount of grain and the number of transport units that are loaded simultaneously or sequentially.
2. Effective unloading of the product that is being stored.
3. The duration of storage of the product, which affects the choice of horizontal or vertical storage.
4. The capacity of individual silos.
5. Foundations and their possible settings.
6. Maximum soil load, which limits the size of the facility. Level of groundwater, which affects the depth of the receiving hoppers.
7. Wind and seismic loads.
8. The possibility of modernization of the facility according with the requirements that are changing, possible expansion, technical improvement.
9. Reliability of equipment and repair service requirements.
10. Safety requirements to prevent accidents and equipment damage.
11. Environmental and sanitary standards that impose restrictions on environmental pollution, noise, vibration, hygiene, safety and constructing norms.
12. The life of structures, which depends on the correct choice of constructing materials and protection from the impact of natural factors.

The above factors affect investment and future operating expenses. When studying all the factors related to design, various alternative solutions may arise.

The designer must pay great attention to the technical and economic feasibility of the systems and options that field of design. The MCL design team offers the design of grain elevators of various complexity in accordance with legislative and constructing norms.