INTERGRANULAR AIR MOVEMENT WITHIN AN EXPERIMENTAL GRAIN STORE WITH 3 DIFFERENT FLOOR CONFIGURATIONS

Intergranular static pressures and air speeds were measured directly t o determine the air movement in a experimental bin during low temperat ure grain drying experiments. The perforated floor of the experimental bin was configured as either horizontal and fully perforated, horizon tal and partially perforated, or slanted and fully perforated In the b in with the partially or slanted perforated floor; airflow was nonunif orm and two dimensional. The experimental results showed that the dryi ng process which leads to grain shrinkage and changes in local bulk po rosity Of grain had little effect on the airflow distribution. Validat ion of computer simulation showed that the airflow resistance of the p erforated surface air entrance should be taken into account in airflow simulation for bins with partially perforated floors.