Analyzing the receiving operation of different grain types in a single-pitcountry elevator

With the rise of value-added grains and oilseeds, many elevators need to se gregate their incoming products into batches of different end-use quality ( for example, high oil corn, genetically modified soybeans, high protein whe at), but often they are not designed to handle this task efficiently. The p rimary challenge is to segregate multiple grain streams during the receivin g operation without increasing waiting times for all customers. This study utilized a system simulation model to investigate how queue mana gement could help to improve the performance of a country elevator receivin g multiple grain streams with a single unloading pit. In order to maintain the speed of the unloading operation, two queuing methods were investigated . the segregated BATCH versus the traditional FIFO (first-in, first-out) qu eue service method. A discrete event system simulation model was developed and validated utilizing data collected at a country elevator facility in In diana The simulation results showed that the BATCH queue management strateg y reduced average waiting times per customer by up to 27% compared to the t raditional FIFO queue management strategy when the daily grain receipt was near the maximum receiving capacity of the facility. For receiving rates be low 72% capacity, the traditional FIFO service had shorter average waiting times per customer.