Farm Tender

Flexwave Grain Silo Unloading System for Flat Bottom Silos

This idea won an innovation award at Agritechnica 2017, Hanover, Germany

Flat-floor grain stores offer higher storage capacities than outlet-funnel grain stores of identical heights. The drawback about flat stores, however, is they never empty completely and a cone of residual grain remains in the bin. To clear out all grain it is necessary to bring in mobile augers, which in turn need manual feeding at some point – a dusty, time-consuming job and heavy work that is dangerous, too, because the running augers present a risk of injury.

A new approach is the Flexwave Grain Silo Unloading System which is made up of two air cushions. These are installed inside the store and to both sides of the outlet feeder. The cushions are not inflated at installation time. They cover the floor and reach up the wall to a height that is level with the tip of the grain cone that is formed during emptying. When the store is filled the cushions are flat on the floor and wall. During emptying, the grain initially flows by gravity to the outlet feeder. Yet when the grain stops flowing the first cushion fills with air. As it does so, it pushes the heap away from the wall and to the middle of the store.