Distribution of moisture in the middle of grain mass after harvesting and during drying

Abstract

Currently, one of the main tasks of agriculture in Ukraine is to increase the volume of grain production. In this regard, the problem arises of creating the necessary conditions for long-term storage of the crop. Grain from the fields can come with varying degrees of moisture, namely: dry, with medium moisture, wet and damp. The most common method of storing grain mass is storing it in a dry state, this necessitates the presence of such an important technological process as drying. The moisture in the grain is on the surface in the capillaries and inside the grain cell. This moisture plays a very important role in the life of the grain, but the excess of this moisture leads to the intensification of life processes. Moisture in the grain mass is unevenly distributed, with an average grain moisture of 22%, about 10% have a moisture content below 17%, and more than 20% above 25%, it should also be noted that moisture in the grain is also unevenly distributed: most of it is in the embryo, less - in the endosperm, and even less in the membranes. The technologies that are now used in Ukraine are rather ineffective and not environmentally friendly. The introduction of the latest and most energy efficient technologies is the general goal of Ukraine's agriculture. Such technologies can be methods of indirect influence, for example, irradiation of the grain mass with an electromagnetic field in the HF and UHF range. The introduction of indirect methods requires a complete understanding of their effect on the drying object.These methods are based on the absorption of electromagnetic energy in dielectrics. The dry component of the grain does not interfere with the passage of electromagnetic waves, as a result of which electromagnetic waves are not absorbed by the dry grain, but are absorbed only by the moisture that is in the wet grain, and then only the wet grain is heated and dried. If you make a mistake in the calculation, then during drying the grain may lose its biological properties. In this scientific work, theoretical studies of the distribution of moisture in grain were carried out for the further introduction of innovative methods of post-harvest processing.