Silo tower: device and function

With a view of economy, agricultural and livestock enterprises are engaged in harvesting feed using silage technology. It consists in harvesting the grass from the fields and following its conservation. After a certain time, a ready-made animal feed is obtained from the silage, which practically does not require any investment. However, in order to properly store this agricultural product, a silo tower is required, the photograph of which is illustrated below. This structure provides optimal storage conditions for the prepared grass and at the same time requires minimum maintenance costs.

Purpose of silo

As already noted, the main purpose of the towers of this type is the storage of the forage base based on the silo. After harvesting and analyzing the harvested material for moisture indicators, the raw materials are sent to the receiver of such structures. The peculiarity of the conditions created by the silo tower is the possibility of ensuring tightness. It is the lack of access to oxygen that makes it possible to bring the herb collection in the shortest possible time to the optimum condition suitable for feed.

In addition to feed silage towers are also used to store cereals. From this point of view, these structures are attractive for spaciousness and maintenance of favorable temperature conditions. A modern silo tower, for example, provides the possibility of integrating thermostats, which allow you to monitor the characteristics of the microclimate.

The device of a silo tower

The basis of the towers is formed by sealed walls, which can be made of a variety of materials. Traditional rural structures are usually made of brick, wood, concrete and stone. In recent years, producers of agricultural equipment produce special sets of prefabricated type, of which installation is later carried out at the installation site. As a result, a low-cost and commercially available silo tower is obtained, the device of which assumes the assembly of the frame from the panels. Individual components can be made from other materials - for example, functional working parts are made of plastic, and for a foundation still have to perform a reinforced concrete base. It is also worth noting that maintaining the durability of the structure and providing the conditions for keeping the agricultural product is impossible without special protection of the surfaces of the structure. Therefore, manufacturers provide the same metal panels for the frame with protective coatings, which protect the surface from moisture, chemical influences and mechanical damage.

Specifications

The tower can be ground or partially buried - it depends on local climatic conditions and operational requirements. The height of the building varies on average from 7 to 15 m, again, this parameter depends on the volume of loading, which the service enterprise relies on. A characteristic feature of such objects is the execution of the upper part. The traditional roof of the silo tower has the shape of a cone, completing the cylindrical base of the structure. The diameter varies from 5 to 7 m. There is another feature of such buildings. The bottom is made in such a way that the juice from the silo accumulates in a special pit as it is stored. To do this, the project initially laid the slope of the basic foundation foundation of 2-3%.

Functioning of the structure

The main working steps are to load and unload the contents of the material. Also, in some cases, the technological possibility of performing the ramming operations by special machines is allowed. For this purpose, the conditions for the introduction of equipment are created in the tower. In the standard configuration, loading and unloading is carried out through special hatches, which can be provided in the walls and roof. In this case, each hatch has a special protection against external damage and materials for insulation. To the essential differences that the modern silo tower has, one can attribute a high level of mechanization. Producers in the standard order or optionally implement and automatic means for performing work operations, adding towers to multilevel control systems.

Additional equipment

Often the inclusion of additional equipment in the design is about 30-40% of the base cost of the tower. This is explained by the use of high-tech equipment, which improves the quality of feed and grain. The most common means of additional support include the ventilation system, stair constructions, dispensers and lightning protection of the silo for feed, preventing fires and accidents. Indicator devices are also being introduced. For example, sensors that show the level of filling with food are widely used. And this is not to mention the traditional measuring devices by which maintenance personnel can cope with the humidity and temperature indices inside the tower.

Conclusion

Structures for the vertical organization of silage forage were a continuation of the concept of trenches and pits, which acted as the same repositories, but at a primitive level. However, horizontal feeding methods are not inferior to towers in efficiency. Correct organization of storage of freshly mowed grass in the trench also allows obtaining the optimal food product characteristics. But the silo tower wins from the previous storage methods due to the convenience of content, high workability and functionality. Of course, she also has her own shortcomings. First of all, it is money costs. Average construction characteristics are about 200-300 thousand rubles. Another drawback is the need for technical support of the tower itself in order to maintain its operational properties.