Innovative hay drying in northern Germany
In the summer of 2020, the new VARIO ELITE PLUS control system was put into operation at the Agrarhandel Roschen farm. With the first two months behind us, we would like to draw our initial conclusion.
Agrarhandel Roschen has been a customer of HSR Heutrocknung for several years, meaning it has been relying on dehumidifier technology from Reindl for a long time. A major fire (note: arson is currently being investigated) burnt the hay barn down completely.
This meant that safety was the top priority for the new beginning at the Roschen farm, along with power of impact. A corresponding escape route concept was drawn up by HSR Heutrocknung’s planning department. Hay quality and failure safety also play a decisive role for the agricultural trader Roschen. Finally, 100% of the hay is sold.
Roschen produces 3,300 tonnes of hay each year, and it is dried in two hay barns. A high power of impact for both drying and the hay crane form decisive factors here. For this reason, Agrarhandel Roschen relies on a VARIO ELITE PLUS 200 dehumidifier with an inflow area of 15 m² and an output of 150kW. Two HSR Tajfun 125.28 hay cranes are in continuous use for feeding. The required connected load comes from a power generator, the waste heat of which is immediately integrated into the drying process.
With the two dehumidifiers, Ole Roschen achieves a drying rate of up to 1,400 litres per hour.
The ventilator type was also changed during the reconstruction process. While an SR 1250 with 55 kW was previously in use at the Roschen farm, an SR1160 with 45 kW could now be utilised. This reduces the heating oil consumption by a good 40,000 litres a year, meaning a CO2 minimisation of around 100 tonnes per year.
Agrarhandel Roschen at a glance
Dehumidifier: 2x HSR VARIO Elite PLUS 200 (incoming flow surface: 15 m², performance: 150kW)
Ventilator: 4x HSR VARIO Elite 1160 / 45kW
Control system: VARIO+ comfort control with 12“ Touch Display
Hay crane: 2x HSR Tajfun hay crane 125.28
Airflow: Y-switches, V-switches and blinds
Hay barn: 2 halls, each 50 metres long and 20 metres wide, each with four hay boxes
Conclusion
The control system is being put through its paces at the Roschen farm. Alongside the fantastic drying performance, we have been informed by the operator that the operation is now around five times more efficient than with their previous hay drying system. This confirms that we are on the right track both with dehumidifier technology as well as with control technology. This is a direction that we will continue to pursue consistently in order to make everyday work easier for farmers and to further reduce drying costs.
We would like to thank our partner companies who have implemented the steering development to our satisfaction. We would also like to extend our thanks to our development department who brought this fantastic project to life.
Finally, we would like to thank our customer, Agrarhandel Roschen, for their confidence in our technology.