New bin yard? Lower your start-up costs with propane powered aeration and drying.

Choosing a location for a new bin site shouldn't have to depend on where you have power. Investing in new power service can be costly and time consuming. Generators are expensive to purchase and run. Get up and running quickly and with little capital investment.

As agricultural practices evolve, farmers are increasingly in need of new bin yards. This necessity arises from various factors, including the expansion of existing farms to accommodate growing crop yields or the optimization of operations to enhance efficiency and productivity. Establishing a new bin yard is no small feat; it is a substantial undertaking that requires extensive planning, strategic foresight, and meticulous preparation. Prior to breaking ground, it is essential to conduct thorough site selection and comprehensive planning to ensure that all variables are taken into account. One of the most pressing considerations for any prospective bin yard is the availability of necessary services. Questions such as whether natural gas lines are located nearby, the condition and accessibility of surrounding roads, and the type of electrical service that can be provided are crucial. Each of these factors can significantly impact the design and functionality of the bin yard. For example, the presence of natural gas can facilitate the use of certain types of equipment and heating systems, while the quality of nearby roads can affect the ease of transport for both incoming materials and outgoing products. Additionally, the type of electrical service available—whether it is three-phase power or single-phase—can dictate the scale and type of machinery that can be used, ultimately influencing the operational capacity of the bin yard.

One of the biggest limitations for a bin yard is whether it has 3-phase or single phase service. Farms with 3-phase electrical service are able to run larger aeration fans. Farms with single-phase service are limited to 15 horsepower fans and often even that is not possible. If farmers do have 10 horsepower fans on single phase service they need to be mindful of how many fans are running at a time and how many fans can be started at the same time.

If a bin yard does not have any electrical service it is common to see generators being used to power aeration fans. This is a very inefficient method of aerating grain. The fuel costs required for a diesel generator to power a 10 horsepower aeration fan can add up to 20% to drying costs versus the costs of having the same fan connected directly to electricity. This doesn't include the capital cost and extra labor to keep a generator running. Using a generator is an expensive stopgap when no power is available.

An Airblast fan does not require any electricity. It is completely off-grid. The only requirement is a fuel source, which can be either natural gas or propane. It can be operated on portable propane tanks, allowing the fan to run in virtually any bin yard. Aerating 10,000 bushels of wheat can be 23 cents per bushel lower using an Airblast fan vs using a 10 horsepower electric fan driven by a diesel generator. That's a saving of $2,300 on one 10,000 bushel bin of grain! Also, an Airblast fan is easily portable allowing it to be moved to different bins or the fan can be ducted to multiple bins at the same time. This means that one fan can be used multiple times each year in different bin yards. If the fan is used on four 10,000 bushel bins the savings compared to using a generator has more than paid for the cost of that fan. That's just the savings, not considering the high purchase price of a generator.

If electricity is not available at the new bin yard an option is to bring new power into the yard. Sometimes the bin yard is close enough that power from an existing service can be trenched over, which makes it possible to get power to the site for under $10,000. If the bin yard is attached to an existing service then the available power is often restricted, allowing for smaller fans and only operating a limited number of fans at a time. In other situations a new service will need to be setup and then the costs quickly jump into the tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Utilizing Airblast fans doesn't require any electrical service so there isn't the cost of bring power into the site. With Airblast fans there aren't limitations on how many fans can be operating at a time either. With an Airblast fan it is as simple as placing a propane tank. The smallest size propane tank that is recommended is a 100 lb bottle. Typically it is advised to have multiple 100 lb propane bottles connected together. Another option would be to use a 480 lb propane tank, which is the largest vertical tank and can still be transported. Moving up to a 500 gallon or 1000 gallon propane tank adds convenience of having propane available whenever it is required and not having to fill the tank as often. With a 500 gallon tank or larger it is possible to operate multiple fans at the same time.

Many farmers have their ideal vision of what their new bin yard will look like, but getting to that point isn't always easy. With the flexibility of Airblast fans, the challenges of getting the ideal bin yard setup can be achieved much easier.