Behlen Grain Dryer ?

TimWafer · Oct 10, 2017

I just acquired an old 1975 Behlen KA170 grain dryer i want to use to dry sunflowers with. Ill only be drying less than 1000 BU a year with it if that much. Its all electric with a propane burner. No PTO.
Im going through it trying to get it in usable condition and understand how it works. I did get a manual for it but it doesn't explain the burner operation to any extent. I'm assuming its supposed to run on liquid propane not vapor?? The propane seems to run through , first a manual shutoff,then a solenoid valve, then into the burner assembly into which I can only assume is a vaporizer. From there back out to an adjustable regulator, then a Penn Temperature control then back to the burner assembly to the nozzle.
Does this have to be hooked up to a liquid propane source or can I run it on just vapor? I really don't want a lot of heat to dry sunflowers.

fordhead1983 · Oct 10, 2017

You'd have to run it on liquid the way it's currently set up. You could bypass the vaporizer and run it on vapor then, but I'd say your best bet is
to run it on liquid. Seen a lot of systems set up for liquid, only a few for vapor. Not that you're going to run a ton of bushels through it or run
it very hot, but I've seen a lot of vapor systems ice up the tank and freeze because they're pulling vapor off quicker than the tank can provide.

Experience: worked with a local grain handling and storage equipment dealer for a while as a service technician.

4520BW · Oct 10, 2017

I think it has to be liquid unless you have
the kit to run vapor. Finnaly sent the old
one to scrap a few years ago.

jon f mn · Oct 10, 2017

It takes a much larger tank to pull vapor
because you need surface area. You would
need at least a 1000 gal tank for that. A
small tank will run it on liquid. You can
turn down the flame to as low as you like
on liquid. Be very careful as sunflowers
can catch fire easily.

EFV · Oct 10, 2017

How much moisture do you need to remove ? Oilseeds catch fire easily,can you
dry sunflowers with air only ? Had a neighbor who grew them for birdseed, he used
aerator tubes in gravity wagon.

Sparktrician · Oct 11, 2017

If its setup for liquid, Id go that route....much better off. As far as burner parts, most stuff is available from industrial suppliers if you know what you need and where to look. Im not sure what flame
sensing/detecting system a Behlen dryer has, (I know of one that was around here and it was scrapped long ago) but in the chance it is obsolete or parts are NLA, it most likely could be converted to Fenwal or
other type of ignition and flame proving.

[email protected] if I can be of help. I work on a fair amount of grain dryers.

TimWafer · Oct 12, 2017

Thanks for the advice guys! I may have other questions when I get back to working on it. I haven't even gotten the electric all sorted out yet.
How much propane do you think I will need to dry, say 500 bushel of sunflowers down about 10%? We have a propane filling station at work and Im hoping to come up with a tank I can fill at work (cause I get propane cheaper there) and transport home.

Aaron SEIA · Oct 12, 2017

Dad's 380 will burn somewhere around 500 gallon in a 24 hour day drying 240 bu an hour of corn from 18 down to 14%.
AaronSEIA

Behlen Grain Dryer ?

TimWafer

Member

fordhead1983

Member

4520BW

Well-known Member

jon f mn

Well-known Member

EFV

Member

Sparktrician

Member

TimWafer

Member

Aaron SEIA

Well-known Member

Similar threads