At the bottom of the Pinnacle 20|20 Home page, there are 3 tabs: System Settings, Historical Data, and Troubleshooting. Pressing any of these 3 tabs will cause the tab to turn red and a different set of options, shown as red tiles, to appear. These options will change if a different tab is selected. The Pinnacle 20|20 control system has features that are customizable with several settings that can be changed as necessary. The System Settings tab are where these customizable features can be found. These features will be explained in detail as well as how to properly set them.

The second of the six options under System Settings is Takeaway Equipment Settings. By selecting the Takeaway Equipment Settings option, the operator will be taken to a page dedicated to all settings pertaining to the takeaway.

Just as can be done on the Control page, the discharge system can be started and stopped from the Takeaway Equipment Settings page as well and the buttons behave in the same manner.

Discharge Speed

The upper section of the Takeaway Equipment Settings page features a rendering of the takeaway portion of the dryer as well as some values in boxes labeled Discharge Speed. The actual metering or sweep speed is shown in the box labeled "Act", and the desired speed can be entered in the box labeled "Set" provided the dryer is discharging in Manual mode.

Discharge System

It is important to have a good understanding of the discharge system and it's design. This design provides versatility for different dryer sites. Some sites will utilize the features and components that make this system versatile while others will not need to. The system consists of two signals named Takeaway 1 and Takeaway 2.

Takeaway 1 Signal

The Takeaway 1 signal runs the discharge auger on profile dryers as well as any other equipment that is connected to it. Any other equipment that shares the Takeaway 1 signal will start and stop with the discharge auger of a profile dryer. Since the tower dryers do not have a discharge auger, nothing is connected to the Takeaway 1 signal from the factory. However, the signal is there to be used to run other equipment if so desired.

Takeaway 2 Signal

The Takeaway 2 signal is meant for equipment further downstream from equipment tied to the Takeaway 1 signal. Again, this signal is provided for convenience and is only to be used to run other equipment if so desired.

Takeaway 1 Start Delay

This is an adjustable timer inside the PLC that allows the dryer's takeaway equipment to start in stages. When the Takeaway Start button is pressed, equipment tied to the Takeaway 2 signal starts operating immediately and the timer starts its countdown. When the timer expires all equipment using the Takeaway 1 signal will start.

Takeaway 2 Stop Delay

This is an adjustable timer inside the PLC that determines how long to run the Takeaway 2 equipment after the Takeaway Stop button has been pressed. The timer starts once the Takeaway Stop button has been pressed and continues to run the Takeaway 2 equipment until the timer expires.

Takeaway 1 and 2 Jog

These two jog buttons enable the user to momentarily turn equipment on that are tied to these signals. This is useful when there is a backup or blockage of grain. Pressing and holding the Takeaway 1 Jog button will turn on all equipment tied to the Takeaway 1 signal for as long as the button is pressed. Releasing the button will stop the equipment. The Takeaway 2 Jog button works the same way for equipment tied to the Takeaway 2 signal.

Metering

The metering buttons only control the metering rolls or sweep. They do not control the takeaway.

Discharge Graphic

This graphic is used to give a real-time illustration of the operating components of the discharge system. When the discharge system is off, nothing on the graphic will be illuminated and the line exiting the dryer with the Takeaway tags will be white. Once the Discharge system is turned on, the Metering, along with the line exiting the dryer with the Takeaway tags will illuminate green. A flashing green graphic of any portion of the Discharge system indicates that the equipment for that particular portion of the system is currently running.

Takeaway Sequencing Chart

The bottom half of the Takeaway Equipment Settings page contains a chart that illustrates the sequencing of the discharge system and associated timers. The green, horizontal lines within this chart indicate when different operations are starting, running, and shutting down. Under this chart are the two, previously discussed, adjustable timers used to control the timing of the equipment associated with the discharge system.

Takeaway Start-Up Sequence

Following the logic of the chart, pressing the Takeaway start button will cause the start up of the Takeaway 2 equipment. At the same time, the Takeaway 1 Start Delay timer will begin its countdown. Once the countdown expires, the Takeaway 1 equipment will begin operating.

Takeaway Shut-Down Sequence

Following the logic of the chart, pressing the Takeaway stop button will immediately stop the equipment associated with Takeaway 1. At the same time, the Takeaway 2 Stop Delay timer will begin its countdown. Once the countdown expires, Takeaway 2 equipment will shut down.

The first of the six options under System Settings is Fan Settings. By selecting the Fan Settings option, the operator will be taken to a page dedicated to all settings pertaining to the fans.

Regardless of dryer model, this page will have a section containing the Fan Control buttons and another section containing Cool Down and Takeaway timers. The Tower, ECO, and Delta Fan Settings page also contain quick launch buttons at the bottom for specific components that relate in some way to the fans. This is common on many pages of the Pinnacle 20|20 control. If space allows, there will be quick launches for components that are related to the features on that particular page. Since space is lacking on the Legacy and Fusion Fan Settings page, those quick launches are not present at the bottom.

Fan Control Buttons

On the Fan Settings page are the buttons used to stop and start the fans. The functionality of these buttons is the exact same as the Fan Control buttons on the Control page which was discussed in previously. In addition to the control buttons, there are Air Pressure indicator lights. The Air Pressure indicator light will appear gray when the air pressure switch is not satisfied. However, when the air pressure switch senses enough air pressure to satisfy the switch, the indicator light will illuminate green to confirm this scenario.

Cool Down and Takeaway Timers

On the Fan Settings page, there is a timer associated with the Fan(s) and it is called the Cool Down Timer.

Cool Down Timer

The Cool Down Timer is an adjustable timer that determines the length of time that the dryer will be placed in Cool Down mode following a type-B fault. When activated, the numbers in green font, under "Actual", will countdown until the timer expires. During this time, the fans will continue to run but burners and other equipment will stop. After the time has elapsed, the dryer will shut down.

Takeaway Timer

The Takeaway Timer is an adjustable timer that determines the length of time the takeaway equipment will continue to run after the metering stops. This timer allows the takeaway equipment to empty when conditions allow. If the cause for the shutdown is related to the takeaway equipment, this timer is bypassed.

Regardless of which discharge mode settings page is displayed, the operator can change the discharge mode from any one of them. However, it is important to understand that in order to change discharge modes, the operator must be in Manual mode first before changing to any of the other available modes. For instance, if the dryer is currently discharging in AccuDry mode and the operator wants to change to TruDry mode, the operator must first select Manual mode, and then select TruDry mode.

In addition to being able to select the mode of discharge from any of these pages, the Manual, TruDry and AccuDry Settings pages also all contain the same information for the following tiles: Disch Speed, Disch Speed Alarms, and Mid-Grain Temperature Alarms.

Manual Settings

When discharging in Manual mode, the operator controls the speed at which the grain discharges at. This adjustable value is under the Manual Settings tile, next to the Set Discharge Speed, input box.

Since the speed of the discharge impacts the mid-grain temperature, it is on any of these discharge settings pages where the operator can set the mid-grain temperature alarm limits. If the dryer is discharging and the mid-grain temperature exceeds the mid-grain temperature alarm band for a set period of time, the dryer will enter a Cool Down mode. The two alarm limits that can be entered that pertain to the mid-grain temperature are the Alarm Band and Alarm Band Delay.

Alarm Band

The Mid-Grain Temperature Alarm Band is the allowed deviation from the mid-grain temperature set point while the discharge system is running.

Alarm Band Delay

The Mid-Grain Alarm Band Delay is a user-defined time duration in minutes that will delay the Cool Down of the dryer after the Mid-Grain Band warning alarm has occurred. If the Mid-Grain temperature returns to the acceptable range within this time period, no shut down will occur.

The third of the six options under System Settings is Grain Fill Settings. By selecting the Grain Fill Settings option, the operator will be taken to a page dedicated to all settings pertaining to the filling the dryer with grain.

Just as can be done on the Control page, the fill system can be started and stopped from the Grain Fill Settings page as well and the buttons behave in the same manner. The Grain Fill Settings page layout is very similar to that of the Takeaway Equipment Settings page.

Fill System

Before moving on to the different features of the Grain Fill Settings page, it is important to have a good understanding of the Grain Fill System and it's design. The design provides versatility to accommodate different dryer sites. Some sites will utilize these features while others will not need to. The system consists of two signals and five timers.

Fill 2 Signal

The Fill 2 runs the level auger on profile dryers as well as any other equipment that is connected to the Fill 2 signal. Any other equipment that shares the Fill 2 signal will start and stop with the level auger of a profile dryer. Since the tower dryers do not have a level auger, nothing is connected to the Fill 2 signal from the factory. However, the signal is there to be used to run other equipment if so desired.

Fill 1 Signal

The Fill 1 signal is provided for equipment further upstream from Fill 2 equipment. Again, this signal is provided for convenience and is only to be used to run other equipment if so desired.

Grain Flow Timer

This is an adjustable timer that is started once the Grain Fill is started. If the set time for this timer elapses before the Rotary Bin Switch paddle in the hopper stops rotating, it will be assumed there is no more grain to fill the dryer with and the dryer will enter a Cool Down mode.

Fill 2 Start Delay

This is an adjustable timer that is started once the paddle of the Rotary Bin Switch in the hopper begins to rotate. Paddle rotation is used to sense the lack of grain. When the Rotary Bin Switch begins to rotate, the call for grain is started and Fill 2 Start Delay will start counting. The time entered for the Fill 2 Start Delay is the time that needs to elapse before Fill 2 equipment is turned on.

Fill 1 Start Delay

This is an adjustable timer that is started once the Fill 2 Start Delay timer has elapsed. The time entered for the Fill 1 Start Delay is the time that needs to elapse before Fill 1 equipment is turned on.

Fill 1 Stop Delay

The Fill 1 Stop Delay is a timer that decides when to turn the Fill 1 equipment off. The timer starts when the Rotary Bin Switch paddle stops rotating, ending the call for grain. Once the entered time value for this timer expires, the Fill 1 equipment will turn off.

Fill 2 Stop Delay

The Fill 2 Stop Delay is a timer that decides when to stop the Fill 2 equipment and level auger if equipped. After the Fill 1 Stop Delay timer expires, shutting down the Fill 1 equipment, the Fill 2 equipment and level auger will continue to run for the allotted time entered for the Fill 2 Stop Delay timer.

Fill From Empty

This feature is typically used when filling an empty or near empty dryer. Checking the Fill From Empty box ignores the Grain Flow timer, allowing ample time for the dryer to be filled with grain from an empty state. After the dryer is filled, this box is automatically unchecked, allowing the PLC to control the automatic fill cycle of the dryer during operation.

Fill Graphic

This graphic is used to give a real-time illustration of the operating components of the Grain Fill System. When the Grain Fill System is off, nothing on the graphic will be illuminated and the line entering the dryer with the Fill 1 and Fill 2 tags will be white. Once the Grain Fill System is turned on, the Hopper, Fill 1 and Fill 2 will illuminate green. A flashing green graphic of any portion of the Grain Fill System indicates that the equipment for that particular portion of the system is currently running.

Fill Sequencing Chart

The bottom half of the Grain Fill Settings page contains a chart that illustrates the sequencing behind the Grain Fill System and associated timers. The green, horizontal lines within this chart indicate when different operations are starting, running, and shutting down. Under this chart are the previously discussed, adjustable timers used to control the timing of the equipment associated with the Grain Fill System.

Grain Fill Start-Up Sequence

Following the logic of the chart, the grain fill sequence starts with a call for grain. The call for grain comes when the rotary bin switch in the hopper starts rotating, due to the lack of grain. This call for grain starts all equipment associated with Fill 2 after the Fill 2 Start Delay has elapsed. After the Fill 2 Delay Timer finishes, the Fill 1 Start Delay timer will begin to countdown. Once the Fill 1 Start Delay timer expires, all equipment associated with Fill 1 will start.

Grain Fill Shut-Down Sequence

Following the logic of the chart, the shutdown sequence starts when the call for grain ends. When the call for grain ends, the equipment associated with Fill 1 and 2 will continue to run for the duration of the Fill 1 Stop Delay timer. Once the Fill 1 Stop Delay timer expires, all the equipment associated with Fill 1 will turn off but all the equipment associated with Fill 2 will continue to run for the duration of the Fill 2 Stop Delay timer. Once the Fill 2 Stop Delay timer expires, all equipment associated with Fill 2 will stop.

The fifth of the six options under System Settings is Burner Settings. This page contains all settings pertaining to the Burners and plenum temperature.

The Burner Settings page layout will vary depending on the model of dryer. For Legacy dryers, there are toggle buttons at the bottom of the page. These toggle buttons are used to take the operator to the burner settings for burners 1 through 4 and for burners 5 through 8. Note that the burners are labeled in an ascending manner, starting with 1 to indicate the bottom-most burner on the dryer. The ECO, Tower and Delta dryer Burner Settings page layout will have component, quick launch buttons at the bottom of the page instead. The components listed there are for convenience and are related to the burner or ignition process. The Fusion will just have the Alarm Band at the bottom with no room to accommodate these quick launch buttons.

The burners can be started from the Burner Settings page for Tower dryers. They are started in the same manner as what was described previously in the Control tile, Fans & Burners. The ability to start and stop the burners from the Burner Settings page is not possible for ECO, Legacy, Fusion and Delta dryers. This must be done from the Controls page.

Plenum Temp

The Burner Settings page displays information pertaining to the burner in 3 separate columns. The first column is the Plenum Temp. There are two values displayed: an actual plenum temperature value being read by the plenum RTD and a set value, that the operator can adjust to meet their desired plenum temperature.

Valve % Opening

The second column is the Valve % Opening. The Valve % Opening refers to the modulating valve that controls the flow of gas to the burner. It is here where the operator can set the initial valve percent opening. The initial valve percent opening is the amount the modulating valve will open upon starting the burner. Two other adjustable values the operator can enter are the max and min. The max and min values are the maximum and minimum percent the valve will open during operation. The value in between the min and max values is the actual valve percent opening the modulating value is currently open to.

Mode

The last column is a heat/cool indicator. This indicates whether the plenum is considered a heat zone or a cool zone by the AccuDry software. When the indicator globe is blue, it indicates a cool zone. When the indicator globe is red, it indicates a heat zone. The value entered as the "Dryer Off Temp" determines whether the burner is considered off or on. Access to the "Dryer Off Temp" value is through the Service Screens, in the AccuDry Settings page. If the actual plenum temperature is lower than this value, the mode will appear with the circular indicator globe colored blue. If the actual plenum temperature is above this value, the circular indicator globe will appear red.

The AccuDry mode of operation utilizes input signals from both the discharge moisture sensor and the infeed moisture sensor to control the dryer's discharge rate. When the AccuDry mode of operation is available, it will display it's corresponding toggle button under the TruDry button. Also, when on the AccuDry Settings page, an input will be made available which allows the operator to enter the target discharge moisture setpoint.

When running in AccuDry, similar to the guidelines that were provided for TruDry, the minimum and maximum discharge speed Operational Limits are important to the controller's operation. The AccuDry control algorithm will attempt to speed up and slow down the discharge to maintain the discharge moisture setpoint, and the amount of room that the controller has to work with is determined by the minimum and maximum speed setpoints. For example if the min/max speed setpoints are 10% - 100%, the range of speed output from the controller will be higher, which means the rate at which the speed changes will be higher. On the other hand, if the min/max setpoints are 30% - 75%, the controller can only operate within that band and only has a range of 45% to work with.

Similar to how the mid-grain temperature setpoint (used in TruDry) can be changed while in manual mode, so too can the discharge moisture setpoint (used in AccuDry) be changed while in manual mode. The only limitation is that the operator cannot change the discharge speed setpoint when running in TruDry or AccuDry.

In order to effectively use the AccuDry mode of operation, it is important to allow the dryer to get to a steady state operating condition for 2-3 hours upon initial installation (depending on the size of the machine and the incoming grain moisture) with a desirable and consistent discharge moisture output. Once this steady state condition has been met, the operator will confirm the discharge moisture setpoint that is desired and make any required changes. Also, be sure the minimum and maximum discharge speed Operational Limits are set to an accurate band.

The AccuDry system will remember grain moistures upon startup from the previous shutdown. For example, if the dryer was discharging 15.5% moisture the night prior, and start up with 15.4% the following morning, the system will allow quick entry into AccuDry mode.

If the discharge moisture is significantly different from the previous operations moisture, the system will not enable AccuDry until it has gathered sufficient information to run correctly and efficiently.

AccuDry technology utilizes the Dryer Moisture Systems Dryer Master DM510 system. The DM510 system uses specially designed in-line moisture and temperature sensors located at both the infeed and discharge of the dryer. These sensors provide continuous moisture and temperature readings to the PLC, which is shared with the DM510 logic board.

The DM510 board uses this information to build an operating model of your dryer. As infeed moistures and drying conditions change throughout the day; AccuDry continuously calculates and automatically adjusts to the optimum discharge rate for current conditions.

AccuDry has two important advantages. First, in automatic mode, it can continually watch the dryer. It does not have to help unload trucks, load trains, or do any other jobs around the elevator that a normal dryer operator does throughout the day. The dryer receives the user's full attention.

Second, it has the benefit of continuous moisture information from both the infeed and discharge of the dryer, giving it a complete picture of all the grain in the dryer, and the grain exiting the dryer.

With this information, AccuDry does not have to wait to react to changes in the outlet moisture. It is able to adjust the discharge rate as the incoming moisture changes. For example, as wetter grain comes into the dryer, AccuDry begins to slow down the discharge rate just as the wetter grain reaches the hot zone.

From any of these discharge settings pages (Manual, TruDry, or AccuDry Settings pages), in the Disch Speed tile, the operator can set operational limits that pertain to the discharge speed. The two operational limits the operator can set are the max and min speeds the discharge can run at. With the operational limits in place, the user will not be able to enter a speed in the Set Discharge Speed box of the Manual Settings page that exceeds these limits.

Setting Discharge Speed Alarm Limits

Again, from any of these discharge settings pages, under Disch Speed Alarms, the operator can set alarm limits that pertain to the discharge speed. There are two types limits: high limits and low limits. There also two types of alarms: warning alarms and critical alarms. If a warning alarm limit is exceeded, the control will trigger a warning message to be displayed on the HMI screens. If that particular reading continues further off course and exceeds the critical alarm limit, the dryer will shutdown and a critical alarm message will appear on the HMI screens.

High Speed Critical

If the Current Speed exceeds the value entered for the High Speed Critical value, the dryer will shut down. The input value for this High Speed Critical alarm must be equal to or greater than the value entered for the High Speed Warning value. To expand the allowable input range for the High Speed Critical value, the High Speed Warning value may first need to be adjusted.

High Speed Warning

If the Current Speed exceeds the value entered for the High Speed Warning value, the control will display a High Speed warning message. The input value for this High Speed Warning alarm must be equal to or less than the value entered for the High Speed Critical value. The lowest value allowed for this warning is equal to the Low Speed Warning value. To expand the allowable input range for the High Speed Warning value, the High Speed Critical and Low Speed Warning values may first need to be adjusted.

Current Speed

This value is the real time metering speed of the discharge system.

Low Speed Warning

If the Current Speed falls below the value entered for the Low Speed Warning, the control will display a Low Speed warning message. The input value for this Low Speed Warning alarm must be equal to or less than the value entered for the High Speed Warning value. The lowest value allowed for this warning is equal to the Low Speed Critical value. To expand the allowable input range for the Low Speed Warning value, the High Speed Warning and Low Speed Critical values may first need to be adjusted.

Low Speed Critical

If the Current Speed falls below the value entered for the Low Speed Critical, the dryer will shut down. The input value for this Low Speed Critical alarm must be equal to or lower than the value entered for the Low Speed Warning value. To expand the allowable input range for the Low Speed Critical value, the Low Speed Warning value may first need to be adjusted.

The fourth of the six options under System Settings is Moisture Sensor Settings. This page contains all settings pertaining to the Moisture Sensors. It is here where the Moisture Sensors can be calibrated as well.

The Moisture Sensor Settings page is separated into two halves. The top half is dedicated to the inlet moisture sensor while the bottom half is dedicated to the outlet moisture sensor. If the dryer is not equipped with one or more of these sensors, the displayed values will simply be grayed out and read "N/A".

Moisture Alarms

The Pinnacle 20|20 control can be set up to alert the operator, or even further, shut the dryer down when grain moisture, detected by the moisture sensors, reach pre-set alarm limits. There are two types of limits: high limits and low limits. There are also two types of alarms: warning alarms and critical alarms. If a warning alarm limit is exceeded, the control will trigger a warning message to be displayed on the HMI screens. If that particular reading continues further off course and exceeds the critical alarm limit, the dryer will shutdown and a critical alarm message will appear on the HMI screens.

Each sensor has it's own table of moisture alarm settings. The Inlet Moisture Alarms table is located at the top, left side of the Moisture Sensor Settings page while the Outlet Moisture Alarms table is located at the bottom, left side of the same page. The adjustable limits are shown in black text, in white boxes. The high limits are at the top of the table while the low limits are at the bottom of the table. Reference the labels to the right of the adjustable limits to decipher between a critical limit and a warning limit. In between the adjustable warning values is the actual grain moisture being read by the moisture sensor.

High Moisture Critical

If the Current Moisture exceeds the value entered for the High Moisture Critical value, the dryer will shut down. The input value for this High Moisture Critical alarm must be equal to or greater than the value entered for the High Moisture Warning value. To expand the allowable input range for the High Moisture Critical value, the High Moisture Warning value may first need to be adjusted.

High Moisture Warning

If the Current Moisture exceeds the value entered for the High Moisture Warning value, the control will display a High Moisture warning message. The input value for this High Moisture Warning alarm must be equal to or less than the value entered for the High Moisture Critical value. The lowest value allowed for this warning is equal to the Low Moisture Warning value. To expand the allowable input range for the High Moisture Warning value, the High Moisture Critical and Low Moisture Warning values may first need to be adjusted.

Current Moisture

This value is the real time grain moisture value being read by the moisture sensor.

Low Moisture Warning

If the Current Moisture falls below the value entered for the Low Moisture Warning, the control will display a Low Moisture warning message. The input value for this Low Moisture Warning alarm must be equal to or less than the value entered for the High Moisture Warning value. The lowest value allowed for this warning is equal to the Low Moisture Critical value. To expand the allowable input range for the Low Moisture Warning value, the High Moisture Warning and Low Moisture Critical values may first need to be adjusted.

Low Moisture Critical

If the Current Moisture falls below the value entered for the Low Moisture Critical, the dryer will shut down. The input value for this Low Moisture Critical alarm must be equal to or lower than the value entered for the Low Moisture Warning value. To expand the allowable input range for the Low Moisture Critical value, the Low Moisture Warning value may first need to be adjusted.

Temperature Alarms

The Pinnacle 20|20 control can also be set up to alert the operator or even shut the dryer down when grain temperatures, detected by the moisture sensors, reach pre-set alarm limits. As previously mentioned, there are high and low limits and there are critical and warning alarms.

Each sensor has it's own table of temperature alarm settings. The Inlet Temperature Alarms table is located at the top, right side of the Moisture Sensor Settings page while the Outlet Temperature Alarms table is located at the bottom, right side of the same page. The adjustable limits are shown in black text, in white boxes. The high limits are at the top of the table while the low limits are at the bottom of the table. Reference the labels to the right of the adjustable limit to decipher between a critical limit and a warning limit. In between the adjustable warning values is the actual grain temperature being read by the moisture sensor.

High Temp Critical

If the Current Temp exceeds the value entered for the High Temp Critical value, the dryer will shut down. The input value for this High Temp Critical alarm must be equal to or greater than the value entered for the High Temp Warning value. To expand the allowable input range for the High Temp Critical value, the High Temp Warning value may first need to be adjusted.

High Temp Warning

If the Current Temp exceeds the value entered for the High Temp Warning value, the control will display a High Temp warning message. The input value for this High Temp Warning alarm must be equal to or less than the value entered for the High Temp Critical value. The lowest value allowed for this warning is equal to the Low Temp Warning value. To expand the allowable input range for the High Temp Warning value, the High Temp Critical and Low Temp Warning values may first need to be adjusted. Current Temp This value is the real time grain Temp value being read by the Moisture sensor.

Current Temp

This value is the real time grain Temp value being read by the Moisture sensor.

Low Temp Warning

If the Current Temp falls below the value entered for the Low Temp Warning, the control will display a Low Temp warning message. The input value for this Low Temp Warning alarm must be equal to or less than the value entered for the High Temp Warning value. The lowest value allowed for this warning is equal to the Low Temp Critical value. To expand the allowable input range for the Low Temp Warning value, the High Temp Warning and Low Temp Critical values may first need to be adjusted.

Low Temp Critical

If the Current Temp falls below the value entered for the Low Temp Critical, the dryer will shut down. The input value for this Low Temp Critical alarm must be equal to or lower than the value entered for the Low Temp Warning value. To expand the allowable input range for the Low Temp Critical value, the Low Temp Warning value may first need to be adjusted.

Sensor Calibration

The sensor calibration procedure varies slightly between AccuDry equipped and non-AccuDry dryers. Below are the procedures for both variations.

Inlet Sensor, AccuDry

To calibrate the Inlet moisture sensor, press the “Start Calibration” button to the left of the Inlet Sensor Calibration tile. This will prompt the system to measure the grain moisture for 30 seconds, which will be indicated by the "Wait" indicator blinking green. Meanwhile, obtain a lab measurement of current Inlet grain. When the “Ready” button illuminates green, enter the lab measured values in the white box labeled “Lab Measured Moisture”. Once entered, press “Confirm Calibration” to complete the calibration process. When the “Start Calibration” button is pressed, the text for this button will change to “Cancel Calibration”, allowing the operator to cancel the calibration if desired. Note that the calibration process allows for a maximum of 0.5% change per calibration. If the sensor is off by 2%, the sensor will need to be calibrated 4 times.

Outlet Sensor, AccuDry

To calibrate the outlet moisture sensor, press the “Start Calibration” button, to the left of the Outlet Sensor Calibration box. This will prompt the system to measure the grain moisture for 30 seconds, which will be indicated by the "Wait" indicator blinking green. Meanwhile, obtain a lab measurement of current Outlet grain. When the “Ready” button illuminates green, enter the lab measured values in the white box labeled “Lab Measured Moisture”. Once entered, press “Confirm Calibration” to complete the calibration process. When the “Start Calibration” button is pressed, the text for this button will change to “Cancel Calibration”, allowing the operator to cancel the calibration if desired. Note that the calibration process allows for a maximum of 0.5% change per calibration. If the sensor is off by 2%, the sensor will need to be calibrated 4 times.

Inlet Sensor, non-AccuDry

To calibrate the Inlet moisture sensor for a non-AccuDry dryer, obtain a lab measurement of current Inlet grain. Press the white box labeled “Lab Measured Moisture” and enter the recently obtained lab measured value. Press the Calibrate button to calibrate or the Cancel button to cancel the calibration. Note that the calibration process allows for a maximum of 0.5% change per calibration. If the sensor is off by 2%, the sensor will need to be calibrated 4 times.

Outlet Sensor, non-AccuDry

To calibrate the Outlet moisture sensor for a non-AccuDry dryer, obtain a lab measurement of current Outlet grain. Press the white box labeled “Lab Measured Moisture” and enter the recently obtained lab measured value. Press the Calibrate button to calibrate or the Cancel button to cancel the calibration. Note that the calibration process allows for a maximum of 0.5% change per calibration. If the sensor is off by 2%, the sensor will need to be calibrated 4 times.

The AccuDry Settings page is very similar to the Manual Settings page as well. The only difference, other than the component quick launches, is the "Set Discharge Speed" box displayed on the Manual Settings page has been replaced by values and information pertaining to AccuDry.

To understand the settings on the AccuDry Settings page, it is best to first have a good understanding of the AccuDry Technology and how AccuDry works.

VFD Frequency = 24 Hz

VFD Frequency = 36 Hz

VFD Frequency = 18 Hz

VFD Frequency = 54 Hz

Each dryer model has a discharge capacity for every revolution of the metering rolls for profile dryers and sweep for tower dryers. These discharge capacities are used to calculate how much grain is being discharged from the dryer given a specific discharge speed. The chart below shows what these discharge capacities are in bushels per revolution and cubic meters per revolution.

The TruDry Settings page is very similar to the Manual Settings page. The only difference, other than the component quick launches, is the "Set Discharge Speed" box displayed on the Manual Settings page has been replaced by mid-grain temperature boxes.

To understand the settings on the TruDry Settings page, it is best to first have a good understanding of how TruDry works.

TruDry Technology

TruDry is the name of a temperature based discharge mode of operation that automatically increases or decreases the discharge speed of the dryer. TruDry is not an automatic moisture control mode of operation and does not utilize the discharge moisture value, but instead controls the discharge rate by attempting to maintain an average mid-grain temperature setpoint. The mid-grain temperature is the temperature of the grain, measured approximately halfway down the heat zone of the dryer, and halfway into the grain column by an RTD (resistive temperature device). There are two RTD's, on opposite sides of the dryer, measuring the grain temperature. These two temperatures are used to calculate the average mid-grain temperature. The principal of operation is that as the grain entering the dryer increases in moisture, the mid-grain temperature will go down and when the grain entering the dryer decreases in moisture, the mid-grain temperature will go up. Therefore, what the controller will do is utilize a negative responding Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) control loop which will increase the discharge rate when the mid-grain temperature goes up and decrease the discharge rate when the mid-grain temperature goes down. This essentially means that as the grain's moisture goes up, the dryer will slow down and as the grain's moisture goes down, the dryer will speed up.

In order to effectively use the TruDry mode of operation, it is important to allow the dryer to get to a steady state operating condition for 2-3 hours (depending on the size of the machine and the incoming grain moisture) with a desirable and consistent discharge moisture output. Once this steady state condition has been met, the operator will want to set the mid-grain temperature setpoint to a value equal to the current actual mid-grain temperature. Note that although the dryer is running in manual, the operator will still be able to change the mid-grain temperature setpoint via the TruDry Settings page.

At this point, the dryer has been running for 2-3 hours and steady state has been reached, so the current reading for the actual mid-grain temperature should correspond to the desired grain moisture that is currently being discharged from the dryer. It is important to understand that TruDry is not controlling the dryer based on discharge moisture, but rather indirectly based on the average mid-grain temperature.

Another step to ensure a smooth and successful transition from manual mode to TruDry is to verify the minimum and maximum discharge speed Operational Limits are set to reasonable values. When running in TruDry mode this is especially important because the TruDry control algorithm will attempt to speed up and slow down to maintain the mid-grain temperature setpoint, and the amount of room that the controller has to work with is determined by the minimum and maximum speed setpoints. For example, if the min/max speed setpoints are 10% - 100%, the range of speed output from the controller will be higher, which means the rate at which the speed changes will be higher. On the other hand, if the min/max setpoints are 30% - 75%, the controller can only operate within that band and only has a range of 45% to work with. A table of suggested minimum and maximum values is shown below.

Recommended Min & Max Discharge Speed (Operational Limits)

Once the average mid-grain temperature setpoint has been set and the minimum and maximum speed range has been established, TruDry mode of operation can be selected by touching the TruDry button in the upper right corner of any of the discharge settings pages. Once TruDry mode of operation has been selected, the ability to manually change the speed will be inhibited and the only parameter that can be adjusted will be the mid-grain temperature setpoint.

While running in TruDry, the speed will continuously increase or decrease to maintain the target mid-grain temperature. Do not continuously tweak the mid-grain temperature, let it try to control to the setpoint value that you previously established. TruDry should be able to handle 3-5% swings in incoming moisture with reasonable discharge moisture variation if the dryer was properly brought up to steady state as previously explained. If after running for an extended period of time and it has been determined that the target mid-grain temperature is too high or too low, minor adjustments can be made, but should only be done periodically, not continuously. If the operator wants to meticulously control the dryer, then the dryer should be run in the manual mode of operation where the operator can directly control the dryer's discharge rate.

VFD Frequency = 42 Hz

VFD Frequency = 48 Hz

AccuDry Status

While running in manual mode, AccuDry mode will not be available until the system is "Ready." The ready state is shown by the color of the AccuDry button, which is explained below.

AccuDry Not Ready (Grayed Out AccuDry Button)

By default, the dryer will not have enough information to jump right into AccuDry mode and the AccuDry button will appear grayed out. In order for AccuDry to be "Ready," the system must achieve the following before it will allow the dryer to enter AccuDry mode:

1. There must not be any alarms present;

2. The dryer must be in the "Running" state of operation, further explanation may be found below;

3. The Actual Discharge Rate must be within 5% of the Suggested Rate;

4. The Discharge Moisture must be within 2% of the Setpoint Moisture and;

5. The AccuDry system must have enough knowledge and runtime, to have a Predicted Discharge Moisture within 2% of the Actual Discharge Moisture.

Attempting to enter AccuDry Mode, whether ready or not, by pressing the AccuDry button from any of the discharge settings pages, will cause an AccuDry Status screen to appear as shown below.

This screen will appear slightly different depending on the state of the AccuDry model. The items displayed on this screen are the dryer running state, the not ready reason, the AccuDry predicted discharge moisture, the actual measured discharge moisture, the AccuDry suggested rate, the actual discharge rate, and whether or not the DM510 board is recording data (AccuDry Learning). This screen will provide information to better achieve AccuDry readiness, and will get the dryer into AccuDry much faster than guess work in Manual mode.

AccuDry Learning

On the AccuDry Status screen, the Learn mode will be illuminated when the dryer is operating (discharge is ON), and the moisture sensors have product being detected. This indicator states that the AccuDry system is "learning" from it's current operating inputs, and will stop "learning" and saving data when the discharge is turned OFF. Lastly is AccuDry mode, for when you are running in AccuDry mode.

AccuDry Dryer State

The dryer state field indicates the seven (7) stages of operating your dryer. The seven states are as follows:

AccuDry Not Ready Reason

The not ready field indicates the reason the dryer will not allow entry into AccuDry mode:

Suggested Rate

The suggested rate field indicates what the AccuDry system would run at that given moment if it were to take over controls of the VFD. It is important to note that this field updates regularly, and will become more and more accurate as the dryer learns for each individual grain type.

Actual Rate

The actual rate field indicates the real-time commanded speed from the PLC to the VFD.

AccuDry Ready

While running in manual when the AccuDry button text will change from gray to white, AccuDry reaches the "Ready" state. Pressing the AccuDry button will again cause the AccuDry status screen to appear. When AccuDry is selected from this screen, the button will flash "Enabling..." for a few seconds and will illuminate the AccuDry text in green lettering; the dryer is now in AccuDry mode.

Once AccuDry mode of operation has been selected, the ability to manually change the speed will be inhibited and the only parameter that can be adjusted will be the discharge moisture setpoint. While running in AccuDry, the speed will continuously increase or decrease to maintain the target discharge moisture setpoint. Do not continuously tweak the discharge moisture setpoint, let it try to control to the setpoint value that was previously established.

Typical Daily Routine

The following steps should be included in the daily routine when using the AccuDry system:

1. Before dryer start-up, check the outlet moisture sensor to ensure it is clean and free of debris. The sensor chute has no obstructions ahead of the sensor, and the flow-metering device is operating.

2. Start the dryer as has been done in the past from the dryer control panel. The Pinnacle 20|20 software will indicate the dryer is in "Manual" mode.

3. On the Dryer Overview screen, verify the discharge rate and discharge moisture setpoints. Modify them accordingly.

4. After the normal fan and burner startup procedure, as outlined in the Operations Manual, begin discharging.

5. AccuDry can be selected when the AccuDry button is illuminated white. Begin running in AccuDry and double-check the discharge moisture setpoint (now the only setpoint able to be changed) is correct.

6. AccuDry will now automatically adjust the dryer discharge rate to achieve the displayed product target moisture.

7. Periodically check the moisture sensors to ensure they are clean and there is good product flow. Metering may be turned off for roughly 60 seconds to clear out any fines or bees wings that may have accumulated in the sampling chute.

8. While operating the dryer, calibrate the moisture sensors as required.

9. When dryer discharge is turned off, AccuDry will automatically revert to "Manual” mode after 25 minutes.

Depending on the model dryer, the % discharge speed will correspond to an approximate bu/hr or metric tonnes/hr value for a known discharge capacity. The table below correlates discharge speed % to bu/hr based for the moisture removal (5pt or 10pt) and mode of operation (All-Heat or Heat+Cool) stated above.

VFD Frequency = 60 Hz

VFD Frequency = 30 Hz

Depending on the model dryer, the % discharge speed will correspond to an approximate bu/hr or metric tonnes/hr value for a known discharge capacity. The table below correlates discharge speed % to bu/hr based for the moisture removal (5pt or 10pt) and mode of operation (All-Heat or Heat+Cool) stated above.

Depending on the model dryer, the % discharge speed will correspond to an approximate bu/hr or metric tonnes/hr value for a known discharge capacity. The table below correlates discharge speed % to bu/hr based for the moisture removal (5pt or 10pt) and mode of operation (All-Heat or Heat+Cool) stated above.

Depending on the model dryer, the % discharge speed will correspond to an approximate bu/hr or metric tonnes/hr value for a known discharge capacity. The table below correlates discharge speed % to bu/hr based for the moisture removal (5pt or 10pt) and mode of operation (All-Heat or Heat+Cool) stated above.

VFD Frequency = 12 Hz

VFD Frequency = 6 Hz