Grain aeration systems and techniques

Abstract

In one embodiment, the invention is directed toward a networked grain aeration control system. For example, the system can provide centralized monitoring of the aeration of a number of grain storage facilities, thereby improving the management of stored grain. The networked grain aeration control system can allow the custodian of the system to offer an aeration service. Farmers, or other individuals, cooperatives, or companies can purchase the aeration service at a cost proportionate to the amount of stored grain to be aerated and the duration of storage. In this manner, the purchaser of the aeration service can avoid relatively high fixed costs that can be associated with various aeration hardware.

1 - 41 . (canceled) 
     
     
         42 . A computer-implemented method for tracing the custody of a crop in a custody chain, the computer-implemented method comprising:
 obtaining, on a central computer, crop custody data for a crop located in a crop storage facility that is in communication with the central computer, wherein the crop custody data includes location information for the crop storage facility and a management history of the crop, wherein the management history of the crop includes the management of the crop storage facility driven by the central computer;   receiving information that at least a portion of the crop is moved to another crop storage facility in communication with the central computer; and   causing a processor of the central computer to update the crop custody data for the at least a portion of the crop with location information for the another crop storage facility.   
     
     
         43 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 42 , wherein at least one record in the management history includes a record of at least one member of a group comprising: an obtained crop objective, at least one crop storage condition value associated with the crop storage facility, and a determined control policy configured to control at least one controller of the crop storage facility. 
     
     
         44 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 42 , wherein the obtained crop objective includes at least one member of a group comprising: a targeted crop rating, a targeted moisture content, a targeted temperature, a targeted weight, a targeted storage time, and a targeted delivery location. 
     
     
         45 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 42 , wherein the at least one crop storage condition value includes at least one member of a group comprising: a crop temperature value, a crop moisture content value, a crop type value, a crop blend value, a crop static pressure value, a crop humidity value, a crop quantity value, a temperature value, a humidity value, a barometric value, a facility capacity value, a facility dimensions value, a controller type, a fan type, a fan quantity, a fan performance, and a fan size. 
     
     
         46 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 42 , wherein the determined control policy is configured according to at least one member of a group comprising: crop rating criteria values, electric power demand information, temperature band values, humidity band values, truncated temperature band values, truncated humidity band values, offsets for fan heat based on theoretical values, offsets for fan heat based on static pressure values, and offsets for fan heat based on measured values. 
     
     
         47 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 42 , further comprising:
 causing the processor of the central computer to determine a control policy configured to control at least one controller of the another crop storage facility, wherein the determined control policy is at least partially based on the crop custody data; and   causing the processor of the central computer to send the control policy to the at least one controller of the another crop storage facility.   
     
     
         48 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 42 , wherein the management history is generated by the central computer in response to the management of the crop storage facility by the central computer. 
     
     
         49 . A computer-readable storage medium having computer executable instructions for tracing the custody of a crop in a custody chain, the computer-executable instructions comprising:
 obtaining, on a central computer, crop custody data for a crop located in a crop storage facility that is in communication with the central computer, wherein the crop custody data includes location information for the crop storage facility and a management history of the crop, wherein the management history of the crop includes the management of the crop storage facility driven by the central computer;   receiving information that at least a portion of the crop is moved to another crop storage facility in communication with the central computer; and   updating the crop custody data for the at least a portion of the crop with location information for the another crop storage facility.   
     
     
         50 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 49 , wherein at least one record in the management history includes a record of at least one member of a group comprising: an obtained crop objective, at least one crop storage condition value associated with the crop storage facility, and a determined control policy configured to control at least one controller of the crop storage facility. 
     
     
         51 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 49 , wherein the obtained crop objective includes at least one member of a group comprising: a targeted crop rating, a targeted moisture content, a targeted temperature, a targeted weight, a targeted storage time, and a targeted delivery location. 
     
     
         52 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 49 , wherein the at least one crop storage condition value includes at least one member of a group comprising: a crop temperature value, a crop moisture content value, a crop type value, a crop blend value, a crop static pressure value, a crop humidity value, a crop quantity value, a temperature value, a humidity value, a barometric value, a facility capacity value, a facility dimensions value, a controller type, a fan type, a fan quantity, a fan performance, and a fan size. 
     
     
         53 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 49 , wherein the determined control policy is configured according to at least one member of a group comprising: crop rating criteria values, electric power demand information, temperature band values, humidity band values, truncated temperature band values, truncated humidity band values, offsets for fan heat based on theoretical values, offsets for fan heat based on static pressure values, and offsets for fan heat based on measured values. 
     
     
         54 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 49 , further comprising:
 determining a control policy configured to control at least one controller of the another crop storage facility, wherein the determined control policy is at least partially based on the crop custody data; and   sending the control policy to the at least one controller of the another crop storage facility.   
     
     
         55 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 49 , wherein the management history is generated by the central computer in response to the management of the crop storage facility by the central computer. 
     
     
         56 . A system for tracing the custody of a crop in a custody chain, the system comprising:
 at least one processor associated with a central computer; and   at least one memory of the central computer, wherein the at least one memory includes computer-executable instructions configured for:
 obtaining, on the central computer, crop custody data for a crop located in a crop storage facility that is in communication with the central computer, wherein the crop custody data includes location information for the crop storage facility and a management history of the crop, wherein the management history of the crop includes the management of the crop storage facility driven by the central computer; 
 receiving information that at least a portion of the crop is moved to another crop storage facility in communication with the central computer; and 
 updating the crop custody data for the at least a portion of the crop with location information for the another crop storage facility. 
   
     
     
         57 . The system of  claim 56 , wherein at least one record in the management history includes a record of at least one member of a group comprising: an obtained crop objective, at least one crop storage condition value associated with the crop storage facility, and a determined control policy configured to control at least one controller of the crop storage facility. 
     
     
         58 . The system of  claim 56 , wherein the obtained crop objective includes at least one member of a group comprising: a targeted crop rating, a targeted moisture content, a targeted temperature, a targeted weight, a targeted storage time, and a targeted delivery location. 
     
     
         59 . The system of  claim 56 , wherein the at least one crop storage condition value includes at least one member of a group comprising: a crop temperature value, a crop moisture content value, a crop type value, a crop blend value, a crop static pressure value, a crop humidity value, a crop quantity value, a temperature value, a humidity value, a barometric value, a facility capacity value, a facility dimensions value, a controller type, a fan type, a fan quantity, a fan performance, and a fan size. 
     
     
         60 . The system of  claim 56 , wherein the determined control policy is configured according to at least one member of a group comprising: crop rating criteria values, electric power demand information, temperature band values, humidity band values, truncated temperature band values, truncated humidity band values, offsets for fan heat based on theoretical values, offsets for fan heat based on static pressure values, and offsets for fan heat based on measured values. 
     
     
         61 . The system of  claim 56 , further comprising:
 causing the at least one processor of the central computer to determine a control policy configured to control at least one controller of the another crop storage facility, wherein the determined control policy is at least partially based on the crop custody data; and   causing the at least one processor of the central computer to send the control policy to the at least one controller of the another crop storage facility.