Articles
THE PRESENT STATE OF THE RECENT TRENDS IN CA TECHNOLOGY AND EQUIPMENT IN RUSSIA
We now have experience in CA storage technology; some CA stores are used in different parts of the former Soviet Union.
The first CA commercial store of 500 t capacity was built in Kazakstan in 1975. It has 5 CA rooms and was equipped with an open flame oxygen burner (URGS-2A). Apples and pears are stored over there up to May or June.
In 1980 in Crimea a 500 tons capacity CA store for grapes was built.
It has 4 rooms and the same type of generator is used.
In 1971 wet rice (humidity 17–21%) was commercially stored in CA. Silos of 3.5 m in diameter and 10 meters in height were used.
Each one has 35 tons capacity.
The same generator was used.
After 6 months of storage grain quality was good.
There were no yellow and cracked grains.
The germination energy was 96–98 %. Wheat at 20–21 % humidity content was stored for 150–160 days.
Sunflower of 12 % humidity was stored for 140 days.
The amount of fungi and bacteria was decreased 2–3 fold and the quality of grain after storage was quite good.
In 1977 a 10.000 ton metal elevator was built in Bjelorussia to store pelletized ground grass.
It consists of 27 silos and CA plant with 2 generators.
Pelletized ground grass is stored for 250–300 days.
The loss of nutrient substances, including carotene, does not exceed 2–3 %. Wet grain of 17–22 % humidity is stored for 5–6 months and after that it is processed for forage.
In 1981 in Suhumi a concrete elevator consisting of 54 silos, 650 t each, was built.
Three silos are used to kill insects in grain.
Most of the insects are killed after 6 days and only a few after 10–12 days.
This is an ecologically pure way of getting rid of insects.
The development of the first CA generator was started at the All-Union Gas Research Institute in 1966. Gas burning was utilized in it.
Activated carbon was used to scrub carbon dioxide.
The output of this generator is 120–130 m3/h.
The oxygen content in the output stream can be adjusted as low as 0.4–0.6 %, carbon dioxide, from 0 up to 13 %.
At the same time a catalytic recirculated oxygen burner RGGS-400 was developed.
In the early 1980’s the first air separator utilizing flat membranes was designed.
The open-flame oxygen burner (URGS) is widely used commercially in the former Soviet Union because of the following reasons;