Comparison of equilibrium models for grain aeration

• Simulation results of two grain aeration models were compared with experimental data.
• Both models provided a good fit with experimental data and proved to be useful for different applications in the agrofood industry.
• The aerated grain bulk was evaluated regarding food industry safe storage needs.

Mathematical modeling has played a significant role in the post-harvest system of cereals, fruits and other food commodities. More specifically, simulations have increasingly been used for the optimal design, planning and operation of grain aeration systems. Many models have been proposed to simulate this process, and others have been adapted to this purpose. Among them, there are two equilibrium models which do not require expensive solution techniques and can be used to evaluate the process time, grain temperature and grain moisture content variations. This study deals with the evaluation of these models by comparing the simulation results with experimental data. Results showed that both models had good correlations with experimental data and presented a very similar performance. The two evaluated models can be easily implemented in computer programs, contributing to improvements in this process control and guaranteeing the management of grain quality during the storage period.