The Mystery of "Feverish" Granaries: What are the Dangers of Rising Temperatures? Can Nitrogen Generators Turn the Tide?

Opening the granary doors, one is met not only with the fragrant aroma of grain, but sometimes also with an unusual heat wave. Even though the granary is sealed and managed, why does the internal temperature still rise subtly? This seemingly insignificant "temperature rise" phenomenon actually hides a major crisis in food security. Let's delve into the causes and dangers of temperature increases in granaries, and the role nitrogen generators can play in this "temperature control defense war."

Granary Temperature Rise: A Crisis of "Internal and External Troubles"

The rise in granary temperature is not accidental; it is the result of a combination of "internal and external troubles." Internally, grain itself is a living organism with vitality. Even in storage, it continuously undergoes respiration, consuming oxygen and releasing heat. When the humidity inside the granary is high, the respiration of the grain will further intensify, releasing more heat. In addition, microorganisms and pests in the grain are also "accomplices" in the temperature rise. Bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms multiply rapidly under suitable temperature and humidity conditions, and the heat generated during their metabolism is not negligible; pests moving, growing, and reproducing within the grain pile also release heat, causing the grain temperature to rise.

External factors are equally important. In the summer, high temperatures and direct sunlight on the granary cause heat to be conducted into the interior through the walls; in winter, the large diurnal temperature difference causes the temperature inside the granary to drop at night, and the water vapor in the air condenses when it gets cold, forming a "dew" phenomenon, increasing the humidity of the grain, indirectly promoting respiration and microbial activity, and causing a temperature rise.

Temperature Rise: The "Invisible Killer" of Food Security

A continuous rise in granary temperature causes multifaceted damage to the grain. First, high temperatures accelerate the aging process of grain. Aged grain not only darkens in color and changes in smell, but also loses a large amount of nutrients, resulting in poor taste and loss of edible and commercial value. Second, a high-temperature and high-humidity environment provides a breeding ground for harmful microorganisms such as mold, causing the grain to become moldy and deteriorate. The toxins produced by mold, such as aflatoxin, are strong carcinogens. Once consumed by humans or livestock, they can pose a serious threat to health. In addition, rising temperatures also aid the growth and reproduction of pests, with large numbers of pests eating the grain, causing weight loss and destroying the integrity of the grain.

Nitrogen Generators: A "New Weapon" for Granary Temperature Control?

In the search for granary temperature control solutions, nitrogen generators have gradually come into view. The working principle of a nitrogen generator is to use physical or chemical methods to separate nitrogen from the air and then fill the granary with high-concentration nitrogen to reduce the oxygen content. This "controlled atmosphere storage" technology seems to have no direct connection with temperature control, but in fact, it is closely related.

When the oxygen content in the granary is reduced, the respiration of the grain and microbial activity are significantly inhibited. Reduced respiration means that the heat released by the grain itself is reduced; limited microbial activity also reduces metabolic heat production, thus fundamentally curbing the rise in grain temperature. In addition, a low-oxygen environment can also effectively inhibit the growth and reproduction of pests, avoiding the increase in heat caused by pest activity. Therefore, although nitrogen generators cannot directly lower the granary temperature, they indirectly control the grain temperature by changing the gas composition in the granary, while also achieving multiple effects of pest control, mold prevention, and freshness preservation.

However, nitrogen generators also face some challenges in practical applications. On the one hand, the cost of nitrogen generator equipment is high, and the initial investment is large; on the other hand, the equipment needs to be operated continuously and stably to maintain a low-oxygen environment in the granary, and the operating and maintenance costs cannot be ignored. In addition, different types and moisture contents of grain have different requirements for the controlled atmosphere environment, and accurate control is needed to achieve good grain storage results.

Granary temperature control is a complex system engineering project involving knowledge from multiple fields, including grain biology, meteorology, and engineering. Nitrogen generators, as key equipment for controlled atmosphere storage technology, provide new ideas and methods for granary temperature control. Although there are still some problems and challenges, with the continuous progress and improvement of technology, it is believed that in the future, nitrogen generators will play a greater role in ensuring food security and reducing grain loss. For grain storage enterprises and relevant departments, in-depth research and rational application of advanced grain storage technologies such as nitrogen generators is a necessary choice for guarding the "national granary."