Update On Revolutionary Microwave Hay Dryer

Update On Revolutionary Microwave Hay Dryer HAY & FORAGE HARVESTING Miscellaneous 26-3-4 Several years ago FARM SHOW reported on a revolutionary new "on-the-go" microwave hay dryer designed to cut hay drying time in half and improve the quality of the crop (Vol. 18, No. 6). The invention used ordinary household microwave "motors" to dry hay in the field. Commercial development of the innovative hay dryer was dealt a major set-back in late 1995 with the unexpected death of its 61-year-old inventor, Harold Herron. The 50-ft. long hay dryer was fitted with 210 microwave units and a 7-ft. wide baler-type pickup. Seven 11-in. wide conveyor belts ran the length of the machine and dumped the dried hay out the back of the machine, ready to bale. The machine was powered by a 580 hp diesel engine that drove a 320 kw generator and a hydraulic pump to power the conveyor belts and pickup. The machine was originally tested in Florida where Herron lived. After he died, it ended up in Ontario, Canada, where a new company was formed - Int-Agra Technologies Inc. - which built a new, smaller machine. "We wanted to see how the machine would work in heavier hay," says project coordinator Jack Janzen. "The first model we built used a 100-kilowatt generator to reduce moisture content from 50 percent to as low as 20 percent. We built a second generation model using a 75 kilowatt magnetron and did field tests in 1998 and 1999." For now, work on the idea has come to a standstill. "We want to build a third generation model with at least four 75-watt kilowatt magnetrons to allow us to work faster in the field. We're trying to get the University of Guelph to do the test work on it," says Janzen, who is looking for investors. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Jack Janzen, Int-Agra Technologies, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (ph 519 395-3916; fax 519 395-3920).

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