Overview
Straw is a valuable agricultural byproduct widely used for animal feed, bedding, and bioenergy fuel. However, its performance and safety depend heavily on maintaining the correct moisture content. Excess moisture not only degrades straw quality but also poses serious hazards, including microbial growth, spontaneous combustion, and storage spoilage. Proper moisture control ensures safe storage, consistent quality, and extended product shelf life.
Whether straw is being baled, processed for pellets, or used as boiler feedstock, maintaining the ideal moisture level is critical to product integrity and operational efficiency. MoistTech’s IR-3000 Near-Infrared (NIR) Moisture Sensor delivers real-time, non-contact, continuous measurement, allowing operators to monitor and control moisture throughout the production and storage process.
Why Measure Moisture
Accurate, real-time moisture monitoring delivers multiple process and product benefits.
Quality Assurance
Energy Efficiency
Reduce Waste
Process Stability
Safety
RECOMMENDED MEASUREMENT LOCATIONS
Incoming Straw Feed / Pre-Dryer Stage
The raw straw feed can contain 15–30% moisture depending on field conditions and storage time. Monitoring here helps optimize drying operations and maintain more consistent product input.
Post-Dryer / Pre-Baling or Pelletizing
This is the critical control point for maintaining quality. The ideal target moisture range is 10–15% for animal feed or bedding applications and 8–12% for biofuel production. Accurate control helps prevent over-drying, which leads to dust and brittleness, and under-drying, which can cause mold and decay.
Final Product / Storage Verification
Measuring moisture prior to storage ensures the product remains stable during long-term warehousing. Maintaining levels below 15% helps minimize spoilage risk and allows for safer transport and stacking.
The IR-3000 should be mounted above the straw conveyor, baling line, or pellet press intake, typically 4–12 inches above the moving material, with optional air purging and protective housings available for dusty or high-temperature environments.
Understand the Process
Using the IR-3000 drastically cuts production costs. It is energy efficient, low maintenance, and decreases startup and down times. Over dried product causes waste; so does product that is too moist. With the IR-3000, these problems will no longer be an issue.