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Syringe Injects High Moisture Bales
A USDA scientist says his "syringe" type injection system for hay bales, which injects preservative into the bale chamber as bales are formed, makes it possible to bale high moisture hay without worrying about spoil-age.
A special foot-long "syringe", made from a hydraulic cylinder, prevents waste by injecting a
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Syringe injects high moisture bales HAY & FORAGE HARVESTING Balers (6) 11-6-25 A USDA scientist says his "syringe" type injection system for hay bales, which injects preservative into the bale chamber as bales are formed, makes it possible to bale high moisture hay without worrying about spoil-age.
A special foot-long "syringe", made from a hydraulic cylinder, prevents waste by injecting an exact amount of liquid preservative (anhydrous ammonia or propionic acid) into each bale just after it's formed. The syringe, powered by the tractor's hydraulic system, draws the preservative from a tank mounted on the baler.
C. Alan Rost, USDA ag engineer in dairy research, says the key to the system is the use of the hydraulic cylinder to force liquid preservatives into the bale under high pressure. The syringe cylinder is directly coupled to a second cylinder that's powered by the tractor hydraulics. Liquid is drawn into the cylinder from a tank on the retraction stroke. On the forward stroke, the liquid is forced out through a pair of high pressure lines to jet nozzles on either side of the bale chamber. At pressures of about
3,000 psi, liquid shoots into the center of the bale.
Rotz says the patented system provides a - relatively clean way to apply anhydrous or propionic acid to bales. "The problem with spraying preservatives onto hay as it's picked up is that the acid gets all over the baler. This is also a much safer way to handle both acid and anhydrous. The biggest problem is getting adequate distribution throughout the bale," says Rotz.
The injection system is trigger by a rnicroswitch mounted on the baler's star wheel. It triggers a solenoid that activates the hydraulics. All the operator has to do is keep the supply tank filled with preservative.
Rotz says no manufacturers have yet been licensed to manufacture the bale injection system.
For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, C. Alan Rotz, Dairy Forage Research, Michigan State University, 206 Farrall Hall, East Lansing, Mich. 48824 (ph 517 353-1758).
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