Purdue University	Mimeo AE-64
Cooperative Extension Service	May, 1965
Lafayette, Indiana
Selecting Augers for Shelled Corn and Soybeans
by Ronald T. Noyes, Extension Agricultural Engineer
Introduction
Higher crop yields, larger acreages, larger farm operations, faster shelled grain harvesting, increased use of grain dryers, more on-the-farm storage and less labor are forcing farm operators to improve shelled grain handling.
One of the most versatile conveyors for handling shelled grain is the screw conveyor or "auger." Augers offer low initial costs, compactness and simple operation; yet they can be operated automatically as one component in a complex grain handling system.
Until recently, little data were available to determine auger capacities and power requirements for agricultural uses in terms °f 1) material handled, 2) angle of lift, 3) rotational speed and 4) screw exposure.
Purdue University research agricultural engineers recently tested screw conveyors under various conditions for shelled corn and soybeans to determine performance characteristics. 1/
Test Results
The specifications for the 4- and 6-inch test augers are shown in Figure 1. Dimensions of the screw conveyor specifications are listed in Table 1.
The capacity and power requirements for 4- and 6-inch augers handling dry shelled corn and soybeans are listed in Tables 2-5. Table 6 lists data from a test conducted on a 6-inch auger to compare its performance handling 14 and 25 percent moisture shelled corn. A 12-inch screw exposure was used at the screw intake during this test. Except for the 4-inch auger test with dry shelled corn, all tests were conducted with elevations of 0° (horizontal), 22.5°, 45°, 67.5°, and 90° (vertical). The power required in all tests was measured at the auger drive shaft. The power lost in the drive train between the motor power shaft and the auger drive shaft must be added to determine the total power required for the conveyor.
V White, G. M., L. A. Schaper, I. J. Ross andG. W. Isaacs, Research Bulletin 740, Performance Characteristics of Enclosed Screw Conveyors Handling Shelled Corn and Soybeans, Purdue University Agricultural Experiment Station, 1962.