Brought to you by Tolsma Grisnich
High air output with quiet and economical fan
Vof. Jansen in Slootdorp chose Tolsma Air Control Max fans in the ingenious drying wall of their new storage facility. "It dries super and they are a lot quieter."
"They are well worth the extra cost for the sound alone." Dirk Jansen from Slootdorp makes little effort to hide his enthusiasm about the Air Control Max fans. In September Dirk and his father started using a brand new storage facility for their seed potatoes and second-year onion sets. Externally, the barn is a copy of the repository they had built 10 years ago. On the inside, they applied several innovations, including Tolsma's Air Control Max fans.
Ingenious drying wall
Since the completion of the new storage facility, vof Jansen has storage capacity for almost 3.000 crates. The new barn offers space for 6 times 2 rows of boxes (15 deep and 6 high), separated by narrow air passages that can be closed with air bellows. Yet the new shed is not only equipped for box storage. "We can dry in 3 different ways," says Dirk. "First of all, the familiar method with blowing through the pallet slots. In addition, we can blow through the closable air passages. And we can also combine those two methods. In practice, that gives the most even drying."
In addition to the 2 crate drying methods, the storage facility is also suitable for bulk product. For this purpose, the reinforced pressure wall is fitted with closable hatches for which above-ground channels can be placed. "That is a conscious choice," says Dirk. "A box always takes up space, empty or full. We deposit the seed potatoes that leave early in the shed. As soon as that is gone, we have work space again." The drying wall is a design by Omnihout, a company with which Tolsma-Grisnich often collaborates. "They pay a lot of attention to the shape and finish of the pressure chamber," says Dirk.
Lower noise production
Father and son Jansen called on Tolsma-Grisnich for the hatches, fans and installation technology. "They also did the furnishing in the previous new barn and we liked that," says Dirk. "It has been ten years now, but our Tolsma field salesman Sicco Zijlstra still comes by every year for a chat and checking the settings. Tolsma-Grisnich puts them right along the road." Zijlstra calculated the required installation and compared the various fan options. "We already had EC fans in the other shed, so I wanted them again," says Dirk. "I often make use of the option to reduce the speed, for example if a row of boxes is not completely full. And with internal ventilation I never turn it to the maximum." The choice ultimately fell on the new Air Control Max fans. "The lower noise production was ultimately the deciding factor," explains Dirk. "Because the new barn is quite close to the house, that was an important requirement."
External control box
When we look at the new shed a little later, Dirk lets the old fans and the new Air Control Max fans run one after the other as a demonstration. "You see, that makes quite a difference in noise," he laughs. And while he puts his hand in front of a box: "And there is a good amount of air coming out of that new drying wall. I have already seen that the boxes dry faster here than in the old shed. That is certainly the merit of the Air Control Max fans."
A little later, when Dirk shows the pressure chamber of the drying wall, he points to the separate control box mounted on the wall next to each fan. "The electronics are external to these fans. That is better for the lifespan." Dirk can't say much about energy consumption yet. "They are more economical than previous generations, but of course I haven't run a full season yet, so I don't have a comparison yet. And every season and every batch is different."
Smooth process
Almost four months after completion, Dirk looks back with satisfaction on the entire construction and installation process. "We were in a bit of a hurry because the building permit was delayed. But luckily the harvest came quite late and the barn was ready just in time. Tolsma also kept to the agreements and if there was anything I called Sicco. of course his own lines within the company and that works very pleasantly. I was able to arrange everything through him." And he certainly does not regret the choice for the Air Control Max fans. "Now that I've experienced them myself, I don't need another."
