Specification Sheet_.pdf

Specification Sheet

Background

Field and greenhouse research produced plant and soil samples must be dried prior to analysis.

Drying plant and soil samples is an essential step in all sample processing prior to analysis for mass, and characterization of tissue and soil constituents. Furthermore, breeding operations require low heat drying facilities to prepare germplasm for manual threshing so as to not damage the seed. Therefore, it is critical that a drying oven be able to operate and low temperatures for breeding programs as well as higher temperatures for most other plant and soil analysis.

Currently the drying oven facilities at BARC are not operational due to significant safety issues in the building they are located as well as repairs needed for the existing ovens. Furthermore, these ovens only work at high temperatures and are therefore not useful for breeding programs.

Scope

USDA, Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Sustainable Agricultural Systems Lab (SASL) request a portable drying oven brand name or equal to a Generation 3.0 Biomass Dryer w/ accessories that can serve as stand alone, weather-proof, units that can achieve low and high drying temperatures suitable for breeding programs and for rapidly drying plant and soil samples from the field and greenhouse. This will be a resource for plant and soil scientists to prepare breeding germplasm for threshing and plant and soil samples for analysis (i.e., mass, carbon, and nutrient content).

Requirements

• Standalone, portable, weatherproof, drying unit (>300 cubic feet; ~10’ x 10’ x 12’)

• Unit must reach temperatures as low as 80 degrees F and as high as 140 degrees F

• Unit needs to be able to run on propane

• Unit must have loadable boxes in order to organize and separate breeding lines when drying and be stackable while ensuring airflow between each box

• Unit must all be loadable from a single-entry point

• Unit must be able to dry at least 300 cubic feet of green plant material

• Unit must also not produce loud noises that can disrupt others work (<65 dB at 10’ from unit)

• Fully loaded drying oven must have airflow throughout all surfaces of the plant material when contained in drying bags

• Owner’s manual that documents all use requirements and settings and troubleshooting when problems with the machine

Delivery

Contractor will need to ensure the unit is properly leveled on the concrete slab upon delivery.

Furthermore, the Contractor needs to check all components of the machine are operational.

Testing and Verification

Testing the machine achieves desired temperatures and maintains those temperatures and required airflow for several hours upon delivery