TITLE:
Drying Rate of Corn Silage and the Influence of Drying Temperature on the Feedstock Quality
AUTHORS:
Mohammad Aliahmadi, Yankai Cao, Shahabaddine Sokhansanj
KEYWORDS:
Corn Silage, Fractionated Silage, Drying Rate, Arrhenius Function, Activation Energy, Diffusion Coefficient, Nutritional Quality
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Sustainable Bioenergy Systems,
Vol.15 No.3,
September
3,
2025
ABSTRACT: Corn silage is produced from the entire corn plant, which is chopped and stored before the grain reaches full maturity, allowing for fermentation. This type of silage is a highly desirable feed for large animals, particularly dairy cows. In recent years, an industry has developed around the artificial drying of wet corn silage to extend its shelf life and facilitate repackaging and transportation. However, data on the drying rates of corn silage at high temperatures are scarce in the open literature. In this study, commercially grown and ensiled corn silage was fractionated into three nominal particle sizes: 1.6 mm, 3.2 mm, and 6.4 mm, using screen sizes of 1/16ʺ, 1/8ʺ, and 1/4ʺ. The mass and moisture content of each fraction were recorded. Drying trials were conducted on each fraction using an experimental thin-layer dryer with air temperatures ranging from 40˚C to 220˚C. The drying rate plots versus moisture content showed a linear relationship, indicating that a single drying constant could effectively describe the moisture content over time. The drying rates were systematically analysed to develop a unified diffusion coefficient, expressed as an Arrhenius function of both drying temperature and silage particle size. This diffusion equation provides a convenient method for calculating moisture content over time during the high-temperature drying of the three corn silage fractions. A compositional analysis of the silage dried at temperatures ranging from 50°C to 200°C revealed that the total digestible nutrient (TDN) and other constituents varied with drying temperature, but these variations remained within the range of published values.