Gas detection for grain silos and controlled-atmosphere storage

Phosphine fumigation, CO2 blanketing and oxygen depletion monitored in one system that can drive the ventilation fans directly.

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Grain storage combines two hazards that behave in opposite ways. Fumigation raises phosphine to a lethal concentration and holds it for days, while controlled-atmosphere storage pushes oxygen down and carbon dioxide up. A single fixed sensor cannot cover both, and a handheld reading taken once a day will not catch a seal failure overnight.

The layout that works is one detection point per silo, wired back to a central controller, with the phosphine channel enabled only during fumigation campaigns. Ventilation fans are driven from the same controller, so a threshold breach starts extraction without waiting for an operator to walk to the panel.

Every reading is timestamped and stored, which matters for two reasons: fumigation records are auditable, and a slow drift in the CO2 baseline is the earliest sign of a leaking seal.

Typical configuration

Detection points	One per silo, plus one at the intake pit and one in the conveyor gallery
Sampling	Diffusion at the silo headspace; pumped sample line for deep bins
Control	Central controller with relay outputs for ventilation and alarms
Records	Timestamped logging with export for fumigation audit

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