Tobacco Tunnel

Project Overview: The tunnel conditioning section was converted to a 4 bay batch curer with 8 trolleys in each bay and a single heat source.

Configuration:

• In 2017, a 50Ha tunnel was built on new land so no other barns were available. The customer required a small batch curing unit to cure diseased, anthill or uneven tobacco, so that the tunnel could run at its optimum with uniform tobacco. The conditioning bay was extended by 2 bays and a high ceiling was installed creating a space above the trolleys. A 2Hp 26” fan was installed in each unit which circulates the air through space above the trolleys and forces it downwards through the tobacco. Three control doors were designed to control the amount of return, hot and ambient air in each unit.
• A dry heat source with a 300lb per hour stoker and a 15HP axial fan was installed as the heat source for the unit. The heat source was oversized to allow for the expansion to power a grain dryer in the future.