Patent ID: 6988325

Claim:
A bidirectional forage bale dryer comprising a frame, a bale support platform with orifices to permit the passage of air, a lower plenum chamber, an upper plenum chamber, an access opening for access to said platform, a surrounding wall to substantially seal said forage bales disposed in a stack on said platform and surrounding a circumferential side surface of said stack in close contact to confine a heated drying air flow connected between said plenum chambers and through said stack, an air flow conduit in communication with respective ones of said lower and upper plenum chambers, each air flow conduit having a first branch conduit in communication with a heat generating device at an air intake inlet, and a second branch conduit in communication with an air suction device adjacent to an air outlet, a valve element in each said branch conduit, and means to close or open said valve elements whereby to direct said drying air flow upwards or downwards through said stack of forage bales to create a negative pressure through said forage bales disposed on said platform between said upper and lower plenum chambers.