Temperature of corn during ocean vessel transport

An ocean vessel was loaded with 57,000 T of No. 3 Yellow corn from a gulf port elevator in May of 1985. The corn was shipped to a port elevator at Chiba in Japan in June of 1985. A battery-operated temperature recorder was installed aboard the ship so that temperatures could be measured at 36 locations and relative humidities could be measured at six locations. Thermocouples and humidity sensors were placed in interstitial air within the grain mass, above the grain, on the inner wall and floor of one hold of the ship. Corn entered the ship at approximately 22°C and 15.0% w.b. moisture content. In the locations monitored, grain temperatures at 1 m below the surface reached 47°C within 35 days after loading. Grain temperatures at 1 m in from the walls and above the floor changed very little during the 35-day voyage.