I can't remember exactly how the fans on a Deere are set up off the top of my head but I would recommend an intake hood on the fan something like this with the opening facing down. It should solve your problem without creating any more static pressure and restricting airflow. Making it slightly oversized for the opening would be even better.

Edit: got up and got about 20' from the computer and realized your problem isn't trash thrown from the tires onto the fan but dust? You could still use that idea and go up with a snorkel or put a screen on it but I would avoid an elbow.

 

I'm not seeing your exact problem, since I've never had that specific problem on my JD air cart. Is it straw and trash being kicked up and sucked into the intake? or is it plugging the intake screen?
If you could use pipe bigger than what the intake is, you might be able to get away with making a snorkel.
If you HAD to use an elbow fitting, might try two 45 degree fitting spaced about 1' about, in order to avoid turbulence in your airflow.
Also, could you just build a larger, more finely screened cage around the current fan intake screen? I'm just brainstorming here.

 

Thanks for the replies. It is trash being kicked up and sucked onto the intake screen, eventually blocking the flow of air into the fan once enough trash builds up. Trash doesn't penetrate the screen and enter the air system, strictly an external problem. Sometimes it is bad enough we have to clean off the fan every pass...not very productive at all. I inquired about installing a larger screen like those found on the newer carts at my JD dealer, parts man said it had been done by others and it is not a solution.

 

I'd go up if you can, any way to go vertical, like tractors have for an air intake? I don't know it there's enough dust sucked in to cause wear, but it might keep things cleaner. Something like a straight tube intake going vertical, and then a mesh cowl like what miniskfarm posted.

I don't know if you've seen them, but those tower intakes like what some cabovers have might work. Might not be a large enough diameter though. I also thought some of them looked cool, almost as if they were a ram-air setup.

Bruce

 

We have had trouble with a morris TBT tank that gets the straw from the tractor tires. The morris has a big screen, but it isn't big enough. Ideally, you could make a screen on the fan that is large enough that the suction would be spread over a large area and nothing would stick to it. But I have no idea how big that would have to be. I would go up with a duct elbow (as large or larger than the opening on the fan) and then have some sort of cap that keeps water and dirt from falling in the top. Have a TBH cart for this year and we'll see what happens.

Pea stubble and chemfallow were always the worst for this problem.

 

what kind of a drill or we talking about, than we can ponder this, if its a air drill, like a flexicoil could be a possibality, make a shield in front of fan to deflict debris, need more info, something that just started happening, Scott.

 

Well I tracked down some 15" PVC from an irrigation company in AB. Should be here for Friday so once I get it I can start to figure something out. I still think the best idea is to make up an elbow of some kind and turn it up so it is about level with the tank tops, then with some kind of a cap on it. Would be nice if it would be a true cap that keeps rain out but I think some type of a mesh screen to keep birds, debris and small children out would be satisfactory.

I thought about a sheild, but I have drove behind the drill and watched to see where the problem starts and the fan suction combined with the wind just makes a nice swirl of debris around the whole back end and I think the debris would still make its way to the intake screen. No idea, maybe it would work, but I am going to try the snorkel first.

Thanks for all the replies will keep you guys posted.

PS Scott, drill is a 1820 and 1900 tow behind cart as per my avatar.

 

PS Scott, drill is a 1820 and 1900 tow behind cart as per my avatar.

Well, there's your problem right there.
CIH tractor!

Don

 

I have had the same problem in certain conditions with my 1910 TBH cart. When I realize it is happening I make it a habit to slow down or even stop on the headlands and turn the fan off. This usually clears the screen. I have mounted one of my Cab Cams on the rear of the cart to watch for this. Unfortunatley, right now I can't remember what straw conditions or stubble type I have the problems in, I just know it isn't all the time.
I kinda like the idea of a snorkle, make sure you let us know how it works. I am about a month away from seeding yet so may have time to look into a solution as well.
David.

 

Post up some pics when you get it all done. I'm kinda curious about this. My 1910 tow between cart doesn't have this prob, since we mostly run in clean ground, but I'm always interested in ways to fix a problem before it happens.
Keep us posted buddy

 

Maybe a rotating screen similar to a combine's radiator screen would do the job.
Harvestaire in Western Australia make a small fan driven rotating screen about 2 feet in diameter and very similar to the rotating radiator screens.
This internal fan driven rotating screen is fixed over the inlet of the blower fans used on the combine head's Blower Front kits.
Unfortunately their catalogue is not very clear and rather poor for the net use but page 14 has a crude drawing of this screen and fan.Harvestaire | Catalogues
With blower fronts in light crop conditions there is a huge amount of light straw and crop debris blowing around and these rotating screens do an excellent job in keeping the material out of the blower and the system so would probably keep your air blower system quite clean if installed.

There were photos of this blower screen kit in Rolf's Gleaner R62 photos from some time back but these seem to no longer be available.
There is a photo without detail unfortunately still on the Combine Talk Forum; Gleaner Hyper Mods > Heddy's Mods.

 

Chaff & straw on the fan screen is a problem on the Conserva-Pak some days. It's a tow-between tank and I keep an eye on the air pressure gauges on those days with the help of the rear view mirror. If you're making a snorkel try to avoid too sharp an elbow as that will reduce air flow. A garbage can lid would make a good rain cap. Make some brackets that hold it 6-8" above the snorkel and wrap some screen around them. You don't want any chaff getting sucked down to your fan screen once you have the snorkel bolted in place.

 

Update:

Scraped the PVC pipe idea, and found 12 feet of 12" ID flexible accordian type hose (like those used for spouts on air carts), made a mounting bracket out of 12" OD pipe for the fan and a nifty mesh screen for the inlet. There really was no good way to run the hose from the fan inlet up higher, but the new inlet ended up under the walkway platform/steps which should be better. Started the fan up and doesn't seem to restrict flow of air to the openers. Hopefully will know how well it works next week.

Going to take some pictures tommorow, it was too dark this evening when I finished.

If anybody needs a 11' chunk of 18" PVC I can give you a real good deal.

 

So that is how it turned out. If it all works good in the end I will paint the few metal peices green to cover up the ****ty welds and such (just like JD does)

Would have liked to get the intake up higher then it is, but there is just no where you can go with it without obstructing the walkway or auger, so it is where it is and I think it will work better. Another bonus is I can see the mesh intake screen from the tractor now too so I know visually if the intake screen is plugging.