CO₂ Monitoring & Aeration Automation Software
SMARTSITES integrates CO₂-based grain condition monitoring directly with aeration automation, creating a unified control system rather than a passive monitoring tool. By measuring respiration inside the grain mass and linking that data to intelligent fan logic, facilities move beyond temperature-triggered alarms toward controlled, data-driven management.Instead of waiting for heat accumulation to confirm deterioration, SMARTSITES evaluates biological activity in real time and determines when airflow will actually improve grain stability. The result is earlier intervention, more precise aeration decisions, and reduced unnecessary runtime.CO₂ becomes the biological input. Automation becomes the operational response.
Why CO₂ Changes Grain Management
Grain management decisions are only as good as the signals driving them. Traditional systems rely on temperature rise, which occurs after biological activity has already progressed. CO₂ monitoring measures respiration directly, giving operators earlier insight into developing issues and allowing intervention before deterioration spreads. This shift changes grain storage from passive monitoring to controlled operational management.
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Detects Biological Activity at Its Source
Grain spoilage begins when mold, fungi, insects, or high-moisture grain begin respiring. This respiration releases carbon dioxide immediately, long before enough heat accumulates to trigger a temperature cable. By measuring CO₂ concentration and trend behavior, operators gain visibility into the cause of deterioration rather than waiting for the symptom.
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Temperature Is a Late Signal
Temperature cables only respond after heat accumulates and reaches a sensor. That requires the hot spot to form, grow, and physically intersect with the cable. If that alignment does not occur, degradation can continue undetected.
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Provides a Meaningful Decision Window
Independent university research has demonstrated that CO₂ monitoring can provide an average three to five week earlier warning compared to temperature-only systems. That additional time allows managers to intervene while problems are localized, reducing the likelihood of shrink, grade loss, and emergency response measures.
Research Validated Science
SMARTSITES CO2-driven intelligence is grounded in peer-reviewed research and multi-university validation.
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Documented Early Warning Window
Research led by Dr. Dirk Maier at Iowa State University demonstrates that CO₂ monitoring identifies spoilage activity weeks before temperature cable systems respond.
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Cold Weather Performance
During winter storage, thermal gradients develop slowly. CO₂ concentration increases remain detectable even when temperature shifts are minimal.
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Integrated Grain Ecosystem Modeling
Research combining CO₂, humidity, and temperature data confirms that respiration trends provide critical biological context for aeration decision-making.
Healthy Bin Performance with CO₂ Monitoring
A healthy bin does not simply avoid alarms. It demonstrates stable biological conditions supported by measured, controlled airflow. SMARTSITES continuously evaluates CO₂ concentration and rate-of-change behavior to confirm that respiration levels remain low and grain quality is preserved.Rather than waiting for heat to develop, the system verifies stability at the biological level and ensures aeration runs only when conditions justify it.
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Stable CO₂ Baseline Indicates Quality Grain
In properly dried and conditioned grain, CO₂ levels remain near ambient concentrations with minor fluctuation. SMARTSITES tracks baseline behavior over time, confirming that biological respiration remains minimal and storage conditions are secure.
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Trend Monitoring Prevents False Alarms
Short-term CO₂ spikes during loading, coring, or fan startup are distinguished from sustained upward trends that indicate risk. By analyzing rate-of-rise patterns instead of isolated readings, the system avoids unnecessary fan runtime while maintaining vigilance.
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Closed-Loop Aeration Protects Efficiency
When CO₂ readings approach defined thresholds, SMARTSITES evaluates external air conditions and initiates aeration only when corrective airflow will be effective. Once respiration levels normalize, fans automatically shut down, preserving grain quality while reducing energy consumption and mechanical wear.
Carbon dioxide monitoring fundamentally changes how we detect grain spoilage. Temperature cables measure heat, but heat is a secondary effect of biological activity. By the time a measurable temperature rise occurs inside the grain mass, microbial respiration and insect activity have often been underway for weeks. Our research and field evaluations have shown that CO₂ monitoring can provide an earlier warning, on average three to five weeks ahead of temperature-based systems. That additional time is operationally significant. It allows managers to intervene while the problem is still localized rather than reacting after deterioration has progressed.
CO₂ monitoring is not just another sensor input. It is the primary biological signal that drives intelligent grain storage management. Traditional temperature cable systems detect heat after deterioration progresses. SMARTSITES CO₂ monitoring detects respiration activity at its source, providing an earlier warning and enabling more controlled intervention.
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From Monitoring to Automation
Detection alone is not enough. Response must be systematic. SMARTSITES converts biological detection into automated operational control.
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CO₂ Trend Interpretation
The system analyzes concentration changes and rate-of-rise patterns, distinguishing between normal respiration and elevated biological activity requiring intervention.
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Intelligent Aeration Decisions
External air conditions, grain equilibrium modeling, and internal biological signals are evaluated together. Aeration runs when it supports corrective action rather than simply when temperature crosses a threshold.
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Documented Operational Events
Every action is logged and trended. Operators maintain full visibility into system behavior, decision triggers, and historical performance across the storage lifecycle.
Minimal Cable Architecture
SMARTSITES reduces dependency on dense temperature cable arrays by combining CO₂-based grain condition monitoring with external environmental conditions. Facilities gain precise biological detection and inventory visibility without filling the bin with suspended components that introduce mechanical complexity and long-term maintenance exposure.
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Reduced Structural Penetrations
Traditional cable systems require many expensive cables, mounting brackets, and wiring penetrations that increase installation time and structural coordination. A minimal cable approach simplifies deployment in both new construction and retrofit environments.
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Fewer Internal Failure Points
Suspended cable arrays are subjected to grain movement, compaction forces, vibration, and mechanical strain during fill and unload cycles. Reducing internal hardware lowers the number of components exposed to abrasion, tension, and long-term drift.
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Lower Lifetime Maintenance Burden
Cables require inspection, maintenance, and eventual replacement as assets age. By minimizing internal components and leveraging non-contact sensing, SMARTSITES reduces long-term maintenance demands and protects uptime across the life of the bin.
When Temperature Cables Still Apply
Temperature cable systems remain common across the industry and are familiar to operators. RealmFive supports traditional cable-based architectures, especially when the cables already exist, but operations should recognize the functional tradeoffs when relying solely on temperature as the primary indicator of grain condition.
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Proven but Reactive
Temperature cables are widely adopted and understood. They provide confirmation once heat accumulates, but they do not provide early biological insight.
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Limited Spatial Resolution
Cables measure only at discrete nodes along their physical path. If biological activity develops outside those zones, detection depends on whether heat expands far enough to intersect a sensor.
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A Question of Risk Tolerance
Facilities focused on shrink reduction, quality preservation, and reduced manual oversight increasingly evaluate whether reactive confirmation is sufficient. Earlier biological detection shifts grain management from alarm response to controlled intervention.
Intelligent CO₂ Monitoring & Fan Control
Effective CO₂-based grain management requires more than a single sensor reading. SMARTSITES deploys CO₂ sensing in critical zones within the bin and connects those measurements directly to intelligent aeration control, creating a closed-loop system that actively protects grain quality. Detection drives decision. Decision drives airflow.
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Headspace CO₂ Monitoring During Aeration
A CO₂ sensor positioned in the headspace measures exhausted gas concentrations while fans are running. This confirms whether airflow is actively reducing biological respiration levels rather than simply circulating air without corrective impact.
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Plenum-Level CO₂ Detection at Rest
Because carbon dioxide is heavier than air, it settles toward the base of the bin when fans are not operating. Sensors in the plenum area detect early accumulation, allowing biological activity to be identified before heat development or visible symptoms occur.
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Biology-Driven Aeration Fan Logic
SMARTSITES integrates headspace and plenum CO₂ data with environmental conditions to determine when aeration will be effective. Fans initiate only when corrective airflow supports stabilization and shut down once respiration trends return to acceptable ranges, reducing unnecessary runtime and mechanical wear.