Digital Commons Network^™

Thermal Comfort In Heated-And-Ventilated-Only Warehouses, Christian Taber, Donald G. Colliver

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Building energy codes and standards contain minimum requirements that provide a path to energy efficient buildings and building systems. ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1 and the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) are the main national building code models in the United States. Both Standard 90.1 and the IECC are updated on three-year cycles with the goal of reducing building energy consumption.

Linking Lignin Source With Structural And Electrochemical Properties Of Lignin-Derived Carbon Materials, Wenqi Li, Yan Zhang, Lalitendu Das, Yikai Wang, Mi Li, Namal Wanninayake, Yunqiao Pu, Doo Young Kim, Yang-Tse Cheng, Arthur J. Ragauskas, Jian Shi

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Valorization of lignin to high-value chemicals and products along with biofuel production is generally acknowledged as a technology platform that could significantly improve the economic viability of biorefinery operations. With a growing demand for electrical energy storage materials, lignin-derived activated carbon (AC) materials have received increasing attention in recent years. However, there is an apparent gap in our understanding of the impact of the lignin precursors (i.e., lignin structure, composition and inter-unit linkages) on the structural and electrochemical properties of the derived ACs. In the present study, lignin-derived ACs were prepared under identical conditions from two different lignin …

Fractionation And Characterization Of Lignin Streams From Unique High-Lignin Content Endocarp Feedstocks, Wenqi Li, Kirtley Amos, Mi Li, Yunqiao Pu, Seth Debolt, Arthur J. Ragauskas, Jian Shi

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Background: Lignin is a promising source of building blocks for upgrading to valuable aromatic chemicals and materials. Endocarp biomass represents a non-edible crop residue in an existing agricultural setting which cannot be used as animal feed nor soil amendment. With significantly higher lignin content and bulk energy density, endo-carps have significant advantages to be converted into both biofuel and bioproducts as compared to other biomass resources. Deep eutectic solvent (DES) is highly effective in fractionating lignin from a variety of biomass feedstocks with high yield and purity while at lower cost comparing to certain ionic liquids.

Results: In the present …

A Low-Cost Method For Collecting Hyperspectral Measurements From A Small Unmanned Aircraft System, Ali Hamidisepehr, Michael P. Sama

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) are a relatively new tool for collecting remote sensing data at dense spatial and temporal resolutions. This study aimed to develop a spectral measurement platform for deployment on a UAS for quantifying and delineating moisture zones within an agricultural landscape. A series of portable spectrometers covering ultraviolet (UV), visible (VIS), and near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths were instrumented using a Raspberry Pi embedded computer that was programmed to interface with the UAS autopilot for autonomous data acquisition. A second set of identical spectrometers were fitted with calibrated irradiance lenses to capture ambient light during data acquisition. Data …

Physio-Chemical And Functional Properties Of Nine Proso Millet Cultivars, Manjot Singh, Akinbode A. Adedeji, Dipak Santra

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Evaluation of the postharvest properties of nine proso millet cultivars was carried out to determine their physical and engineering properties, which are very useful for designing appropriate systems for process operations such as sorting, drying, heating, cooling, and milling. Nine cultivars of proso millet comprising waxy and non-waxy types, namely Cope, Earlybird, Huntsman, Minco, Plateau, Sunrise, Rise, Dawn, and Panhandle, were obtained from the Panhandle Research and Extension Center, University of Nebraska, Scottsbluff. Results showed significant (p < 0.05) differences in their physical properties, such as sphericity, volume, bulk density, porosity, and angle of repose, which ranged from 0.86 to 0.91, from 3.94 to 5.14 mm³, from 765.49 to 809.67 kg m^-3, from 42.49% to 44.20%, and from 22.98° to 25.74°, respectively. The cultivars were …

Stored Grain Pack Factor Measurements For Soybeans, Grain Sorghum, Oats, Barley, And Wheat, Rumela Bhadra, Mark E. Casada, Aaron P. Turner, Michael D. Montross, Sidney A. Thompson, Samuel G. Mcneill, Ronaldo G. Maghirang, Josephine M. Boac

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Grain and oilseed crops stored in bins undergo compaction due to overbearing pressure of the grain inside the structure. Thus, volume measurements of grain in bins need to be combined with the amount of packing (usually called pack factor) in addition to the initial density so that the mass in the structure can be calculated. Multiple pack factor prediction methods are in use in the grain industry, but they have only been validated in the literature and compared with field data for corn and hard red winter wheat. Predictions from WPACKING, the program in ASABE Standard EP413.2, and two standard …

Assessing Intra-Event Phosphorus Dynamics In Drainage Water Using Phosphate Stable Oxygen Isotopes, William Ford Iii, Mark R. Williams, Megan B. Young, Kevin W. King, Eric Fischer

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Quantifying fluxes and pathways of dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) in tile-drained landscapes has been hampered by a lack of measurements that are sensitive to P fate and transport processes. One potential tool to help understand these dynamics is the oxygen isotope signature of phosphate (δ¹⁸O_PO4); however, its potential benefits and limitations are not well understood for intra-event dynamics at the field scale. The objectives of this study were to quantify intra-event variability of δ¹⁸O_PO4 signatures in tile drainage water and assess the efficacy of δ¹⁸O_PO4 to elucidate mechanisms and flow …

Hydraulic Properties Of Baled Switchgrass And Miscanthus, Drew F. Schiavone, Michael D. Montross

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

This study characterized the hydraulic properties within baled switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum L., variety Alamo) and miscanthus (Miscanthus x giganteus), thereby enabling a better understanding of moisture changes in baled biomass during on-farm storage and/or high-solids bioconversion. Fully saturated bales were drained by gravity, and the moisture content was determined over 60 h. The average initial moisture content ranged between 55.9% and 71.9% (w.b.) for switchgrass and between 60.5% and 73.9% (w.b.) for miscanthus bales depending on the dry bale density. As the bale drained by gravity, rapid leaching of water was observed within the first 0.1 h, …

Application Of Acoustic Emission And Machine Learning To Detect Codling Moth Infested Apples, Mengxing Li, Nader Ekramirad, Ahmed Rady, Akinbode A. Adedeji

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Incidence of codling moth (CM) (Cydia pomonella L.) infestation in apples has been a major concern in North America for decades. CM larvae bore deep into the fruit, making it unmarketable. An effective noninvasive method to detect larvae-infested apples is necessary to ensure that apples are CM-free in post-harvest processing. In this study, a novel approach using an acoustic emission (AE) system and subsequent machine learning methods was applied to classify larvae-infested apples from intact apples. 'GoldRush‘ apples were infested with CM neonates and stored at the same conditions as intact apples. The AE system was used to collect …

Improving In-Stream Nutrient Routines In Water Quality Models Using Stable Isotope Tracers: A Review And Synthesis, Alexandria K. Jensen, William I. Ford, James F. Fox, Admin Husic

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Water quality models serve as an economically feasible alternative to quantify fluxes of nutrient pollution and to simulate effective mitigation strategies; however, their applicability is often questioned due to broad uncertainties in model structure and parameterization, leading to uncertain outputs. We argue that reduction of uncertainty is partially achieved by integrating stable isotope data streams within the water quality model architecture. This article outlines the use of stable isotopes as a response variable within water quality models to improve the model boundary conditions associated with nutrient source provenance, constrain model parameterization, and elucidate shortcomings in the model structure. To assist …

Validating Spray Coverage Rate Using Liquid Mass On A Spray Card, Michael P. Sama, Austin M. Weiss, Emma K. Benedict

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Validation of agricultural sprayers is important for quantifying as-applied coverage rates under field conditions. The complexity of modern sprayer control systems presents a challenge for precise field validation due to the use of nozzle control technologies, such as pulse width modulation, to meter chemical flow rates at individual nozzles. Non-uniform flow over time may result in local variations at high spatial resolutions that are ignored when estimating as-applied coverage rates across a field. The purpose of this study was to test several methods for estimating the mass of water applied to a water-sensitive paper spray card target using steady-state and …