Engineering Commons^™

Extruded Aquafeeds Containing Distillers Dried Grains With Solubles: Effects On Extrudate Properties And Processing Behaviour, Kamal Mjoun, Kurt A. Rosentrater

Kurt A. Rosentrater

BACKGROUND: The tremendous supply and low cost of distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) make it an attractive feedstuff for aquaculture diets. Also, several studies have shown that DDGS can be successfully fed to various finfish. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of inclusion rate of DDGS (0, 250, 500 g kg−1), feed moisture content (350, 450 g kg−1) and die opening area (die A = 18.85 mm2, die B = 3988.45 mm2) on the properties of the extrudates and on processing behaviour using a single-screw extruder.

RESULTS: Increasing the inclusion rate of DDGS resulted in …

Development Of An Environmental Monitoring System For Greenhouse Disease Management, Crystal Marie Kelly

Masters Theses

A commercial African violet (Saintpaulia ionantha) grower experiences yield loss due to a leaf spot disease known as Corynespora casssiicola. Spotted leaves make the plants unmarketable. Outbreaks of the disease are costly and difficult to prevent. Greenhouse monitoring systems currently available on the commercial market do not have sufficient spatial or temporal resolution to be able to correlate the environmental conditions of the greenhouse with disease outbreaks. A new system was designed specifically to monitor for disease favorable conditions. The system developed for this project consists of several sensor stations and a coordinator station. The coordinator station …

History Of The Biological Systems Engineering Program In Nebraska, University Of Nebraska-Lincoln, William E. Splinter

Tractor Testing Development and Research Documents

The Farm Machinery/Agricultural Engineering/Biological Systems Engineering program current and former faculty members at the University of Nebraska, as demonstrated here, has made a statewide, national, and worldwide impact on the efficient production of food. The quality of this recognition is evidenced best by peer professionals through recognized ASABE awards received by Nebraska alumni or professors. Since its inception in 1909 and until 2010, there have been 10 national presidents, 19 gold medal recipients and 33 named national award recipients. Currently there are 31 ASABE Fellows and two members of the National Academy of Engineering. This national recognition comes as a …

Assessment Of Organic And Inorganic Phosphorus In Soils Derived From Cretaceous Sediments And Basement Complex Soils Of Guinea Savannah Of Kogi State, North Central Nigeria, Sunday I. Amhakhian, H H. Isitekhale, Charles I. Oyewole

Confluence Journal Environmental Studies (CJES), Kogi State University, Nigeria

A pot experiment was carried out using 20 surface soils (0-15cm depth) in 2008 to assess soil organic phosphorus and some fraction of inorganic phosphorus in other to know their availability in the soils of the studied area and also work have not been done in this areas in respect to organic and in-organic phosphorus. The experiment was conducted using 20 soils 10 from each geological formation (Cretaceous sediments and Basement complex soils), respectively. The mean organic phosphorus of 63.51 mgkg 1 soil was obtained for Cretaceous sediment soils and 158.54 mgkg 1 soil for the basement complex soils respectively. …

Development Of Functional Indices Of Facility Occurrence Towards The Distribution Of Social Services In Lagos Island Nigeria., Augustus O. Atubi

Confluence Journal Environmental Studies (CJES), Kogi State University, Nigeria

Proper coordination of transport and public facilities provision is vital to any balanced regional development strategy. The central aim of this study, therefore, is to find out what the relationship is between access to the transport network and the provision of functional indices of facility occurrence towards the distribution of social services in Lagos Island, Nigeria. In particular it seeks to find out areas that have below or above average level of facility occurrences relative to the level of accessibility. However, a pair wise correlation matrix of the eleven (11) variables employed in the index construction was carried out. The …

Artificial Neural Network Modeling Of Ddgs Flowability With Varying Process And Storage Parameters, Rumela Bhadra, K. Muthukumarappan, Kurt A. Rosentrater

Kurt A. Rosentrater

Neural Network (NN) modeling techniques were used to predict flowability behavior of distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) prepared with varying condensed distillers soluble (10, 15, and 20%, wb), drying temperature (100, 200, and 300°C), cooling temperature (-12, 0, and 35°C) and cooling time (0 and 1 month) levels. Response variables were selected based on our previous research results, and included aerated bulk density, Hausner Ratio, angle of repose, Total Flowability Index, and Jenike Flow Function. Various neural network models were developed using multiple input variables in order to predict single response variables or multiple response variables simultaneously. The NN …

Effects Of Conditioner Steam, Extruder Water And Screw Speed On Physical Properties Of Ddgs-Based Extrudates In Twin-Screw Extrusion, Parisa Fallahi, Kurt A. Rosentrater, Kasiviswanathan Muthukumarappan, Mehmet Tulbek

Kurt A. Rosentrater

A fractional factorial design with a replicated central composite point was used to investigate the effects of extrusion processing on physical properties of DDGS–based aquafeeds using a twin screw extruder. Extrusion cooking trials were performed using an ingredient blend for Nile tilapia, with 2 levels of screw speed (350 and 450 rpm), 2 levels of extruder water (0.236 and 0.302 kg/min) and 2 levels of conditioner steam (0.1 and 0.15 kg/min). The central point was 400 rpm screw speed, 0.271 kg/min extruder water, and 0.12 kg/min conditioner steam. Effects of these processing conditions on extrudate characteristics were extensively analyzed, and …

Quantification Of Physical And Chemical Properties, And Identification Of Potentially Valuable Components From Fuel Ethanol Process Streams, Christine Wood, Kurt A. Rosentrater, Zhengrong Gu, Kasiviswanathan Muthukumarappan

Kurt A. Rosentrater

Wider exploration of ethanol coproducts is required as the ethanol industry continues to expand. Currently, process streams such as thin stillage and condensed distillers solubles (CDS) are processed into DDGS and used as animal feeds, but other higher value opportunities may exist. The objective of this study was to identify chemical components in CDS and thin stillage and to quantify physical properties. Analysis of protein, organic acid, and sugar profiles was explored. Physical properties including density, thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, and moisture were also examined. CDS had an average density of 1.02 g/cm 3 , while thin stillage had 1.08 …

Single-Screw Extrusion Modeling Effects On Extrusion Processing Parameters And Physical Properties Of Ddgs-Based Nile Tilapia ( Oreochromis Niloticus ) Feeds, Ferouz Y. Ayadi, Parisa Fallahi, Kurt A. Rosentrater, Kasiviswanathan Muthukumarappan

Kurt A. Rosentrater

A single-screw laboratory extruder was used to conduct an L 18 (2 2 X 3 6 ) Taguchi fractional factorial study of aquafeed processing. The ingredients were based on a formulation for nutritionally-balanced Nile tilapia diets containing distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) and soybean meal as the main protein sources, in addition to constant amounts of corn flour, whey, and fish meal. The effects of three levels of DDGS (20, 30 and 40%), soybean meal (30, 40 and 50%), ingredient moisture content (20, 30 and 40% db), screw speed (100, 150 and 200 rpm), barrel temperatures (80-100-100°C, 80-120-120°C and …

Using Alternative Flours As Partial Replacement In Barbari Bread (Traditional Iranian Bread) Formulation, Shirin Pourafshar, Padmanaban G. Krishnan, Kurt A. Rosentrater

Kurt A. Rosentrater

Since cereals and cereal-based products are a cheap source of energy, they are highly consumed in all of countries. Wheat is the major cereal, consumed in different food products, especially bread. Today, whole wheat flour is being consumed in most of the breads because of its nutrient components but still different problems are associated with this flour, such as allergies and loss of nutrient components due to milling and refining. Thus, to find different sources to fortify products made with wheat flour as their major ingredient, especially bread is important. In this study, five different flours (20% of each flour …

Overview Of Corn-Based Fuel Ethanol Coproducts: Production And Use, Kurt A. Rosentrater

Kurt A. Rosentrater

Modern societies face many challenges, including growing populations, increased demands for food, clothing, housing, consumer goods, and the raw materials required to produce all of these. Additionally, there is a growing need for energy, which is most easily met by use of fossil fuels (e.g., coal, natural gas, petroleum). For example, in 2008, the overall U.S. demand for energy was 99.3 x 1015 Btu (1.05 x 1014 MJ); 84% of this was supplied by fossil sources. Transportation fuels accounted for 28% of all energy consumed during this time, and nearly 97% of this came from fossil sources. Domestic production of …

Evaluation Of An Intensive Data Collection System For Tennessee Surface Water Quality Assessment And Watershed Model Calibration, Hannah Marie Armstrong

Masters Theses

Water quality regulators, such as the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, are challenged by data scarcity when identifying surface water quality impairment causes and pollutant sources. Surface water quality model users also seek to identify pollutant sources and design and place best management practices to efficiently improve water quality, but have insufficient data for model calibration. This research documents the design and evaluation of a novel, intensive water quality data collection system consisting of a automatic sampler, bi-weekly grab sampling, and a long term deployment sonde. System design characteristics that were emphasized included a focus on gathering data for …

Do Wind Turbines Affect Weather Conditions?: A Case Study In Indiana, Meghan F. Henschen, Brittany Herrholtz, Lacey Rhudy, Kathryn Demchak, Brian Doogs, Joshua Holland, Erik Larson, Johnny Martin, Matthew Rudkin

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

Wind turbines are becoming increasingly widespread in the United States as the world looks for cleaner sources of energy. Scientists, policymakers, and citizens have strong opinions regarding the positive and negative effects of wind energy projects, and there is a great deal of misinformation about wind energy circulating on the Web and other media sources. The purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding of how the rotation of hundreds of turbines can influence local weather conditions within a wind farm and in the surrounding areas. This experiment measures temperature, atmospheric pressure, wind speed, wind direction, relative humidity, …

Urban Climate And Challenges Of Tropical Cities, B E. Omogbai

Confluence Journal Environmental Studies (CJES), Kogi State University, Nigeria

This study examines the nature of urban climate, features and the challenges on the developing tropical cities in the 21st century. It argues that the use of principles of urban climate would help in providing comfortable living conditions and problem immune working environments for the inhabitants of tropical cities. The findings reveal that owing to poor environmental planning, inadequate geotechnical landscape surveys prior to the development of urban infrastructures, and non-adherence to the principles of urban climate, challenges of landscape degradation, excessive flooding of the built infrastructures, heat-island effects, and collapse of buildings have emerged. Suggested measures to avert these …

Biofilter Media Characterization Using Water Sorption Isotherms, Guilherme Del Nero Maia, George B. Day, Richard S. Gates, Joseph L. Taraba

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Compost material has been used extensively as a gas‐phase biofilter media for contaminant gas treatment in recent years. One of the biggest challenges in the use of this type of material is adequate control of compost moisture content and understanding its effect on the biofiltration process. The present work provides a methodology for characterization of biofilter media under low moisture conditions. Results indicated that low levels of equilibrium moisture content (EMC) were obtained for high levels of equilibrium relative humidity (ERH), i.e., 99% ERH produced EMC of approximately 20% (dry basis) at 25° C. Most bacteria struggle to survive in …

Detecting Changes In Landuse/Cover Of Umuahia, South-Eastern Nigeria Using Remote Sensing And Gis Techniques, Fanan Ujoh, Olarewaju Oluseyi Ifatimehin, Adams Ndalai Baba

Confluence Journal Environmental Studies (CJES), Kogi State University, Nigeria

Since 1991 when it became the capital city of Abia State, Umuahia has undergone tremendous transformation in its land use and land cover due to rapid urbanization. The main materials employed for this study are a land use map (1991) and Landsat ETM+satellite image (2007) of the study area. These, combined with field survey/checks, were brought into a GIS environment using ILWIS 3.2 Academic image classification software to map the land use/land cover and to estimate the rate of urban expansion and loss of rural land at the peri-urban fringes of Umuahia between 1991 and 2007. The study revealed significant …

Twin-Screw Extrusion Processing Of Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss) Feeds Using Various Levels Of Corn-Based Distillers Dried Grains With Solubles (Ddgs), Ferouz Y. Ayadi, Kasiviswanathan Muthukumarappan, Kurt A. Rosentrater, Michael L. Brown

Kurt A. Rosentrater

Increasing demand for seafood products and rising demand for fish meal for commercial fish feeds is driving the search for effective alternative protein sources. Twin-screw extrusion trials were conducted to study the production of nutritionally balanced feeds for rainbow trout fingerlings (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Six isocaloric (≈4.61 kcal/g) ingredient blends with a target protein content of >45% db were formulated with 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50% distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) and other feed ingredients. The moisture contents of the diets were initially adjusted to 5–7% db, and then extruded at 250 rpm using dual 1.9 mm dies …

Identifying Changes In Climatic Trends And The Fingerprints Of Landuse And Landcover Changes In The High Plains Of The Usa, Denis Mutiibwa

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Human activities such as conversion of natural ecosystem to croplands and urban-centers, deforestation and afforestation impact biophysical properties of land surface such as albedo, energy balance, and surface roughness. Alterations in these properties affect the heat and moisture exchanges between the land surface and atmospheric boundary layer. The objectives of this research were; (i) to quantitatively identify the High plains’ regional climate change in temperatures over the period 1895 to 2006, (ii) detect the signatures of anthropogenic forcing of LULC changes on the regional climate change of the High Plains, and (iii) examine the trends in evolving regional latent heat …

Gender Participation In The Management Of Tricycle Transport For Youth Empowerment And Sustainable Development In Kano State, Nigeria, Nuratu Muhammed

Confluence Journal Environmental Studies (CJES), Kogi State University, Nigeria

The research examined gender participation in the management of tricycle for youth empowerment and sustainable development in Kano state, Nigeria. Stratified random sampling technique was used to select samples of drivers(150), passengers (150) and owners/managers the female tricycle owners fell under this category and they numbered(65).All together a total of 365 samples were selected for the study. Data obtained from the primary data was analyzed using simple statistical techniques and chi square test to ascertain whether there was any significant differences in some of the variables tested. The results of the analysis revealed that the main difference was found in …

Environmental Problems Of Industrialization And Sustainable Development In Nigeria - A Review, Adejoh Iyaji

Confluence Journal Environmental Studies (CJES), Kogi State University, Nigeria

The main objective of this paper is to examine the impact of the quest for industrialization on the environment in Nigeria; others include, the identification of the objectives of sustainable development as well as making recommendations that will lead to the much needed sustainable environment both for the present generation and generations yet unborn. The researcher relied principally on secondary sources of data for this paper which is theoretical in approach. Findings revealed the emergence of a host of environmental problems such as air pollution, deforestation, desertification, solid and hazardous waste problems in the wake of the quest for industrialization. …

Effect Of Starch Sources And Protein Content On Extruded Aquaculture Feed Containing Ddgs, Sankaranandh Kannadhason, Kasiviswanathan Muthukumarappan, Kurt A. Rosentrater

Kurt A. Rosentrater

A 3 × 3 × 3 completely randomized design was used to investigate extrusion cooking behavior and product characteristics of distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS), protein levels, and various starch sources in a laboratory scale single screw extruder. Cassava, corn, and potato starches with varying levels of DDGS (20%, 30%, and 40% wet basis (wb)) were extruded with three different proportions of protein levels (28%, 30%, and 32% wb). The extrusion cooking was performed at a constant feed moisture content of 20% wb, barrel temperature of 120 °C, and a preset screw speed of 130 rpm (13.6 rad/s). Extrudate …

Spatial Distribution Of Commercial Banks In Ilorin Metropolis, Kwara State, Nigeria, I B. Abdullahi, M A. Ijaiya, A Abdulraheem, R I. Abdulkadir, R O. Ibrahim

Confluence Journal of Environmental Studies (CJES), Kogi State University, Nigeria

The spatial distribution of banks in any geographic entity determines the level of accessibility to its services by the public. This study examined the pattern of banks distribution in Ilorin metropolis. Field survey was employed in determining the number of available commercial banks and their respective distances between each other. The spatial analysis technique such as the nearest neighbour analysis as used ascertain the degree of clustering, density and the average distance taken to access these services. The study revealed that about 96% of the total number of banks are situated in the Central Business District which exhibited a very …

Arsenic Project Topics, Julian Tyson

STEM Digital

How do analytical chemists make light work in tracking potentially harmful chemicals?

A Computational Tool For Estimating Off-Target Application Areas In Agricultural Fields, Rodrigo S. Zandonadi, Joe D. Luck, Timothy S. Stombaugh, Michael P. Sama, Scott A. Shearer

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

A computational method for estimating off-target application areas based on the machine-controlled section width and the field shape was developed and implemented in software with a graphical user interface written in the MatLab environment. The program, which is called the Field Coverage Analysis Tool (FieldCAT), includes three modules: data import, data preparation, and coverage analysis. Nine field boundaries were evaluated to test the software using controlled section widths from 0.5 to 27 m and various swath orientations. The estimated off-target application area from the widest section width varied from 9% to 24% depending on the shape and size of the …

Influence Of Fan Operation On Fan Assessment Numeration System (Fans) Test Results, Gabriela Munhoz Morello

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

The use of velocity traverses to measure in-situ air flow rate of ventilation fans can be subject to significant errors. The Fan Assessment Numeration System (FANS) was developed by the USD-ARS Southern Poultry Research Laboratory and refined at the University of Kentucky to measure air flow of fans in-situ. The procedures for using the FANS unit to test fans in-situ are not completely standardized. This study evaluated the effect of operating fan positions relative to the FANS unit for ten 1.22 m diameter fans in two types of poultry barns, with fans placed immediately next to each other and …

Long Term, Continuous Temperature Monitoring Of A Simple Anaerobic Digester And Open Manure Storage Pond In Eastern South Dakota, J. Darrington, E. Cortus

The Journal of Undergraduate Research

A two-cell manure storage system with a cover on the first cell was constructed in the late summer of 2009 in Eastern South Dakota. The covered cell acts as a simple anaerobic digester. Continuous temperature monitoring for 8 months shows the winter effluent temperature equilibrated to around 6°C, and that the effluent temperature trend lagged the ambient temperature trend by a month. Manure composition was also analyzed and was found to be relatively steady throughout the system. Volatile solids were the only component that dropped appreciably across the treatment cell, with an observed maximum of 50% reduction.

Adaptive Responses To Flooding Incidents In Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria, Habiba I. Jimoh, Kayode A. Iroye

Confluence Journal Environmental Studies (CJES), Kogi State University, Nigeria

Incidents of floods which are mainly caused by changes in landuse is fast becoming a city life experience in Ilorin as in most urban centres in Nigeria causing untold hardships and sometimes loss of lives. This extreme hydro-meteorological event is also being exacerbated by climate change which thus calls for adaptive response by residents towards reducing its risks, hence this study. Data used were generated from direct field measurements and questionnaire administration. Descriptive statistics and cross tabulations were used in analyzing the data. Results obtained indicate that most respondents use a wide range of non-structural adaptive response to flood. The …

An Assessment Of Socio-Economic Impact Of Waste Scavenging As A Means Of Poverty Alleviation In Gwagwalada, Abuja., John Yakubu Magaji, Samuel Panse Dakyes

Confluence Journal Environmental Studies (CJES), Kogi State University, Nigeria

Waste scavengers are usually perceived as being among the poor, and scavenging is considered a marginal activity. They tend to have low incomes, but can obtained decent earning when they are not exploited by middlemen. This study was conducted in Gwagwalada town with the aim of assessing the socio-economic impact of scavenging on the people. A structured questionnaire was constructed to capture the demographic characteristics of the scavengers, their experiences, types of items scavenged, the economic gains and the challenges being faced. The target pollution is waste scavengers and a random sampling technique was adopted in selecting the respondents for …

Effects Of Dietary Distillers Dried Grains With Solubles And Soybean Meal On Extruded Pellet Characteristics And Growth Responses Of Juvenile Yellow Perch, Travis W. Schaeffer, Michael L. Brown, Kurt A. Rosentrater

Kurt A. Rosentrater

A 126-d feeding trial was performed to investigate graded combinations of distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) and soybean meal (SBM) in diets formulated for yellow perch Perca flavescens. Six experimental diets contained DDGS and SBM at 0 and 31.5% (dry matter basis), respectively (0/31.5 diet), 10 and 26% (10/26), 20 and 20.5% (20/20.5), 30 and 15% (30/15), 40 and 9.5% (40/9.5), and 50 and 4% (50/4) to obtain similar levels of crude protein (mean ± SE = 30.1 ± 0.2%), crude lipid (16.7 ± 0.7%), and digestible energy (13.5 ± 0.2 kJ/g). Fourteen fish (initial individual weight = 19.1 …

Design Of Laser Multi-Beam Generator For Plant Discrimination, Sreten Askraba, Arie Paap, Kamal Alameh, John Rowe

Research outputs 2011

Optimisation of the optical signal from the laser multi-spot beam generator employed in a photonic based real-time plant discrimination sensor for use in selective herbicide spraying systems is presented. The plant detection sensor uses a three-wavelength laser diode module that sequentially emits identically-polarized laser light beams through a common aperture, along one optical path. Each laser beam enters a multi-spot beam generator which produces 15 parallel laser beams over a 240mm span. The intensity of the reflected light from each spot is detected by a high-speed line scan image sensor. Plant discrimination is based on calculating the slope of the …