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Bioresource and Agricultural Engineering

Open Access Theses

2015

Articles 1 - 4 of 4

Full-Text Articles in Engineering

A Nearly Autonomous, Platform-Independent Mobile App For Manure Application Records, Matthew R. Koester Apr 2015

A Nearly Autonomous, Platform-Independent Mobile App For Manure Application Records, Matthew R. Koester

Open Access Theses

A major part of modern manure management is accurate application records; a key to their creation and maintenance is ease. This project involved the integration of existing technologies (smartphones, Bluetooth tags) in mobile web and native Android applications (apps) which enable the autogenic creation and upkeep of manure hauling records. This approach greatly improves the efficiency of the recording process which should help to improve the management of applied nutrients. Features of the app include: computation of a suggested travel speed to ensure target nutrient application (based on desired application rate and spreading width); minimized keystrokes/screen taps to accurately capture …


Kernel And Bulk Density Changes Due To Moisture Content, Mechanical Damage, And Insect Damage, Danping Guo Apr 2015

Kernel And Bulk Density Changes Due To Moisture Content, Mechanical Damage, And Insect Damage, Danping Guo

Open Access Theses

Corn (Zea Mays), is one of the major grain crops in the world and moisture content, mechanical damage and insect damage are three factors that affect its quality. The primary goal of this thesis was to investigate the effects of moisture content, mechanical damage and insect damage on kernel and bulk density of corn. The study was conducted using two corn hybrids, Pioneer 1352 and Pioneer 1221, that were grown on Purdue Agronomy Farm for Research and Education (ACRE), manually picked and shelled. In Objective 1, the effect of three different moisture conditioning processes (drying from harvest moisture, …


Smart V-Belt, Kyle J. Mosier Apr 2015

Smart V-Belt, Kyle J. Mosier

Open Access Theses

The purpose of this research was to develop a method for detecting premature failure in a v-belt using capacitance and resistance readings. Another goal of the research was to detect tension values on the belt using the same readings. Materials of current belts and possible materials for a prototype belt were tested. Materials were chosen, and prototype belts were built. Pulley system configurations were developed and built. Sections of the belt designs were tested for capacitance and resistance before and after various methods of damage. Capacitance was chosen as the better sensing method. Certain layered belt configurations and sheave configurations …


Climate Change Impact Assessments Using The Water Erosion Prediction Project Model, Joseph Trotochaud Apr 2015

Climate Change Impact Assessments Using The Water Erosion Prediction Project Model, Joseph Trotochaud

Open Access Theses

This study was conducted to develop a simplified method of obtaining future climate data inputs for natural resource models and apply that method to three locations within the continental United States to assess the effect of climate change on soil erosion, runoff, and fire risk. A method was developed for quickly obtaining future climate data over a wide range of scenarios, General Circulation Models (GCMs), and timescales from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) and Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) model families using the MarkSim® DSSAT Weather Generator and a Microsoft Excel VBA Macro, the …