Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

Methane Production By A Packed-Bed Anaerobic Digester Fed Dairy Barn Flush Water, Sean Richard Thomson

Master's Theses

Packed-bed digesters are an alternative to covered lagoon digesters for methane production and anaerobic treatment of dilute wastewaters such as dairy barn flush water. The physical media of packed-beds retain biofilms, often allowing increased treatment rates. Previous studies have evaluated several types of media for digestion of dilute wastewaters, but cost and media fouling have setback commercial development. A major operational cost has been effluent recirculation pumping.

In the present effort, a novel approach to anaerobic digestion of flush dairy water was developed at pilot-scale: broken walnut shells were used as a low-cost packed-bed medium and effluent recirculation was replaced …

Big Data And The Precision Business Plan, David J. Muth

David J. Muth

Precision data is available, but current use isn't maximizing value for actionable decisions. AgSolver is delivering products that: make unlike information work together; extend the value of information with specific, high impact decisions; and find the intersection between compliance/certification and profitability.

Agricultural Industry Advanced Vehicle Technology: Benchmark Study For Reduction In Petroleum Use, Roger M. Hoy, Rodney Rohrer, Adam Liska, Joe D. Luck, Loren Isom, Deepak R. Keshwani

Adam Liska Papers

Diesel use on farms in the United States has remained relatively constant since 1985, decreasing slightly in 2009, which may be attributed to price increases and the economic recession (Figure 1). During this time, the United States’ harvested area also has remained relatively constant at roughly 300 million acres. In 2010, farm diesel use was 5.4% of the total United States diesel use. Crops accounting for an estimated 65% of United States farm diesel use include corn, soybean, wheat, hay, and alfalfa, respectively, based on harvested crop area and a recent analysis of estimated fuel use by crop (Figure 2).1 …

Crop Decision-Making To Protect Soil And Water, David J. Muth

David J. Muth

David Muth, a founding partner and senior vice president for analytics at AgSolver Inc., discusses crop decision making in the context of soil and water protection.

Design And Development Of A Novel Test Method To Measure The Slipper / Swashplate Interface Fluid Film In A Positive Displacement Machine, Natalie A. Spencer

Open Access Theses

Although robust models of fluid film behavior between the slipper / swashplate lubricating interface in positive displacement machines have been developed, measuring this same fluid film thickness to a highly accurate degree inside a relatively unaltered axial piston unit has never been accomplished until now. A test method was created to close this gap in available data by measuring fluid film thickness between the slipper and swashplate in a 130cc axial piston pump. Precise knowledge of the gap height between the slipper and swashplate at various shaft angle locations during operation provides critical insight into machine behavior. The design, validation, …

Vehicle Multi-Pass Rut Volume And Mobility Power Study, William W. Barbour

Pursuit - The Journal of Undergraduate Research at The University of Tennessee

This paper presents the relationship between applied power by a wheeled vehicle to soil and the rutting effects. Specifically, a strong positive relationship was found between cumulative applied power and total rut volume across multiple passes by the vehicle over the same tracks. Field-testing was conducted using a high-mobility multi-purpose wheeled vehicle (HMMWV) and two distinct soil types. Sensors on the vehicle measured torque and angular velocity of each of the four wheels, from which applied power was calculated. A rut profile meter was used to document the shape of the rut after set numbers of passes and this profile …

Modification Of A Draw Bar Type Arena Harrow To Three Point Mounted Type Harrow, Clayton Alan Brown

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

This senior project will be the design, and construction of a three point hitch to be attached to a draw bar type spike tooth harrow. Currently used by the Cal Poly Rodeo Team to cultivate their arena before performances, and practices.

The attachment will allow the harrow to be pulled in both directions to create different types of soil affects.

Also the fabrications has a minimal budget so the majority of the materials will be scrap material already in position of the rodeo team or donated to the project.

Nuts & Bolts, Volume 2, Issue 2, Lance Todd, Julie Thomson, Louis Leviticus

Friends of the Larsen Tractor Museum

Museum Open House is a Success

The Passing of Museum Volunteer Larry Ehlers

Larsen Museum to Auction Twelve Tractors

Details an Estate Planning and Memorial Designation

Opportunities For Energy Crop Production Based On Subfield Scale Distribution Of Profitability, Ian J. Bonner, Kara G. Cafferty, David J. Muth, Mark D. Tomer, David E. James, Sarah A. Porter, Douglas L. Karlen

David J. Muth

Incorporation of dedicated herbaceous energy crops into row crop landscapes is a promising means to supply an expanding biofuel industry while benefiting soil and water quality and increasing biodiversity. Despite these positive traits, energy crops remain largely unaccepted due to concerns over their practicality and cost of implementation. This paper presents a case study for Hardin County, Iowa, to demonstrate how subfield decision making can be used to target candidate areas for conversion to energy crop production. Estimates of variability in row crop production at a subfield level are used to model the economic performance of corn (Zea mays L.) …

Assessment Of Corn Stover Torrefaction On-Farm Biochar Production, Christina M. Gerometta

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Torrefaction is a thermochemical pretreatment process that is typically achieved by slowly heating biomass (<50°C/min) within the temperature range of 200 – 300°C under an inert atmosphere. This process yields a storable solid product with enhanced fuel characteristics that are influenced by the ligno-cellulosic composition of the original feedstock and the imposed torrefaction conditions (time and temperature). This study is an assessment of corn stover properties that are relevant for designing an on-farm torrefaction system. The first portion of this study compared the thermal decomposition behaviors of corn stover fractions (leaf, stalk, cob) to the respective ligno-cellulosic composition using thermo-gravimetric analysis. It was found that the thermal decomposition pattern correlates to the structure and ratio of ligno-cellulosic polymers and provides design guidelines for an on-farm torrefaction system capable of handling large quantities of mixed fraction stover. The second part of this study investigated the effects of torrefaction time and temperature on the mass and energy yield of mixed fraction corn stover using a 46.3 L batch style reactor. It was found that longer reaction times and higher temperatures were required to obtain mass and energy yields similar to those found using lab-scale reactors and finely milled samples. Non-uniform torrefaction occurred between fractions due to chemical composition of each fraction and proximity to the heating elements.

Low Cost Flow Sensing For Field Sprayers, Yue Zhang

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

Precisely measuring the flow rate in sprayers is a key technology to precision agriculture. With the development of advanced technologies, the demand for the ability to measure flow rate of individual nozzle has become more important and urgent.

This paper investigates the possibility of developing a low-cost flow rate measurement technique. The technique is based on analyzing the acoustic signal from a microphone placed near the nozzle tip. A comparison between acoustic signal and vibration signal was made to study the relations between them. Then several possible locations of the microphone for measuring flow rate were tested and compared, and …

Opportunities For Energy Crop Production Based On Subfield Scale Distribution Of Profitability, Ian J. Bonner, Kara G. Cafferty, David J. Muth, Mark D. Tomer, David E. James, Sarah A. Porter, Douglas L. Karlen

Douglas L Karlen

Incorporation of dedicated herbaceous energy crops into row crop landscapes is a promising means to supply an expanding biofuel industry while benefiting soil and water quality and increasing biodiversity. Despite these positive traits, energy crops remain largely unaccepted due to concerns over their practicality and cost of implementation. This paper presents a case study for Hardin County, Iowa, to demonstrate how subfield decision making can be used to target candidate areas for conversion to energy crop production. Estimates of variability in row crop production at a subfield level are used to model the economic performance of corn (Zea mays L.) …