Bioresource and Agricultural Engineering Commons^™

Reconstructing The Natural Hydrology Of The San Francisco Bay - Delta Watershed, P. Fox, P.H. Hutton, D.J. Howes, A.J. Draper, L. Sears

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

We evaluated the impact of landscape changes on the amount of delta outflow reaching San Francisco Bay. The natural landscape was reconstructed and water balances were used to estimate the long-term annual average delta outflow that would have occurred under natural landscape conditions if the climate from 1922 to 2009 were to repeat itself. These outflows are referred to as natural delta outflows and are the first published estimate of natural delta outflow. These natural delta outflows were then compared with current delta outflows for the same climate and existing landscape, including its re-engineered system of reservoirs, canals, aqueducts, and …

Modified Atmosphere Packaging: A Progressive Technology For Shelf-Life Extension Of Fruits And Vegetables, Mahmoud Soltani, Reza Alimardani, Hossein Mobli, Seyed Saeid Mohtasebi

Journal of Applied Packaging Research

Packaging and storage are the final phases in the food industry. Quality preservation, improving safety and reduction of postharvest losses waste are some objectives of the packaging engineering. One of techniques that widely used in packaging of fruits and vegetables are modified atmosphere packaging (MAP). In MAP for fresh fruits and vegetable the air of packaging headspace replaces with a predetermined atmospheric gases different in proportion from that of air. Oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitrogen are the main gases used in MAP for injection to the headspace of pack. The choice and ratio of gases are very dependent upon the …

Performance Limiting Factors Of Cu2znsn(Sxse1-X)4 Solar Cells Prepared By Thermal Evaporation, Sandip Das, Raghu N. Bhattacharya, Krishna C. Mandal

Faculty Articles

Cu2ZnSn(SxSe1−x)4 (CZTSSe) thin film solar cells have been prepared by vacuum-based thermal evaporation of metal and binary sulfide precursors followed by annealing in a mixed chalcogen vapor at 550 °C for one hour. The Zn/Sn ratio in the precursor was varied from 0.75 to 1.50 keeping the Cu/(Zn+Sn) ratio constant at 0.7. The best performing solar cell was obtained with a final film composition of Cu/(Zn+Sn)=0.77 and Zn/Sn=1.13 corresponding to a Zn/Sn ratio of 0.9 in the precursor. The champion cell exhibited an open-circuit voltage (VOC) of 506 mV, short-circuit current density (J …

Long-Term Tillage System Impacts On Soil Erodibility, Julianne R. Chechanover, Dennis C. Flanagan

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Conservation tillage practices, such as no-till agriculture, have the potential of reducing the erodibility of a soil compared to conventional agricultural practices. This research sought to determine whether long-term agricultural practices affect the baseline erodibility properties of a soil. Two soils from Throckmorton-Purdue Agricultural Center in Tippecanoe County, Indiana were used during this experiment. One soil was treated with a long-term conventional tillage (fall chisel, spring disk) system and the other soil was treated with a long-term no-till system. The soils’ interrill erodibility, and rill erodibility and critical hydraulic shear stress were measured under a rainfall simulator using soil boxes …

A Novel Synthetic Yeast For Enzymatic Biodigester Pretreatment, Tianyu Tan, Mark S. Aronson, Arren Liu, Jill H. Osterhus, Melissa Robins, Suraj Mohan, Erich Leazer, Bowman Clark, Alexa Petrucciani, Katherine Lowery, James Welch, Casey Martin, Helena Lysandrou, Michael E. Scharf, Jenna Rickus

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Lignin, a complex organic polymer, is a major roadblock to the efficiency of biofuel conversion as it both physically blocks carbohydrate substrates and poisons biomass degrading enzymes, even if broken down to monomer units. A pretreatment process is often applied to separate the lignin from biomass prior to biofuel conversion. However, contemporary methods of pretreatment require large amounts of energy, which may be economically uncompelling or unfeasible. Taking inspiration from several genes that have been isolated from termites and fungi which translate to enzymes that degrade lignin, we want to establish a novel “enzymatic pretreatment” system where microbes secrete these …

Processing Methods And Storage Conditions On Chocolate And Coffee Powder Flow Properties, Sunland L. Gong, Andrea Della Bella, Teresa M. Carvajal

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Powders are widely used in a countless number of industries, and are crucial to the quality control of products in areas such as pharmaceuticals and food. Particle physicochemical properties (morphology, solid state – crystalline, amorphous or both) are important factors for powder flow, which in turn can have significant impact on the stability, performance, and presentation of powders. Different processing methods as well as storage conditions such as relative humidity (RH) can drastically affect powder flow. Due to the widespread use of chocolate and coffee powder around the world, and their importance to the food industry, this work investigates two …

Design Of Transgenic S. Cerevisiae For Enzymatic Pretreatment, Mark Aronson, Leyla Yamin, Soo Jung Ha, Jenna Rickus, Michael E. Scharf

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Biofuels, combustible fuel produced from fermentation of agricultural biomass by microorganisms, represent one of the best possible paths forward for sustainable energy production. However, inefficiencies in biofuel production create barriers that stand in the way of their widespread adoption. One such barrier is the breakdown of lignin, a biopolymer that exists on the edge of plant cell walls which protects the sugars that are used in fermentation. Currently, lignin is broken down in energy-intensive thermal pretreatment processes. A viable alternative is the expression of lignin-degrading enzymes by synthetic microorganisms that work at standard temperatures, eliminating the need for the high-energy …

Development Of A Novel Enzymatic Pre-Treatment For Lignocellulosic Biomass, Melissa Robins, Jenna Rickus

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Biofuels, fuels derived directly from living matter, present a renewable and environmentally friendly alternative to petroleum based fuels. Bioethanol produced from low input energy crops or agricultural waste is a promising fuel source because it does not interfere with the human food supply chain and the ethanol produced can be blended with gasoline. These potential sources of bioethanol are not yet commercially viable due to a polymer called lignin present in the plant’s cell wall which impedes the conversion of cellulose to glucose and the eventual fermentation of glucose to ethanol. Developing new methods for the pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass …

Experimental Characterization And Modelling Of Energy Efficient Fluid Supply Systems, Karina M. Bjorklund, Andrea Vacca, Timothy J Opperwall

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

In applications such as in agriculture, construction, and aerospace applications, high pressure hydraulics is the preferred technology to transmit mechanical power. As a consequence, the energy efficiency of the hydraulic system used to perform the mechanical actuations is of primary concern to reduce the energy consumptions in the abovementioned applications. In an hydraulic system, the primary component determining the energy efficiency is the hydraulic pump. This work focuses on the study of a particular pump design, also referred as external gear pump, particularly used in applications in which the cost of the hydraulic system has to be minimized. The large …

Quantification Of Variable Rate Irrigation Benefits And Spatial Variability In Root Zone Water Holding Capacity, Tsz Him Lo

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

Variable rate irrigation (VRI) investment decisions require field-specific knowledge of benefits. The objective of this research was to help producers and consultants consider and quantify potential benefits of VRI. First, a conceptual model was developed for evaluating the public and/or private gain from adopting VRI where irrigation water supply is non-restrictive. Potential benefits were classified into three categories and were attributed to ten reasons. In the Central Plains at current prices, a small improvement in corn (maize) yield would make a large contribution to VRI profitability. Second, the potential irrigation withdrawal reduction from adapting VRI to spatial heterogeneity of root …

Dietary Strategies For Mitigation Of Methane Production By Growing And Finishing Cattle, Anna C. Pesta

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Interest in reducing methane (CH₄) emissions by cattle has increased recently. Loss of feed energy as CH₄ represents both an environmental concern and an energetic loss to the animal. Manipulation of dietary composition has proven to be an effective mitigation strategy. Experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of several dietary characteristics on CH₄ production in growing and finishing cattle, and to develop a novel, non-invasive method for quantifying emissions from animals in a production setting. Short-term gaseous emissions of CH₄ and carbon dioxide (CO₂) were measured and the CH₄:CO_{2 …}

Conservation Of Energy Using Variable Frequency Drive For Center Pivot Irrigation Systems In Nebraska, Dilshad Brar

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

The study introduces a novel approach to lower the operating pivot point pressure by varying the motor speed with the help of variable frequency drive (VFD) in contrast to the commonly used fixed speed approach. By varying the speed of motor, the required minimum pivot point pressure can be provided at any required flow rate. This was investigated through a GIS-assisted simulation on 100 randomly selected pivots located in 10 Nebraska counties using high resolution Digital Elevation Model (DEM) datasets. Center pivot irrigation systems are usually equipped with corner watering attachments like end guns and corner extensions to irrigate additional …

Rating Rectangular Farm Delivery Meter Gates For Flow Measurement, Daniel J. Howes, Charles M. Burt

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

Traditional meter gates for farm delivery flow measurement from an open channel conveyance have traditionally incorporated round canal gates (Armco type) for control. In recent years, some irrigation water agencies (i.e., irrigation districts) have replaced deteriorating round gates with lower-cost rectangular gates that cover round holes. Similar to the situation described in a companion paper, where round gates were examined, there have been no investigations into flow measurement uncertainty using the existing rating tables for these gates. In this study, two commonly used rectangular gate sizes, 0.46 m (18-in.) and 0.61 m (24-in.), were tested under scenarios of various gate …

Accuracy Of Round Meter Gates For On-Farm Deliveries, Daniel J. Howes, Charles M. Burt

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

Recent California legislation requires irrigation water agencies larger than 25,000 acres to measure volumetric water deliveries within specified levels of relative uncertainty. Although the meter gate is one of the most widely used flow measurement devices in California, little investigation has been conducted into the accuracy, limitations, and uncertainties of the rating tables developed over 60 years ago. A meter gate testing facility was constructed at the Cal Poly Irrigation Training and Research Center’s Water Resources Facility capable of testing gates up to 0.76 m (30 in.). The facility was constructed with gates oriented perpendicular to the supply channel flow …

Improving Flow Measurement Accuracy At Farm Delivery Gates In California, Charles M. Burt, Daniel J. Howes

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

ITRC, through a CSU ARI grant, constructed a meter gate testing facility and tested five gates of various sizes and designs. The gate testing was conducted by varying the multiple parameters including upstream and downstream head, supply channel velocity, gate opening, and head above the gate. Data was also collected at various locations on the downstream side of the gate. In total, ITRC staff collected over 10,000 points of data during this evaluation. Using the new rating tables for the three gates examined, the relative uncertainty is less than ±5 to ±7% at the 95% confidence level with the new …

Detecting Grain Flow Rate Using A Laser Scanner, Hossein Navid, Randal K. Taylor, Arzu Yazgi, Ning Wang, Yeyin Shi, Paul Weckler

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Detecting and measuring agricultural material flow is important in a wide range of applications in agricultural engineering, such as material handling, food processing, yield monitoring, and fertilizer spreading. In these applications, flow rate is determined by measuring material mass or volume as a function of time. Although different materials require detection, the methods for a given material type (e.g., granular) can be similar. Researchers have developed methods such as impact based sensors, radiometric-based sensors, and optical methods to detect and measure material flow. Abdul Rahim and Green (1998) studied an optical-fiber sensor (containing 32 light sources and 32 light detectors) …

A Cradle To Farm Gate Life Cycle Analysis Of Land Use In U.S. Pork Production, William Benjamin Putman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this study was to conduct a detailed Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the U.S. live swine production supply chain to quantify land use requirements and to assess the impact associated with various ration compositions. The functional unit was defined as one kilogram (2.2 pounds) of live swine at the farm gate, ready for transport to the abattoir. This assessment focused on the three highest producing USDA regions, which encompassed the Midwest (Regions 5 and 7) and the Southeast (Region 4), representing 86% of U.S. market hog production.

First, a literature review was conducted to summarize the most …

Computer Vision System For Grading Mangos In Bangladesh, Md Abdul Momin, Md Towfiqur Rahman, Mst Sabrina Sultana, Igathinathane Cannayen

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Mango (Mangifera indica) is one of the most common, important, and popular fruits among fruits produced in Bangladesh. In Bangladesh, mango was cultivated in about 0.078 million acres with an annual production of 0.8 million tonne. However, the technologies used in post-harvest processing (e.g., grading, sorting, etc.) of mango are mostly traditional involving human labors; and the methods are far from satisfactory, in terms of accuracy and throughput. In order to grade mango according to size, we developed a machine vision system with image processing capabilities that can measure sizes of mango fruits from the images. In this system images …

Deletion Of Nfnab In Thermoanaerobacterium Saccharolyticum And Its Effect On Metabolism, Jonathan Lo, Tianyong Zheng, Daniel G. Olson, Natalie Ruppertsberger, Shital Tripathi, Adam Guss, Lee Lynd

Dartmouth Scholarship

NfnAB catalyzes the reversible transfer of electrons from reduced ferredoxin and NADH to 2 NADP⁺. The NfnAB complex has been hypothesized to be the main enzyme for ferredoxin oxidization in strains of Thermoanaerobacterium saccharolyticum engineered for increased ethanol production. NfnAB complex activity was detectable in crude cell extracts of T. saccharolyticum. Activity was also detected using activity staining of native PAGE gels. The nfnAB gene was deleted in different strains of T. saccharolyticum to determine its effect on end product formation. In wild-type T. saccharolyticum, deletion of nfnAB resulted in a 46% increase in H₂ formation but …

Proposal For Extracting A Drip Irrigation System And Implementing A Micro-Sprinkler Irrigation System On A 30-Acre Almond Orchard, Nicolette Schiber

Agricultural Education and Communication

The purpose of this project was to develop a plan to remove a drip-irrigation system and implement a micro-sprinkler irrigation system into a 30-acre almond orchard located in Livingston, California. The reason for removing the drip-irrigation system and inserting a micro-irrigation system was due to the farm wanting to perform less labor when it comes to harvesting time but still conserve water. Through careful research certain choices were made in order to choose what equipment would be used in the new irrigation system. The data and research provided is based on the specific type of orchard and scale of the …