Bioresource and Agricultural Engineering Commons^™

Discrete Element Modelling Of The Abrasive Dehulling Process Of Sorghum And Millet, E. L. Lazaro

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

The abrasive dehulling process of sorghum and millet was modelled using a three-dimensional discrete element model. The model was validated by comparison between experimental and simulation results. Good correlation between experimental and simulation results was obtained. Several numerical experiments were also carried out using the developed model to investigate the influence of mill and grain parameters on dehulling of sorghum and millet. The simulated results correlated well with experimental results from literature. The developed model therefore provides a simple and cheap tool, which can be used to study the dehulling process in more detail than, is currently possible using the …

Effect Of Moisture And Loading Orientation On The Mechanical Properties Of Sorghum And Millet, E. L. Lazaro

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Uniaxial compression properties of sorghum and millet grain at different moisture contents (12–25% dry basis) and at different kernel orientation were investigated. These included: modulus of deformability, maximum compressive force, deformation and toughness at grain break point. Individual grain kernels of two varieties of sorghum, (Dionje and Jumbo) and one variety of pearl millet, (IM) at 12, 15, 20, and 25% moisture content dry basis (mc.db), were quasi-statically loaded using a J.J.universal tensile testing machine to their breaking point. The modulus of deformability, maximum compressive force required to initiate grain rupture and the grain toughness (energy absorbed at break point …

Properties Of Rice Husk Particle Boards Bonded By A Blend Of Tannin-Cnsl Resin, J. V. Tesha

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

There are vast quantities of agricultural residues available in Tanzania. Rice husk being amongst those residues is reported to have low resistance to alkalis, high silica content, and have short fibres. These factors have made rice husks not attractive raw materials in panels’ production. However, it has been demonstrated that rice husks can be used to develop panel products of low cost and good performance if appropriate indigenous technologies and affordable binders that can bind siliceous materials are used.

This paper provides a summary on the study of the effectiveness of the binding characteristics of a blend of natural adhesive …

Auger Timing Effects On Performance Of A Combine Unloading System, Todd Philip Cole

Open Access Master's Theses (through 2010)

Performance effects were measured on a combine unloading system using three different auger timing settings.Performance measures included maximum startup torque, mean operating torque, standard deviation of the operating torque, flow rate of grain through the system, and mechanical damage to the grain.The performance effects were measured with the system unloading corn and soybeans.

The data were statistically analyzed to check for interactions between the grains and differences between the timings.Using an alpha value of 0.1 it was found that timing 1 for both grains had a 3% (<2.4 L/s) higher flow rate over timings 2 and 3.Timings 1 and 2 for both grains had higher maximum startup torque, about 10% (60 N·m) more torque required than timing 3.In soybeans, timings 2 and 3 also had the smallest standard deviation in operating torque, about 30% (20 N·m) less than timing 1.We were unable to detect any differences in mechanical damage to corn or soybeans as a result of unloading auger timing.These findings suggest that timing 3, with the cross augers lagging 90° behind the vertical unloading auger, may require less maximum startup torque and less variation in torque for the cross augers to effectively fill the loosely filled space left after the vertical auger lifts the grain without extra torque effects of having the augers push against each other as they do in timing 1.

Advisor: Michael F. Kocher

Benchmarking Of Flexibility And Needs 2002: Survey Of Non-Federal Irrigation Districts (California Department Of Water Resources), Stuart W. Styles, Daniel Howes

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

ITRC interviewed irrigation district personnel from 17 agricultural districts throughout California. Data were analyzed to determine the degree of water delivery flexibility provided to farmers and the extent of existing and planned district modernization. This report did not include irrigation districts with long-term federal contracts.

Mechanical Properties Of Corn And Soybean Meal, Marek Molenda, Michael D. Montross, Jozef Horabik, Ira Joseph Ross

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Ground corn and soybean meal are common ingredients in feed mixes. The knowledge of their mechanical properties is important to the feed manufacturer and consumer. Changes in these properties can lead to abnormally high or low levels of active ingredients in finished feed, thus decreasing its quality. Mechanical properties of wheat, corn meal, and soybean meal were investigated using a modified direct shear apparatus. The moisture content (wet basis), uncompacted bulk density, and particle density were: 10.4%, 733 kg/m³, and 1410 kg/m³ for soft red winter wheat; 11.4%, 583 kg/m³, and 1350 kg/m³ for …

A Mechanical System For Soil Reconstruction, John Patrick Fulton, Larry G. Wells, Timothy D. Smith

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

One of the most perplexing problems associated with reclaiming surface–mined lands is excessive compaction of soil due to the heavy earthmoving equipment used during the reclamation process. Over the years, some innovative material handling schemes have been devised to limit vehicle traffic during reclamation on reconstructed soil. However, final grading operations can often create root–limiting bulk densities, which affect plant growth and yield. The purpose of this article is to describe a mechanism designed at the University of Kentucky whereby mine soil can be reconstructed without introducing compaction caused by surface traffic in order for the soil to sustain desirable …

Development Of A Finite-Element Stored Grain Ecosystem Model, Michael D. Montross, Dirk E. Maier, Kamyar Haghighi

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

An axisymmetric finite–element model was developed that predicts the heat, mass, and momentum transfer that occurred in upright corrugated steel storage structures due to conduction, diffusion, and natural convection using realistic boundary conditions. Weather data that included hourly total solar radiation, wind speed, ambient temperature, and relative humidity were used to model the temperature, moisture content, dry matter loss, and maize weevil development during storage with no aeration, and with ambient and chilled aeration. Periods of aeration were simulated assuming a uniform airflow rate through the grain mass. Heat and mass balances were used to calculate the temperature and absolute …

Validation Of A Finite-Element Stored Grain Ecosystem Model, Michael D. Montross, Dirk E. Maier, Kamyar Haghighi

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

An axisymmetric finite–element model was validated with respect to predicting the heat, mass, and momentum transfer that occurred in upright corrugated–steel storage bins due to conduction, diffusion, and natural convection using realistic boundary conditions. Hourly weather data that included hourly total solar radiation, wind speed, ambient temperature, and relative humidity were used to model the corn temperature and moisture content during storage with no aeration, and with ambient and chilled aeration. Periods of aeration were simulated assuming a uniform airflow rate through the grain mass. Sixteen bins with a capacity of 11.7 t each and instrumented with temperature cables were …

Water Delivery Service As A Determinant Of Irrigation Project Performance, Stuart W. Styles, M. A. Marino

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

Performance of an irrigation system is represented by its measured levels of achievement in terms of one or several parameters that are chosen as indicators of the system’s goals. The purpose of this paper is to utilize and refine a set of evaluation indicators that can be used to describe the irrigation performance for sixteen international irrigation projects in less-developed countries. The irrigation performance of many international irrigation projects in less-developed countries has been reported as poor. The cause of the poor irrigation performance has been blamed on technical, financial, managerial, social, and/or institutional causes. This study is specifically designed …

Electric Load Shifting In Irrigation Districts - California's Program, Charles M. Burt, Ricardo Amón, Darren Cordova

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

During the 2000-2001 winter, California experienced a severe imbalance in electricity supply and demand that resulted in blackouts and brownouts. The state legislature initiated a number of emergency programs, one of which (Senate Bill 5x) was targeted for irrigation districts. The primary goal of SB 5x is to reduce peak period electricity demand. The California Energy Commission (CEC), acting under authority of Section 5(b) of the legislation, developed the "Agricultural Peak Load Reduction Program". The program was announced on June 1, 2001, and Cal Poly ITRC administers the irrigation district portion of the program for CEC. During the first 9 …

Advances In Plc-Based Canal Automation, Charles M. Burt, Xianshu Piao

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

A short history of canal automation is given. PLC-based canal automation is relatively new. Advances in PLC-based canal automation are listed. Also listed are some of the remaining challenges. Recent advances have been made in understanding unsteady flow simulation procedures, the form of the control algorithms used, the tuning procedures for these control algorithms, and the field programming of the algorithms into PLCs. The experiences of the Cal Poly Irrigation Training and Research Center (ITRC) in automating a variety of canals with upstream and downstream control are given.

Case Study: Installation Of Canal Control Structures On The Government Highline Canal, Ram Dhan Khalsa, Stuart W. Styles, Charles M. Burt, Bob Norman

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

The Government Highline Canal Modernization Study was completed in April 2000 to evaluate options for reducing the flow rate requirement of the Government Highline Canal in order to increase the water supply in the “15-Mile Reach” of the Colorado River, thereby helping sustain habitat for fish species identified as endangered. The intent was to develop a design for which Colorado River diversions could be better matched to on-farm demands. It was determined that canal modernization, in the form of automated canal structures, in-system storage, and new operational procedures could significantly reduce operational spill. A systematic evaluation of the existing canal …

Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District Flow Monitoring Program, Dennis Perkins, Stuart W. Styles, Marcus Y. Yasutake

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

In 1996, the United States Bureau of Reclamation (USBR), Mid-Pacific Region, Northern California Area Office began the Willows Flow Monitoring Program. The program objective was to monitor, in near real-time, 85% of the Sacramento River Diversions from Shasta Dam to Sacramento. Several site visits were conducted to the District and their diversion points along the Sacramento River by USBR and Irrigation Training and Research Center (ITRC) staff from California Polytechnic state University (Cal Poly), San Luis Obispo. One of the sites identified for flow monitoring was the Glen-Colusa Irrigation District (GCID) canal at the Stoney Creek Siphon. At question was …

Breaking The Technology Barriers Imposed By Cast-In Place Concrete Pipe In Irrigation Districts: Case Study Of South San Joaquin Irrigation District, Charles M. Burt, Michael B. Gilton, Kevin Johnson, Keith Crowe

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

South San Joaquin Irrigation District (SSJID) in Manteca, California, is beginning an ambitious modernization program to increase its water delivery flexibility. The district has over 200 miles of 30-60 inch cast-in-place (CIP) concrete pipeline that currently allow for little flexibility. SSJID will install four reinforced concrete interceptor pipelines and regulating reservoirs to redistribute water among the CIP pipelines and provide improved flexibility. The district's goal is to improve efficiency and encourage farmers with pressurized irrigation systems to shift from well water to surface water.

Modernizing Irrigational Facilities At Sutter Mutual Water Company: A Case Study, Frederick F. Schantz, Stuart W. Styles, Beau J. Freeman, Charles M. Burt, Doughlas Stevens

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

In 1999 Sutter Mutual Water Company (SMWC) began an effort to modernize its water-distribution system in an attempt to reduce operation and maintenance costs and conserve water and power resources. The primary technical support was provided by professionals from the Irrigation Training and Research Center (ITRC), California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly), San Luis Obispo. Additional technical expertise was provided by Concepts in Controls of Visalia, California and Wilson Pumps of Woodland, California. This modernization project was partially funded by the United States Bureau of Reclamation (USBR), Mid-Pacific Region, Northern Area Office, though a Field Services Program Grant and technical …

Closure To "Flap Gate Design For Automatic Upstream Canal Water Level Control", Charles M. Burt, Russdon Angold, Mike Lehmkuhl, Stuart Styles

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

No abstract provided.

Investigation Of Forces Acting On Plain Discs, S. M. Mpanduji

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

An investigation was carried out to study the mutually perpendicular forces generated by rotating and non-rotating plain discs similar to those used in disc ploughs. Experiments were conducted in a soil bin containing sand loam soil (Ryton sand) where forces were measured while changing disc rake and sweep angles. The results showed that draught forces were higher for non-rotating discs, while vertical and lateral forces were lower compared to rotating discs. Rotating discs were found to be suitable for counteracting high side forces because of less draught and higher lateral forces. The recommended optimum angles are between 8°–12° for disc …

Comparison Of Repair Costs Of Two Wheel Drive Tractors Under Tanzania Conditions, S. M. Mpanduji

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

The repair costs of 2WD tractors were investigated in order to provide important information, which lacks in the scope of agricultural mechanization in Tanzania. Previously repair cost functions established for tractors in developed countries were used for both theoretical and practical purposes. The findings of this study have revealed that repair costs of tractors vary substantially from one make to another. The prediction functions developed in this study indicated that the magnitudes of repair costs in Tanzania are higher than the repair costs established in Europe and North America. The reason for this could be either due to high cost …

Cattle Handling Facilities: Planning, Components, And Layouts, José R. Bicudo, Samuel G. Mcneill, Larry W. Turner, Roy Burris, John Anderson

Agricultural Engineering Extension Publications

Cattle handling facilities are used to confine cattle safely and efficiently for close observation and to perform routine health and management procedures. Adequate facilities are an essential part of an efficient cattle operation for any producer who wants to improve marketing, cattle health, and production. A well-planned handling facility can help you save money by making easier practices such as preventive health management, pregnancy testing, implanting, controlling parasites, vaccinating, castrating, and dehorning.

A Reduced–Cost Mechanized System For Handling And Curing Mechanically–Harvested Burley Tobacco, Greg A. Camenisch, Larry G. Wells, Timothy D. Smith, George A. Duncan

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

An experimental system was tested in which mechanically harvested burley tobacco plants placed onto steel slotted receivers were retrieved from a field, transported to a field curing structure, and placed onto the structure for air curing by a single worker. The system consisted of a tractor–towed, trailer mechanism that engaged and hoisted loads of approximately 360 burley plants of approximately 1 Mg mass. Ten slotted steel rails, 3.05 m long, holding 36 notched plants were placed onto parallel wooden beams suspended at a height of 2.13 m by wooden posts set in the ground. Burley tobacco was cured in this …

A Portable Rainfall Simulator For Plot–Scale Runoff Studies, J. Byron Humphry, Tommy C. Daniel, Dwayne R. Edwards, Andrew N. Sharpley

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Rainfall simulators have a long history of successful use in both laboratory and field investigations. Many plot–scale simulators, however, have been difficult to operate and transport in the field, especially in remote locations where water or electricity is unavailable. This article describes a new rainfall simulator that is relatively easy to operate and transport to and from the field while maintaining critical intensity, distribution, and energy characteristics of natural rainfall. The simulator frame is constructed from lightweight aluminum pipe with a single 50 WSQ nozzle centered at a height of 3 m (9.8 ft). An operating nozzle pressure of 28 …

Review Of: Eat Your Genes: How Genetically Modified Food Is Entering Our Diet (Stephen Nottingham Ed.), Natalie Duval

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

Review of the book: "Eat Your Genes: How Genetically Modified Food Is Entering Our Diet," by Stephen Nottingham, (St. Martin's Press 1999). Introduction, Glossary, Bibliography, Index. ISBN 1-85649-578-7 [212 pp. $17.95. Softbound, St. Martin's Press, Inc., New York, NY 10010].

Friction Of Wheat: Grain-On-Grain And On Corrugated Steel, Marek Molenda, Jozef Horabik, I. Joe Ross, Michael D. Montross

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Coefficients of friction of wheat for grain–on–grain and on galvanized corrugated steel sheet were investigated using a modified direct shear apparatus. Tests were conducted under a normal pressure of 20.7 kPa using soft red winter wheat at a moisture content of 11.2% (w.b.) and an uncompressed bulk density of 740 kg/m³. Three consolidation procedures and three methods of deposition of grain in the test chamber were used. Test results of grain–on–grain friction showed that consolidation procedure markedly influenced the force–displacement relationship, while its influence on the coefficients of friction were small. Shearing to peak strength as a consolidation …

Characterization Of Vadose Zone Sediment: Uncontaminated Rcra Borehole Core Samples And Composite Samples, R. J. Serne, B. N. Bjornstad, H. T. Schaef, B. A. Williams, D. C. Lanigan, D. G. Horton, R. E. Clayton, A. V. Mitroshkov, V. L. Legore, M. J. O’Hara, C. F. Brown, K. E. Parker, I. V. Kutnyakov, J. N. Serne, G. V. Last, Steven Smith, C. W. Lindenmeier, John M. Zachara, D. B. Burke

United States Department of Energy: Publications

The overall goal of the of the Tank Farm Vadose Zone Project, led by CH2M HILL Hanford Group, Inc., is to define risks from past and future single-shell tank farm activities. To meet this goal, CH2M HILL Hanford Group, Inc. asked scientists from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to perform detailed analyses on vadose zone sediment from within the S-SX Waste Management Area. This report is one in a series of four reports to present the results of these analyses. Specifically, this report contains all the geologic, geochemical, and selected physical characterization data collected on vadose zone sediment recovered from Resource …

Evaporation From Irrigated Agricultural Land In California, Charles M. Burt, Andrew Mutziger, Daniel Howes, Kenneth H. Solomon

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

No abstract provided.

Variable Frequency Drives And Scada — Are They Worthwhile Investments?, Charles M. Burt, Daniel J. Howes

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

Managers and personnel from five California irrigation districs were interviewed to determine if installing variable frequency drives (VFDs) and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems were worthwhile investments.

Infrared Inspection, Charles M. Burt, Daniel J. Howes

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

Infrared thermography is the use of infrared radiation to qualitatively and quantitatively express heat signatures and heat differences. Infrared inspection can help identify weak connections in an electrical box, uneven heating of pump windings, overheating of bearings, and many other possibly devastating problems well before any failure occurs. The use of thermography as a preventative tool can increase system reliability and efficiency.

Modeling The Inhibition Of The Bacterial Reduction Of U(Vi) By Β-Mno2(S), Chongxuan Liu, John M. Zachara, James K. Fredrickson, David W. Kennedy, Alice Dohnalkova

United States Department of Energy: Publications

Pyrolusite (β-MnO_2(s)) was used to assess the influence of a competitive electron acceptor on the kinetics of reduction of aqueous uranyl carbonate by a dissimilatory metal-reducing bacterium (DMRB), Shewanella putrefaciens strain CN32. The enzymatic reduction of U(VI) and β-MnO_2(s) and the abiotic redox reaction between β-MnO_2(s) and biogenic uraninite (UO_2(s)) were independently investigated to allow for interpretation of studies of U(VI) bioreduction in the presence of β-MnO_2(s). Uranyl bioreduction to UO_2(s) by CN32 with H2 as the electron donor followed Monod kinetics, with a maximum specific reduction rate of 110 µM/h/10 …

Basic Design Of Replogle Flumes, Charles M. Burt, Stuart W. Styles

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

To facilitate accurate flow measurement, this paper describes specific design and construction considerations applicable to Replogle flumes in irrigation applications. A design example is provided to illustrate these concepts.