Determination of dielectric properties of corn seeds from 1 to 100 MHz

The dielectric properties of corn seeds were determined in the ranges of 9.71-21.51% wet basis (w.b.) for moisture content, 772.5-902.2 kg/m³ for bulk density and 1-100 MHz for frequency of applied electric field using a coaxial capacitor sample holder. Effects of the parameters such as moisture content, bulk density and frequency on the dielectric properties were investigated. The dielectric constant, loss factor and loss tangent were greatly affected by the moisture content, frequency and bulk density. The moisture content was the most significant factor affecting the dielectric properties of corn seeds. The dielectric constant, loss factor and loss tangent increased with increasing moisture content and bulk density. The second and third-order polynomial equations were proposed to describe the existing relationship between dielectric properties and moisture content. Dielectric measurements provided new information concerning moisture content and bulk density dependent behaviour of dielectric properties of corn seeds that may be useful in sensing of the moisture content.     

A new synthetic biofiltration material: poly(vinyl alcohol)/pig manure compost composite beads

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/pig manure compost composite beads proved suitable as a biofilter material in a biofiltration process. The composite bead is a porous spherical particle with a diameter between 2.4 and 6.0 mm and a density of 0.96 g cm^?3. It contains 9.43 mg P g^?1 dry solid and 12.1 mg N g^?1 dry solid. The equilibrium moisture contents of the PVA/compost composite beads bed for adsorption and holding experiments are 50.5% and 54.6% by wet basis, respectively, which correspond to the optimal filter material required and could sustain the biological activity. The PVA/pig manure compost composite beads bed has higher moisture‐holding capacity and compression strength than the pig manure compost bed. The PVA/compost composite beads have buffer capacity and could keep the filter bed at pH 6.9–7.2 during operating. The percentage of ethyl acetate removed could stay at over 99% for 40 days of operation as the PVA/pig manure compost composite beads adsorbed inorganic nitrate nutrient. The maximum elimination capacity of the PVA/pig manure compost composite beads filters at the loading rate of 0.71 kg ethyl acetate m^?3‐bed h^?1 is 0.71 kg ethyl acetate m^?3‐bed h^?1. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry     

Drying of Sewage Sludge During Composting in an Updraft Dryer with the Concept of Using Self-Energy Generated Within the System

An innovative technology for sewage treatment systems is proposed. A mixture of sewage sludge and char particle is subjected to drying in the progress of composting in an updraft column. Exothermic heat generated during composting is utilized for energy of sludge drying. The char particle in the mixture contributes to enhancement of composting and drying rate. This study presents drying and composting behaviors of sludge to examine the effect of char addition. A fundamental drying experiment was carried out by hot-air heating of the sample in a small vessel. The drying characteristic curve for a mixture of sludge and char was greater than the sample of only sludge over a whole period if the drying rates were compared with the same moisture content. The drying behavior could be analyzed with a reasonable agreement by the water front receding model. The enhancement effect of drying and composting of sludge by char addition was confirmed by examination using a pilot scale of the updraft column whose volume was 50 m³. Sludge with 400% dry base (80% wet base) in moisture content could be dried successfully to lower moisture content than 67% dry base (40% wet base) only by exothermic heat during composting without supplying any auxiliary energy from the outside, and the treatment time was reduced by mixing char in sludge. The behavior was analyzed with a satisfactory agreement by a theoretical model employing moisture diffusion parameters determined from the drying characteristic curve.     

INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARATION OF MANUSCRIPTS FOR DIRECT REPRODUCTION

ABSTRACT

The bulk density of garlic slices at different moisture levels (ranging from approximately 3 to 65% MC wet basis) was determined by weighing the contents of a container of known volume. The porosity was calculated using its relationship with bulk and apparent densities. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed that bulk density and porosity were affected significantly by moisture and slice thickness as well as the interaction of these variables. Bulk density varied in a positive linear fashion with moisture and thickness while a negative linear correlation was found for the calculated bulk porosity. The linear model met me adequacy criterion for characterising the behaviour of garlic. Using a laboratory unit, the vertical resistance to airflow through the product and die effect of moisture and slice thickness were investigated for an airflow rates of 0.09 to 1.2 m³/s-m². A higher resistance to airflow was noted for the wet product with the experimental data fitting to Shedd's model when the airflow range was divided into two sub-flow rates and to a modified Ergun's equation for the full range.     

AIRFLOW RESISTANCE OF OAT SEEDS: EFFECT OF AIRFLOW DIRECTION,MOISTURE CONTENT AND FOREIGN MATERIAL

ABSTRACT

Pressure drops through oat (Oat Sp.) beds were evaluated in the range of airflow rate from 0·0097 to 0·459 m³/s-m² using two airflow directions to determine the effect of grain moisture and foreign material on the resistance to airflow. Horizontal airflow resistance was lesser than vertical airflow resistance (e.g., for oat with 9·0% moisture content the pressure drop in horizontal direction was 4–17% of corresponding in vertical direction). The resistance decreased with the increase of moisture content and increased when the fraction of foreign material. An increase in the moisture content from 9·0 to 24·9% produced a decrease on the bulk density from 583 to 513 kg/m³. Mattel's model (1969) fitted adequately the experimental data. The Haque et al.'s equation (1982) have an adequate representation of the data for both airflow directions. The Paterson et al. (1971) and Bern-Charity (1975)equations resulted applicable only for vertical airflow direction. A simplification planed of this model in function of the bulk density conduced to a good relation DP-Q.     

A new type synthetic filter material for biofilter: Poly(vinyl alcohol)/peat composite bead

In this study, a new type of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/peat composite bead was prepared and was proved suitable as a filter material in the biofiltration process. The composite bead is a porous spherical particle and has a diameter of 2.4–6.0 mm and a density of 0.69 kg/cm³. It contains 3.25 mg N/g dry solid and 2.91 mg P/g dry solid. The equilibrium moisture content of the composite bead for adsorption and holding experiments is 50.5 and 66.8% by wet basis, respectively. The initial compression strength of the composite bead is 0.32 kg/cm². It has higher moisture holding capacity and compression strength than pig manure compost filter material. The adsorption behavior of ethyl acetate and composite bead follows the Freundlich adsorption isotherm. The composite bead has buffer capacity and could keep the filter bed at pH = 6.9–7.2 during operating. The percentage of removed ethyl acetate was 99% for up to 33 days as the composite bead adsorbed nutrients. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 88: 3248–3255, 2003     

Evaluation of air flow resistance across a green fig bed for selecting an appropriate pressure drop prediction equation

In this study the physical properties of green fig (Ficus carica L.) at different moisture contents were measured. Pressure drop across a bed of green fig was also evaluated. The moisture content and air flow ranges used in this study were 5.74-34.08% (db) and 0.2-1.1 (m³ s⁻¹ m⁻²), respectively. To measure resistance to air flow an appropriate test rig was designed and fabricated. A thick bed of seven depths of loose and random filling of fig bed were envisaged (5, 10, …, 35 cm). Principle dimensions, geometric mean diameter, sphericity, roughness factor of fig kernels and bulk density increased with an increase in moisture content, whereas kernel density and porosity decreased with an increase in fig moisture content. The air flow resistance across the bed increased with an increase in bed depth and moisture content. The modified Ergun model with higher values for coefficient of determination, lower values for root mean square error and mean relative deviation modulus was the best model for predicting pressure drop across green figs bed for the conditions studied.     

Greenhouse gas emissions when composting manure from cattle fed wheat dried distillers’ grains with solubles

Dried distillers’ grains with solubles (DDGS) are a co-product of ethanol production that is increasingly available for use as a livestock feed. Including DDGS in diets could affect animal manure properties and impact manure management strategies. The objectives of this study were to investigate changes in the rate of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions during composting and final properties of manure compost when DDGS is included in feedlot cattle diets. Treatments were: (1) Control; manure from cattle fed a typical finishing diet containing barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) grain and silage and (2) DDGS; manure from cattle fed a finishing diet with 60% DDGS from wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in the dietary ration. Manure, consisting of feces, urine and wood shavings, was composted in open windrows. Samples were collected for analysis at initiation and completion of composting. Greenhouse gas surface fluxes were collected weekly during the first 4 weeks and every 2–3 weeks for the remainder of the composting period. The DDGS compost had lower total C, but similar total N (TN) content relative to Control, reflecting the initial manure conditions. The DDGS compost also had higher moisture, higher water-extractable NH₄⁺ and NO₃⁻, a greater fraction of TN in available form, and a lower pH than the Control. The O₂ consumption and N₂O emission from DDGS compost were higher, whereas CO₂ and CH₄ emissions were similar to Control. The higher N₂O emissions from DDGS compost were likely related to the high water-extractable N content in DDGS manure. Increased use of DDGS in feedlot diets may have environmental repercussions that include greater emissions of GHG (N₂O) during manure composting. From an end user perspective, enhanced availability of N could increase the nutrient value of the compost for crop production.     

Bulk Density,Porosity and Resistance to Airflow of Garlic Slices

ABSTRACT

The bulk density of garlic slices at different moisture levels (ranging from approximately 3 to 65% MC wet basis) was determined by weighing the contents of a container of known volume. The porosity was calculated using its relationship with bulk and apparent densities. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed that bulk density and porosity were affected significantly by moisture and slice thickness as well as the interaction of these variables. Bulk density varied in a positive linear fashion with moisture and thickness while a negative linear correlation was found for the calculated bulk porosity. The linear model met the adequacy criterion for characterising the behaviour of garlic. Using a laboratory unit, the vertical resistance to airflow through the product and the effect of misture and slice thickness were investigated for an airflow rates of 0.09 to 1.2 m₃/s-m₂. A higher resistance to airflow was noted for the wet product with the experimental data fitting to Shedd's model when the aifflow range was divided into two sub-flow rates and to a modified Ergun's equation for the full range.     

Thermal Analysis of Charcoal from Fast-Growing Eucalypt Wood: Influence of Raw Material Moisture Content

This study aimed to investigate the influence of raw material moisture content on the properties of charcoal from fast-growing Eucalyptus benthamii wood. For that, three treatments were performed with 0, 30, and 50% in relation to the wet basis moisture of the wood samples. The carbonization process used an electric kiln with a heating rate of 1.60°C min^?1, initial temperature of 25 to 600°C at the end, kept constant at that temperature for two hours. Variables were statistically analyzed for charcoal yield, non-condensable gases, liquor, and fixed carbon and properties: fixed carbon content, volatile, ash, bulk density, and moisture content of charcoal. According to the results, the charcoal produced from dry wood presented the highest properties, yet the charcoal produced from wood with 30% moisture content showed similar properties.     

牛粪与稻草混合堆肥理化性质转变特征

以奶牛粪便和稻草秸秆为原料,进行高温好氧堆肥过程中物料理化特性转变的研究。研究结果表明,堆肥物料先后经历了升温期、高温期和降温期。高温阶段堆体温度达到57℃,高温期维持9d;经降温期充分腐熟,堆肥物料中的有机质含量明显降低。堆肥过程结束后,堆肥产品中的TN、NO3--N、TP和速效磷等含量均有增加,增幅分别为22.45%、41.46%、68.98%和13.60%;堆肥物料中营养元素的植物利用有效性得到提高。经过高温好氧堆肥处理后,牛粪可实现无害化、稳定化和资源化。     

Development of Instant Fermented Cereal-Legume Mix Using Pulsed Microwave Vacuum Drying

Cereal-legume-based instant fermented food (Dhokla) is one of the most popular, indigenous fermented foods of India. Central composite design (CCD) was used to conduct fermentation experiments and optimization was carried out using response surface methodology (RSM). The effect of fermentation time (5.5–12.5 h), fermentation temperature (26.5–35.5°C), moisture content of batter (55–65% wb), and rice- to- bengal gram ratio (1.2–2.4) was evaluated with respect to total titratable acidity (TTA), total lactic count (TLC), firmness and overall acceptability scores (OAA) of steam-cooked Dhokla. The optimized condition for fermentation process was TTA 0.64 g mL^?1, total lactic count 221.62 cfu g^?1, firmness 146.35 g, and OAA score 6.82 at 12.5 h fermentation time, 26.5°C temperature, 65% moisture content of batter and 1.2 rice to bengal gram ratio. Further, the optimized fermented batter was dried by microwave vacuum using independent variables like thickness of batter (10–17 mm), microwave power density (3.5–10 W g^?1), and pulsating ratio (1.3–2). The responses studied were bulk density, rehydration ratio, color difference (ΔE), and OAA score. The best combination was found with bulk density 1014.22 kg m^?3, rehydration ratio 4.55, ΔE 9.57 and OAA score 6.88 at 17 mm thickness of batter, 10 W g^?1 microwave power density, and 1.3 pulsating ratio.     

Effect of inoculation dosing on the composting of source‐selected organic fraction of municipal solid wastes

The effects of a commercial inoculum (MicroGest 10X, Brookside Agra L.C.) on the field‐scale composting of the source‐selected organic fraction of municipal solid wastes (OFMSW) have been studied by following routine parameters of the composting process (temperature, oxygen content and moisture) and biologically‐related tests such as the respirometric index and the maturity grade. The inoculum was added to composting piles of OFMSW at different levels: control (no added inoculum), treatment A (10⁵ CFU g^?1 of OFMSW), treatment B (10⁶ CFU g^?1 of OFMSW) and treatment C (10⁷ CFU g^?1 of OFMSW). The inoculum selected produced a significant acceleration of the composting process with high levels of biological activity in the thermophilic phase. In terms of the acceleration of composting and economy the optimal treatment was B, which produced a reduction of approximately half of the total composting time. Treatment C did not improve significantly the results obtained with treatment B, whereas treatment A has little effect on the composting of OFMSW when compared with the control experiment. Respirometric index (determined at 55 °C) and maturity grade appeared to be the most reliable tests to follow the biological activity of the composting of OFMSW. On the other hand, routine parameters such as temperature, oxygen content and moisture showed no significant differences among the different inoculation levels tested in the composting process. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry     

Greenhouse gas emissions during co-composting of cattle mortalities with manure

Following outbreaks of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), fewer cattle mortalities are being rendered. Composting may be a viable on-farm alternative for disposal of cattle carcasses. A study was conducted to assess feasibility and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions during co-composting of cattle mortalities and manure. Using a tractor-mounted front-end loader, windrows were constructed containing manure + straw (control; CK) or manure + straw + cattle mortalities (cattle mortality; CM). The composting process lasted 310 d. The windrows were turned twice, at days 93 and 211, using either a tractor-mounted front-end loader or a specialized shredder bucket. Maximum windrow temperatures were >50 °C for 36 out of 92 d (before first turning) and 142 out of 208 d (after first turning) for the CM treatment and cattle mortalities were completely decomposed except for a few large bones. The cumulative CO₂ and CH₄ emissions were significantly affected by the mortality treatment, but not by the turning technology or their interactions. Significantly higher CO₂ (53.6 g d⁻¹ m⁻²) and CH₄ (2.204 g d⁻¹m⁻²) emissions were observed during the co-composting of cattle mortalities than manure composted with straw (23.0 and 0.742 g d⁻¹m⁻² for CO₂ and CH₄, respectively). Similarly, N₂O emissions were higher with mortalities than without and, for the CM treatment only, higher with shredder bucket than front-end loader turning. In the final compost, CM had higher TN and NH₄⁺-N contents than CK while TC and the C/N ratio were higher with compost turned with the front-end loader than with the shredder bucket. In conclusion, composting was an effective means of disposing of cattle mortalities, but did increase GHG emissions and the N content in the final compost. It is not known if GHG emissions are different than those that would be released from natural decomposition of carcasses. The higher N content in compost containing mortalities would increase its agronomic value.     

Sorption and recovery of heavy oils using carbonized fir fibers and recycling

Fibers extracted from fir trees (Abis sachalinensis Fr. Schm) and carbonized at either 380 or 900°C were found to have a high performance for sorption, recovery and recycling of heavy oils, even the viscous ones. Sorption capacity showed strong dependence on bulk density of carbonized fibers, suggesting the importance of the space formed among entangled fibers: 60-80 g/g for bulk density of ca. 6 kg/m³ and 10-20 g/g for density of ca. 40 kg/m³. The sorption capacity of carbonized fir fibers for a less viscous heavy oil was almost comparable to that of exfoliated graphite which was also reported to have high capacity. For viscous oil, however, carbonized fir fibers had higher sorption capacities than exfoliated graphite, particularly when the bulk densities are high. Less viscous heavy oil could be recovered by simple filtration under suction and the fibers could be reused for the sorption of oil, although the sorption capacity decreased with recycling. Their recycling performance was also strongly dependent on their bulk density: the sorption capacity of 6 kg/m³ fibers after the eighth cycle became less than 60% from that of the first cycle, but for 35 kg/m³ fibers it was more than 90%. Viscous oil could be recovered only by washing with n-hexane and also with less viscous oil. After washing the fir fibers could be reused for the sorption of oil.     

Spray drying of folic acid within nano-emulsions: Optimization by Taguchi approach

Research over recent decades has shown that inadequate folate concentrations may contribute to some disorders. Cereal flours have been a primary candidate for fortification by folic acid as they are consumed by most of the people but the main obstacle is destruction of this vitamin by the process and environmental deteriorating factors. So, it can be nano-encapsulated for protection and efficient delivery. Our main goal was to find the optimum conditions in spray drying of pectin–whey protein concentrate (WPC) double emulsions containing folic acid. Five independent variables including pectin and WPC content, dispersed phase content, pH, and surfactant type of span and polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR) were considered along with water activity (a_w) and bulk density as the main responses. The experiment design was performed by Taguchi approach and 16 treatments were determined. The grand average of a_w and bulk density for folic acid powders was approximately 0.371 and 343?kg/m³, respectively. The main effect analysis with Taguchi technique revealed that pectin content was the most important factor affecting a_w (39.5%), and WPC had the minimum influence (6%). In terms of bulk density, it was found that the most important parameter was WPC (29.6%) and the minimum influence was related to surfactant system (8.1%). Finally, optimum conditions were determined as 0.5% pectin, 4.0% WPC, 10% dispersed phase, and pH 8, with a PGPR micro-emulsion, which resulted in a_w?=?0.229, and 1.5% pectin, 8.0% WPC, 10% dispersed phase, and pH 9, with a PGPR nano-emulsion, which resulted in density?=?245.45?kg/m³ for folic acid powders.     

Screw Conveyor Dryer: Process and Equipment Design

The effects of various process variables and equipment components (geometry) on the performance of a screw conveyor dryer (SCD) were studied in terms of the material throughput and its uniformity, dryer load, specific consumption of mechanical energy, and heat transfer rate. The experimental results for drying of fine crystalline solids (50–100 µm particle size and 550 kg/m³ bulk density) in a 3-meter-long uninsulated jacketed screw conveyer dryer with a 0.072-m screw diameter have been used. The hydrodynamic performance of the SCD was also studied using sand particles of 350 µm size and 1500 kg/m³ bulk density (tapped). The maximum specific consumption of mechanical energy for conveying was found to be 1 kJ/kg. Moreover, the flow behavior of the material at the dryer discharge was found to depend strongly on the screw speed and the material feed rate.     

Experiments on In-Store Paddy Drying Under Tropical Climate: Simulation and Product Quality

Abstract

The main objective of this work is to study the rice whiteness and paddy qualities of rice in terms of hardness, stickiness, cohesiveness, and germination of rice. The prediction results of moisture content and whiteness are compared with the experimental results using a near-equilibrium drying model, which is modified by including whiteness kinetics of rice kernel. The long grain rice (Suphanburi 1 high amylose indica variety), which consists of 27% amylose was used for all experiments. The experiments were carried out at the average ambient temperature range of 28.6–30.8°C, average relative humidity of 65.2–80.6% with a fixed bed depth of 1.0 m. Specific air flow rates of 0.65 and 0.93 m³/min-m³ of paddy were forced continuously through the paddy bulk at initial moisture contents of 18.5% and 20.1% wet basis, respectively. The desired final moisture content of paddy is about 13.3 ± 0.6% wet basis. The results show that drying rate and the whiteness predictions are in good agreement with those from the experiments. The in-store drying using ambient air condition did not produce notable effect on the rice whiteness, head rice yield, and the percentage of paddy germination. However, the hardness, stickiness, and cohesiveness of rice were changed.     

Two-stage method of obtaining high bulk density sodium tripolyphosphate: Design and mechanism of process

The paper presents a two-step method for obtaining sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP) with a bulk density of about 0.90 kg/dm³ after the first step, using sodium phosphates after spray drying and water as the raw materials. STPP with a bulk density of 0.95–1.00 kg/dm³ was generated in the second stage, using STPP from the first step and water as the raw materials. The paper presents statistical analyses to define the process parameters which significantly affect sodium tripolyphosphate bulk density. The determination of the profile approximation and utility function enabled the optimization of process parameters for obtaining a product with a bulk density of 0.95–1.00 kg/dm³. Mechanisms of increasing bulk density was indicated by studies on the microstructure of the product and phase transformation during the process. The data were empirically verified and satisfactory results were found.     

Effects of raw material particle size distribution on the characteristics of Scots pine sawdust fuel pellets

In order to study the influence of raw material particle size distribution on the pelletizing process and the physical and thermomechanical characteristics of typical fuel pellets, saw dust of Scots pine was used as raw material for producing pellets in a semi industrial scaled mill (∼ 300 kg h^− 1). The raw materials were screened to a narrow particle size distribution and mixed into four different batches and then pelletized under controlled conditions. Physical pellet characteristics like compression strength, densities, moisture content, moisture absorption and abrasion resistance were determined. In addition, the thermochemical characteristics, i.e. drying and initial pyrolysis, flaming pyrolysis, char combustion and char yield were determined at different experimental conditions by using a laboratory-scaled furnace. The results indicate that the particle size distribution had some effect on current consumption and compression strength but no evident effect on single pellet and bulk density, moisture content, moisture absorption during storage and abrasion resistance. Differences in average total conversion time determined for pellet batches tested under the same combustion conditions was less than 5% and not significant.