Engineering Properties of Agricultural and Food Products
Engineering Properties of Agricultural and Food Products
Engineering Properties of Agricultural and Food Products
ENGINEERING PROPERTIES
OF AGRICULTURAL AND
FOOD PRODUCTS
by
Surface Area
Patnai 65.0
Dular 54.5
Taichung 56.7
Kalinpong 62.3
Porosity
Given:
MCwb1 - 21%
MCwb2 - 14%
Required:
Porosity and percentage increase
if sample is dried to 14%
Solution:
Pm = 69.05 - 0.885 MC (at 21% MC)
= 69.05 – 0.885 (0.21)
= 68.86 %
PM = 69.05 – 0.885 MC (at 14% MC)
= 69.05 – 0.885 (0.14)
= 68.92%
% Increased = (68.92% - 68.86%) x 100 / 68.86%
= 0.1%
Bulk Density
Bulk density is the ratio of the weight and the volume of the
product. It indicates how heavy the product is at a given volume. It
is normally expressed in kg/m3 of lb/ft3. The knowledge of this
property will aid in coming up with an accurate estimate on
determining the size of the holding bin or of the storage structure
required for a certain product to be handled.
Bulk Density of Various Agricultural Crops
Given:
Sample - shelled corn
Weight of sample - 10 tons
Ratio - 2D = H
Density of sample - 45 lb/ft3
Required:
Dimension of the silo
Solution:
Thermal Conductivity
where:
K - thermal conductivity, BTU/hr-ft-°F
M - moisture content, % wet basis
Specific Heat
Equation
C = 0.22008 + 0.01301 M
where:
C - specific heat, BTU/lb-°F
M - moisture content, % wet basis
What is the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1.5
tons medium-sized paddy from 27°C to 45°C? The moisture
content of paddy is 14% wet basis.
Given:
Sample - paddy
Weight of sample - 1.5 tons
Initial temperature of sample - 27°C (106.2°F)
Final temperature of sample - 45°C (138.6°F)
Moisture content - 14% wet basis
Required:
Heat energy required to raise the temperature of sample
Solution:
C = 0.22008 + 0.1301 M
= 0.22008 + 0.1301 (0.14)
= 0.22190 BTU/lb-°F
Qs = 1.5 tons x 0.2219 BTU/lb-°F x (138.6°F – 106.2°F)
= 23,725.548 BTU
Coefficient of Thermal Expansion
where:
Ck - coefficient of thermal expansion, decimal
M - moisture content, % dry basis
Heat of Vaporization
where:
HV - latent heat of vaporization, kJ/kg
T - temperature of air, °C
M - moisture content, dec db
Heat Vaporization of Rough Rice at Various
Moisture Content and Temperatures
Given:
Moisture content - 28% wet basis
Temperature - 40°C
Moisture to be removed - 200 kg
Required:
Latent heat of vaporization and amount of heat required
to remove the moisture
Solution:
HV = 2.32 [1094-1.026(T+17.78)][1+2.4962 – 21.73 M]
= 2.32 [1094 – 1.026 (40°C + 17.78][1+2.496– 21.73 (0.28)]
= 2,409.731 kJ/kg of water
Heat to be removed = HV x Moisture to be removed
= 2,409.731 kJ/kg x 200 kg
= 481,946.2 kJ
Thermal Diffusivity
where:
D - Diffusivity, m2/hr
Ta - Absolute dry bulb temperature, °K
Hygroscopic Properties
The EMC of various grains can be computed using the Chung and
Pfost equation:
Md = E – F ln [-R (T + C) ln RH
Chung and Pfost Equilibrium Constant
Grain Constant
A B C E F
Beans, edible 1334.93 14.964 120.098 0.480920 0.066826
Corn, yellow dent 620.56 16.958 30.205 0.379212 0.058970
Peanut, Kernel 506.65 29.243 33.892 0.212966 0.034196
Peanut, Pod 1037.19 37.093 12.354 0.183212 0.026383
Rice, Rough 1181.57 21.733 35.703 0.325535 0.046015
Sorghum 2185.07 19.644 102.849 0.391444 0.050970
Soybean 275.11 14.967 24.576 0.375314 0.066816
Wheat, Durum 1831.40 18.077 112.350 0.415593 0.055318
Wheat, Hard 1052.01 17.609 50.998 0.395155 0.056788
Wheat, Soft 1442.54 23.607 35.662 0.308163 0.042360
What is the equilibrium moisture content of paddy stored in bags at
a storage temperature of 27°C and humidity of 90%. If the
moisture content of paddy stored is 14% wet basis, is there a
danger that the grain will deteriorate when the condition will prevail
for a longer period?
¡ The mass transfer coefficient for rough rice drying by natural air on
a drying bed can be computed using the regression equation
developed by Chang and Chung (1983). The equation is a
function of the temperature, relative humidity, airflow rate, and
grain bed depth.
Kg = 0.008489 – 0.000225 T + 0.000236 RH – 0.00042
where:
Kg - mass transfer coefficient, moisture decimal
dry basis-cm2/h-m2-kg
T - temperature of drying air, °C
RH - relative humidity, %
Q - airflow rate of drying air, m3/min
Tempering Time
where:
t -
time of tempering, hr
T -
dry bulb temperature, °C
RH -
relative humidity, decimal
Mo -
initial moisture content, decimal dry basis
DELM -
moisture reduction during one drying pass,
decimal db
DTIME - time elapsed during one drying pass, hr
Dry Matter Loss
Stored grains respire and consume dry matter during storage. This
respiration process occurs when the grains react with oxygen and
produce carbon dioxide, heat, and water. As the grains respire,
there is an equivalent loss in the dry matter in the grain.
¡ To estimate the dry matter loss in order to answer how long can
paddy be stored without economic loss, the mathematical
expression as a function of storage temperature, time, and
moisture content is:
where:
DML - dry matter loss, dec
t - storage time, hr/1000
T - temperature, °F
W - moisture content, decimal wb
A,C,D,E- constant
Dry Matter Loss Constants
Grain Size A C D E
Long 0.001889 0.7101 0.02740 31.63
◼ Pressure Drop
◼ Pneumatic Separation
Pressure Drop