Moisture Content Of Chips Research Articles

Chipping Whole Trees for Fuel Chips: A Production Study

Abstract A time and motion study was conducted to determine the productivity and cost of an in-woods chipping operation when processing whole small-diameter trees for biomass. The study removed biomass from two overstocked stands and compared the cost of this treatment to existing alternatives. The treatment stands consisted of a 30-year-old longleaf pine stand and a 37-year-old loblolly pine stand. In the longleaf pine stand, 71% of the trees removed were less than 5 in. dbh. In the loblolly pine stand, approximately 81% of the stems removed were less than 5 in. dbh. The harvesting system consisted of conventional ground-based harvesting equipment and a three-knife chipper that processed the biomass into fuel chips. The average production time to fill a chip van was 24.61 minutes. The chip moisture content averaged 94.11% (dry basis). Using machine rates and federal labor wage rates, the in-woods cost of producing fuel chips was $9.18/green ton (gt). The cost of the biomass chipping operation ($15.18/gt), including transportation, compared favorably to existing alternative treatments of cut-and-pile or mulching.

Color kinetics and acrylamide formation in NaCl soaked potato chips

The objective of this work was to study the kinetics of color development in blanched and blanched-NaCl impregnated potato slices during frying by using the dynamic method and also to evaluate the effect of NaCl in reducing acrylamide formation in potato chips. The measurement of color was done by using an inexpensive computer vision technique which allowed quantifying in a more precise and representative way the color in L ∗ a ∗ b ∗ units of complex surfaces such as those of potato slices during frying. The effect of potato slice soaking in NaCl was evaluated not only for color change but also for acrylamide formation. Prior to frying, potato slices (Desiree variety, diameter: 37 mm, width: 2.2 mm) were blanched in hot water at 85 °C for 3.5 min; these slices were considered as the control. Slices of the same dimensions were blanched as in the previous step, and soaked at 25 °C in a NaCl solution of 0.02 g/l 5 min at 200 rpm of agitation. These samples were considered as NaCl soaked potato chips. Blanched and soaked slices were fried at 120, 140, 160 and 180 °C until reaching moisture contents of ∼1.8% (total basis) for color evaluation. Acrylamide content was evaluated only in final samples fried from 120 °C to 160 °C. Color values in L ∗ a ∗ b ∗ units were recorded at different sampling times during frying at the four mentioned temperatures using the total color change parameter (Δ E). Experimental data of surface temperature, moisture content and color change in potato chips during frying were fitted to empirical relationships, with correlation coefficients greater than 90%. A first-order rate equation was used to model the kinetics of color change. In all cases, the Arrhenius activation energy decreases alongside with decreasing chip moisture content. Soaking in NaCl solution of potato slices before frying reduced dramatically acrylamide formation in potato chips in ∼90% (average value) in comparison with control chips.

Color changes and acrylamide formation in fried potato slices

The objective of this work was to study the kinetics of browning during deep-fat frying of blanched and unblanched potato chips by using the dynamic method and to find a relationship between browning development and acrylamide formation. Prior to frying, potato slices were blanched in hot water at 85 °C for 3.5 min. Unblanched slices were used as the control. Control and blanched potato slices (Panda variety, diameter: 37 mm, width: 2.2 mm) were fried at 120, 150 and 180 °C until reaching moisture contents of ∼1.8% (total basis) and their acrylamide content and final color were measured. Color changes were recorded at different sampling times during frying at the three mentioned temperatures using the chromatic redness parameter a ∗. Experimental data of surface temperature, moisture content and color change in potato chips during frying were fit to empirical relationships, with correlation coefficients greater than 90%. A first-order rate equation was used to model the kinetics of color change. In all cases, the Arrhenius activation energy decreases alongside with decreasing chip moisture content. Blanching reduced acrylamide formation in potato chips in ∼64% (average value) in comparison with control chips at the three oil temperatures tested. For the two pre-treatments studied, average acrylamide content increased ∼58 times as the frying temperature increased from 120 to 180 °C. There was a linear correlation between acrylamide content of potato chips and their color represented by the redness component a ∗ in the range of the temperatures studied.

EFFECT OF MONO- AND DIGLYCERIDE ADDITION ON BAKED TORTILLA CHIPS AND THEIR STORAGE PROPERTIES

The effects of mono- and diglycerides on textural properties of baked tortilla chips were studied. The rheological properties and moisture content of tortilla chips were also studied to investigate storage properties. The rheological values increased with the addition of emulsifiers. Fracturability of tortilla chips increased up to 35.0% with addition of mono- and diglycerides and hardness increased up to 42.7%. Rheological properties decreased linearly with increasing concentration. Similar results were observed for the tortilla chips that were held at room temperature for storage. The control chips picked up moisture during storage, with the moisture content of chips increasing from 18.33% to 22.48% after 4 weeks of storage. The moisture content of tortilla chips prepared with mono- and diglycerides did not increase during storage.

Sampling Trailers for Estimating Moisture Content and Nutrient Concentrations for Hardwood Chips

Abstract Removals of biomass and nutrients from timber harvesting have been estimated by sampling trailers of whole-tree chips. The potential effects of chip stratification on estimates of chip moisture content and nutrient concentrations were examined using a three-dimensional sampling scheme. Moisture content and nutrient concentrations were significantly affected by the physical location of sampling plane (the sloping wall of chips) in filling trailers. Moisture content and nutrient concentrations were independent of horizontal and vertical position. When sampling filling trailers for estimation of chip moisture content and nutrient concentrations, effort should be directed toward sampling a greater number of planes, rather than withdrawing a large number of samples from one or two planes. North. J. Appl. For. 3:156-158, Dec. 1986.

Chipping Citrus Wood for Gasification

CITRUS trees, both green and dead, were chipped to provide a fuel source to make producer gas. Chip moisture content, fuel analysis, drying rate, and data on fuel/t of chips were obtained. The average moisture contents of the green and dead trees when chipped were 32% (w.b.) and 16% (w.b.), respectively. Chips were sized to a minimum of 0.32 cm square by 0.32 cm thick and to a maximum of 5.0 cm square by 0.32 cm thick and normally required four weeks to air dry to 14% (w.b.) moisture content before being used in a gasifier.

STUDIES ON THE SULPHITE DIGESTION FOR RAYON PULP

Several experiments have been made to reseach the relations between chip characteristics......chip length, moisture content of chips and rotten woods and qualities of the sulphite rayon pulp from the coniferous woods.The longer chips used, the cooking time lengthens to some extent, and we have higher pulp yield at same Sieber No. and slightly lower alpha cellulose content at same relative viscosity. But their differences are rather neglegible small in the rayon pulp range. We prefer to use the relatively shorter and uniform chips in order to cook the sulphite rayon pulp.The difference in moisture content of chips in commercial circumstances hardly effects to sulphite cooking velocity. It is almost sure that the penetration of cooking liquor into wet chips is faster than in dry chips. We have gained the pulp with higher yield and slightly lower alpha cellulose content from extremely wet chips. We are not anxious about inuniformity of the sulphite pulp from the deviation of the moisture content of chipsThe sulphite process very hardly delignified from the rotten woods, in comparison with easily hydrolysed the carbohydrates. At the same Sieber No. pulps from the rotten woods have considerably lower yield and alpha cellulose content in proportion to their rotten sections. We must keep away from even small amount of the rotten wood chips to enter into the digester.