Design Of Processing Equipment Research Articles

Calibration and Validation of Simulation Parameters for Maize Straw Based on Discrete Element Method and Genetic Algorithm-Backpropagation.

There is a significant difference between the simulation effect and the actual effect in the design process of maize straw-breaking equipment due to the lack of accurate simulation model parameters in the breaking and processing of maize straw. This article used a combination of physical experiments, virtual simulation, and machine learning to calibrate the simulation parameters of maize straw. A bimodal-distribution discrete element model of maize straw was established based on the intrinsic and contact parameters measured via physical experiments. The significance analysis of the simulation parameters was conducted via the Plackett-Burman experiment. The Poisson ratio, shear modulus, and normal stiffness of the maize straw significantly impacted the peak compression force of the maize straw and steel plate. The steepest-climb test was carried out for the significance parameter, and the relative error between the peak compression force in the simulation test and the peak compression force in the physical test was used as the evaluation index. It was found that the optimal range intervals for the Poisson ratio, shear modulus, and normal stiffness of the maize straw were 0.32-0.36, 1.24 × 108-1.72 × 108 Pa, and 5.9 × 106-6.7 × 106 N/m3, respectively. Using the experimental data of the central composite design as the dataset, a GA-BP neural network prediction model for the peak compression force of maize straw was established, analyzed, and evaluated. The GA-BP prediction model's accuracy was verified via experiments. It was found that the ideal combination of parameters was a Poisson ratio of 0.357, a shear modulus of 1.511 × 108 Pa, and a normal stiffness of 6.285 × 106 N/m3 for the maize straw. The results provide a basis for analyzing the damage mechanism of maize straw during the grinding process.

Эффективность комбинированного воздействия ультразвука и микроволн при обработке пищевых продуктов. Обзор

Modern methods of food processing combine ultrasonic and microwave treatment. This article reviews scientific publications on combined microwave and ultrasound technologies in food processing. The review involved standard methods of data analysis and covered 85 Scopus and Web of Science research papers on combined microwave and ultrasonic food treatment published in English in 2010–2023. The article describes the principles and specific features of ultrasonic and microwave food processing methods, their combinations, equipment design, and applications as part of various food processing stages, e.g., defrosting, drying, extraction, sterilization, etc. Microwaves increase the heating rate while ultrasound increases the efficiency of heat and mass transfer. Their combined use reduces processing time, improves product quality, facilitates moisture drainage, and provides uniform heating. The combined effect of microwaves and ultrasound increases the processing efficiency, thus preserving the nutritional value and quality of the final product. Ultrasonic technology serves as an aid to efficient and environmentally-friendly microwave heating, which has a wide range of applications in the food industry. The review can be used in further research in extraction, drying, defrosting, and sterilization. It can help food industry specialists to select optimal food processing methods.

Dynamic Cutting Properties of Miscanthus (giganteus) Stems Using an Impact Tester

Miscanthus (giganteus) is a relatively new energy crop. Its mechanical properties are important for the design and modification of harvesting and processing machines or equipment. The cutting strength is critical to improve the field performance of mowing and other cutting mechanisms. The effects of the cutting blade type, sample supporting method, and sample locations (upper or lower) where it was taken from a single plant stem on the cutting force and energy were studied. A serrated cutting blade and a flat blade were selected to cut Miscanthus samples at the node and internode using a high-speed impact tester. The cutting force, sample diameter, and cutting speed were recorded. The specific cutting force and energy were then calculated based on the cross-sectional area of the stem sample. The average diameter of the Miscanthus samples used for this study was 9.5 mm. The blade cutting speeds for all treatments were ranged from 8.2 ms−1 to 11.3 ms−1. Overall, the maximum specific cutting force and energy of the flat blade were found at the upper portion of a plant stem, which was 441 N cm−2 and 8.3 J cm−2 at the node when one side of the stem sample was fixed, and 469 N cm−2 and 12.1 J cm−2 at the internode if both sides of the sample were fixed. The cutting strengths at the node and internode were significantly different no matter at the upper portion or lower portion of the plant. When using the serrated blade, the maximum specific cutting force was also found at the upper node section with a value of 511 N cm−2 and 437 N cm−2 for one-side fixed and two-side fixed, respectively. Meanwhile, the corresponding maximum specific cutting energies for these two cases were 10.5 J cm−2 and 10.3 J cm−2, respectively. Statistical analysis showed that the blade types and stem sample locations significantly affected the specific cutting force and energy with a 95% confidence level. The sample support methods did not make significant differences when comparing the specific cutting force and energy; but the actual cutting force and energy were significantly different.

Sampling, quantification and mathematical modeling in agricultural spray drift: A review

An effective spray of agrochemicals is inevitable for crop production for viable agriculture. Spraying inherently suffers from drift, which has always been one of the major concerns in agriculture, affecting the intent of agrochemical spraying and posing serious environmental hazards. Complete elimination of spray drift is impractical under field conditions but can be minimized using precision spraying techniques. Agricultural spray drift has several detrimental effects, such as environmental damage, polluting water bodies, human and animal health risks, chemical exposure, and economic losses, and may also lead to conflicts between neighboring farmers. Hence, the assessment of spray drift is a salient part of the design process of plant protection equipment to achieve maximum deposition in both chemical and biological pesticide applications. The different methods used to study the drift of a sprayer include test bench, wind tunnel and phase Doppler particle analyzer (PDPA) methods. In the field-level assessment, the fluorometric tracer sampling method conforming to ISO-22866:2005 was used. Plume dispersion, particle tracking and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) are the major mathematical modeling approaches for spray drift simulation studies. Among various methodologies and techniques, an appropriate method for spray drift assessment should be adopted in accordance with factors such as crop parameters, mode of application, and environmental conditions.

Two-Fluid and Discrete Population Balance Model for Simulation of Batch Sedimentation Relevant to Plutonium Reconversion

There are widespread occurrence and application of solid-liquid sedimentation processes among different industries. Therefore, it becomes important to understand the hydrodynamic inside the process equipment and particle agglomeration characteristics. In the present work, solid-liquid sedimentation is analyzed, which will be helpful for the design of continuous process equipment in plutonium (Pu) reconversion. Experiments were carried out in a batch settler to understand solid sedimentation in suspension in terms of varying the overall solid fractions. Euler-Euler two-fluid simulations were performed to investigate the local and overall solid phase volume fraction distributions, position of the active interface (AI) (settling curve), axial solid phase velocity, and pressure distributions during settling, and selected data were compared with the measured data. Further, the discrete population balance model (PBM) with different agglomeration kernels was used with the two-fluid computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model to understand and further improve predictions in terms of the AI position. The variation in number density of the different particles in the settler with time was investigated. The predicted results show that agglomeration is dominant during the sedimentation process and application of the discrete PBM with the CFD model enhances the predictive capability in comparison with the predictions obtained from only the two-fluid model. The results reported using CFD+PBM will aid in the design of continuous process equipment (thickener/precipitator) for Pu reconversion.

Estimation of Densities of Aqueous Actinide Solutions Ranging from Pure Water to Hydrated Crystals

The density of aqueous solutions containing actinide nitrates is an important parameter for process design, equipment design, and remote operation/control. It is also significantly important for the estimation of atom densities during criticality calculations and related experiments involving actinide solutions. Using a massive database of 1353 points consisting of in-house-generated data as well as data published in the literature, a robust estimation of the coefficients of a re-parameterized and dimensionally consistent form of density equation was performed in the following range of parameters: U(VI) concentration 0 to 1330 g/L, Pu(IV) concentration 0 to 1201 g/L, HNO3 concentration 0 to 15.8 M, and temperature range of 283.15 to 373.15 K. This paper lists the details of the new database, the newly estimated coefficients, and the performance evaluation of the proposed re-parameterized dimensionally consistent equations.

Empirical investigation of parameter impacts on the three-dimensional coefficient of restitution of jujube at the time of harvest

To provide foundational data for parameter design and performance analysis of high-performance processing equipment, the collision model between jujube-parts and the parameter effects on coefficient of restitution (COR) were investigated. Jujube samples from the sandy lands of southern Xinjiang during the harvest season were utilized, with experimental factors including collision angle, falling height, collision material, moisture content, and collision parts. Single-factor tests and mixed orthogonal tests were conducted to explore the impact of parameter on COR. Utilizing the specular reflection principle, a 3D impact analysis of jujube was performed, and a kinematic model of the falling and impact process was established to determine the COR. Results indicate that the COR of Jun (Zizyphus jujuba cv. Junzao) is higher than that of Hui (Zizyphus jujuba cv. Huizao), and the ventral part exhibits a higher COR compared to the other four parts. Collisions with steel yield higher COR values compared to soil. Furthermore, for collisions with steel material, both Jun and Hui exhibit a decrease in COR with increasing falling height and moisture content, while the COR increases with an increase in collision angle. The influencing factors on COR follow the order of collision material > variety > moisture content > collision angle > falling height > collision part. These findings offer valuable insights for jujube processing research and for preventing mechanical damage to jujube fruits.

Physical Properties of Full-ripe Dabai (Canarium odontophyllum miq. Variety Song) at Different Fractions

Dabai fruit is an exotic and seasonal fruit in Sarawak. Among the varieties available, the Song variety was chosen due to better taste and high demand amongst local consumers. This study determined the physical properties of dabai (Song variety) at three different fractions: whole fruit, nut, and kernel. According to the results, whole fruit had the highest values in geometric mean diameter (27.86 mm), volume (12.70 cm3), mass (13.89 g), surface area (2442.60 mm2) and angle of repose (39.06°) when compared to nut and kernel. Bulk density of dabai nut reached the highest with the value of 0.63 gcm-3. Kernel had the highest percentage of porosity (80.50) compared to others. The correlations of physical properties between whole fruit, nut and kernel were further analysed using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The findings can potentially be useful in the design of handling and processing equipment.

Solid Flow in an Experimental Oxygen Blast Furnace Model: Effects of Recycled Gas and Raceway

The oxygen blast furnace (OBF) process with top gas recycling is recognized as a promising ironmaking process, due to its high productivity and low CO2 emissions. The solid flow plays a crucial role in this process. Therefore, the solid flow in OBF was investigated using a cold experimental OBF model in this paper. The results indicate that the plug flow is the primary solid flow pattern in the upper and middle zones of the OBF. A slight convergence flow and a smaller deadman zone were observed at the bosh. The influence of recycled gas on solid flow was found to be quite limited. Additionally, the raceway size affects the burden structure and deadman zone, but the production rate had little impact. Both the raceway size and production rate have different effects on the repose angle of the deadman zone, and it varies by 14–18°. The findings of this study may have important implications for understanding the structure of solid flow in OBF. The results can be used to optimize the process parameters and equipment design to improve the efficiency of iron production while reducing environmental impact.

Substantiation of the range of changes in the elastic-damping and inertial characteristics of the oscillatory system of agricultural MES with mounted technological equipment

This article discusses the issue of substantiating the range of changes in the elastic-damping and mass-inertial characteristics of agricultural mobile power equipment (MES) with mounted technological equipment. Substantiation of the range of changes in the elastic-damping and inertial characteristics of an oscillatory system is an important stage in the design process of various mechanical systems and equipment. In this article, the authors present experimental data necessary for further studies of the springing system and present a study aimed at ensuring optimal operating conditions of the system, minimizing the level of vibrations and vibrations, predicting the behavior of the system in various operating conditions and modes. The article describes the research methods used, presents the results and draws conclusions. The research plays an important role in the design of agricultural MEAS aggregated with various technological equipment.

Application of Computational Fluid Dynamics in Simulation and Optimization of a Fluidized Sugar Bed Dryer

The application of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) in the design of industrial thermal process equipment is of great importance. Food drying is an important process in the sugar processing industry as it helps in the easy of transportation and storage, and also increases the life span of food. In this study a two-dimensional (2D) fluidized bed dryer is designed in the Blockmesh Dict file an application in the OpenFOAM with dimensions height 0.8m and diameter 0.5m. The Navier-Stokes equations were solved to provide the flow variation that occurs inside the fluidized bed dryer in terms of temperature and velocity. For optimization of results, Taguchi analysis was considered and the results show that at a very low temperature below 50°C, the sugar drying process is slow leading to much time being spent for effective sugar drying. Also an increase in flow velocity results in a faster drying rate of sugar granules. During the optimization of the performance of the fluidized sugar bed dryer, the percentage contribution of sugar granules diameter is more significant than other factors and it was also noted that pressure has less significance on the drying process within the fluidized bed.

Simulation of the movement of rice grains in a centrifugal huller by discrete element method and the influence of blade shape

Problems of low one-time hulling ratio and high grain breakage can occur during rice processing. Understanding the interaction mechanism between grains and blade in a centrifugal huller is the key to improving its performance. In this study, the discrete element method was used to simulate the movement of rice in centrifugal huller. The feasibility of simulation and particle modelling was confirmed by experiments. The results showed that some grains can lack the necessary acceleration, which can lead to the velocity difference between grains. With increasing radial position, the orientation angle of grains gradually changed to angles that were not conducive to hulling. The friction work done by the blade to the grains causes reductions in the rotational kinetic energy of the grains. When the grains are located alongside the upper or the lower layers of the huller wall, the proportion of grains moving at their optimal hulling angle is greater and the long axis of grain tends to be adjusted to become parallel to the baffle. Based on the principle of minimising the rebound of grains on the blades and reducing the rotational kinetic energy of grains themselves, a new type of V-shaped concave blade was investigated. Compared with original blade, the hulling ratio was increased by 8% and breakage ratio was decreased by 7.33% using the concave blade. This study can provide theoretical guidance for the design of centrifugal huller or similar grain processing equipment.

Multi-domain Mapping design Method of Automatic Disassembly Equipment for Small Electromechanical Products

The design of automatic disassembly equipment for small end-of-life (EOL) electromechanical products is difficult and time-consuming. To deal with these problems, a novel automatic disassembly equipment design method for small EOL electromechanical products based on axiomatic design and modular design is presented. To realize the mapping from disassembly knowledge to the functional requirements of automatic disassembly equipment, a transfer mapping model from the structure to disassembly methods of small EOL electromechanical products is constructed based on polychromatic sets, which are regarded as the key information of the customer domain. Furthermore, a multi-domain mapping model of the automatic disassembly equipment is constructed through axiomatic design, and the mapping from the customer domain to the functional domain and then to the structure domain in the design process of automatic disassembly equipment is gradually realized. Based on the information in the structure domain, the related modules of the automatic disassembly equipment are divided and designed. Finally, taking a power strip and a set-top box as the experimental objects, the proposed method is applied to the design of automatic disassembly equipment. The results prove that the proposed method improves the design efficiency of automatic disassembly equipment and has strong universality.

Stakeholder inclusion in the design and development of equipment for the modernizing mining sector in South Africa

A people-centric, systematic approach that involves different stakeholders is considered necessary to successfully address changes associated with modernizing the South African mining industry. In this paper we discuss the inclusion of various South African mining industry stakeholders, particularly the employees, in equipment design and development processes. Data was acquired through a literature review and inputs from South African mining industry stakeholders through focus group discussions, interviews, and an online survey. It was suggested that some of the areas that could be improved by the inclusion of employees in the process are design quality, ergonomics, equipment acceptance by the workforce, safety, efficiency, skills, insight into context of use, and early design iterations and identification of problems. Among the issues considered to be barriers to inclusion were lack of buy-in, lack of resources, difficulty in manufacturers accessing the mines, difficulties in involving too many people, intellectual property concerns, and unavailability of mine employees due to their key responsibilities. Identified critical factors in the equipment design and development process include iterative design, stakeholder participation throughout the process, needs analysis through consultation, and change management. A guideline was developed for worker inclusion in equipment design and development that could be used by the South African mining industry. The study identified several economic and social benefits of including stakeholders in the early stages of design and development. It is recommended that the South African mining industry considers using the developed guideline.

A review of baobab (Adansonia digitata) fruit processing as a catalyst for enhancing wealth and food security

Scientific study on non-timber forest products with potential for use by humans has recently experienced a resurgence. Baobab is one of these non-timber forest products, and every part of the baobab has been shown by studies to be useful. Because the fruit products of the baobab tree contain enormous amounts of phytochemicals, these products have found uses in food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. Hence, this study examined, among other things, the role of the physical and mechanical properties of the baobab seeds in relation to design of equipment for processing as well as the phytochemicals found in the fruit products. It also discussed the traditional and orthodox uses of the baobab product. Along with vitamins and amino-acids found in the pulp, other minerals were also reviewed. High quantities of proteins, lipids, essential amino acids, and fatty acids, including linoleic, oleic, and palmitic acids, as well as Omega 3, 6, and 9, are present in baobab seeds and the seed oil. Antinutrients present in baobab seeds have the potential to be harmful to human health when consumed. The study examined different processing techniques used to lessen these antinutrients present in the seeds. To fully realize the potential of baobab fruit products, areas for further research have been highlighted in this review.

Phase stability analysis and phase equilibrium calculations in reactive and nonreactive systems using new hybrids of Pelican and Gorilla troops algorithms

Phase stability and equilibrium calculations are very significant in the process industries, ranging from process simulation, equipment design, operation and design. These problems involve several systems of complex and nonlinear equations, which are mathematically challenging. An alternative solution is formulating the problems into a global optimisation problem. A robust and reliable optimisation technique is required to solve these global optimisation problems. In this study, two recently developed stochastic global optimisation algorithms, POA and GTO were applied to phase stability and equilibrium problems. The need to enhance their performance necessitated the development of two modified algorithms, PGOA1 and PGOA2, which are the hybridisation of POA and GTO. All the algorithms' abilities were explored for solving computationally challenging and multidimensional phase stability and equilibrium problems, and their performances were compared. The implementation of POA and GTO was good in solving most problems, though GTO slightly outperformed POA. The hybridisation of both to develop PGOA1 and PGOA2 was worthwhile as both outperformed the POA and GTO. PGOA2 is more robust and reliable in solving phase stability and equilibrium, and its performance superseded the performances of the other algorithms.

Design and research of shrimp automatic processing equipment

In view of the lack of shrimp deep processing equipment in my country's aquatic product processing industry, this paper takes Penaeus vannamei (hereinafter referred to as shrimp) as the research object. and other key technologies to carry out research, design and develop a new type of shrimp peeling processing equipment. In order to realize the automatic processing of shrimp shell and meat separation, simplify the processing process, reduce manufacturing and production costs, and further improve the economic benefits of shrimp product processing and production.

Modifikasi Alat Pengolah Limbah Plastik Menjadi Bahan Bakar Cair Menggunakan Software Solidworks

Plastic is one of the human needs in everyday life, as a place to wrap food and drinks, because plastic is practical, clean, and makes it easy for humans. Plastic is also an artificial inorganic material composed of chemicals that are quite harmful to the environment. To deal with plastic waste, a way is needed, to process the plastic waste into materials that are more useful and also have benefits for nature, one way is by recycling the plastic waste into fuel, namely fuel in the form of oil. By processing plastic waste into fuel oil, besides being able to reduce plastic waste, we can also save petroleum supplies in nature. In addition, the oil produced from this plastic also has a calorific value that is quite high on par with fossil fuels such as gasoline and diesel. The purpose of this research is to create a new tool size and create a new tool design from existing plastic waste processing equipment. The research method that the author uses is a field study method by analyzing existing waste processing equipment into liquid fuel and modifying the tool with Solidworks Software. In modifying the plastic waste processing equipment into liquid fuel, the first step is to modify the frame size which is more compact and not much free space and in modifying the design of the plastic waste processing equipment to become liquid fuel, the design is more attractive and elegant, while also prioritizing safety. Keyword: Oil, Design, Waste, Plastic, Solidworks

Determination of selected engineering properties of cashew nut (Anacardium Occidentale) related to the design of cashew nut processing equipments

Cashew plant is a tree in the family Anacardiaceous. Cashew with botanical name Anacardium occidentale is extensively cultivated in the tropics mainly for its apples and nuts. This study aims at investigating the interactions of physical properties of the cashew nuts and its moisture content. The size and shape were described in relation to its surface area and sphericity, geometric mean diameter and arithmetic mean diameter. They were characterized using established procedure. Density was described on the basis of its true and bulk density which resulted to the porosity of the nuts. They were determined with reference using water displacement method. The frictional characteristics which are angle of repose and coefficient of friction were determined on three different structural surfaces plastic, metal and plywood on an inclined plane. Result obtained revealed that the mean value for the nuts major diameter, intermediate diameter, minor diameter, arithmetic mean diameter, geometric mean diameter, sphericity, surface area, mass, volume, true density, bulk density and porosity were 31.58±0.75 mm, 24.25±0.40 mm, 17.23±0.55 mm, 24.35±0.51 mm, 23.63±0.51 mm, 0.75±0.01 mm, 1754.20±75.14 mm2, 7.75±0.72 g, 7.65±0.52 cm3, 1.01±0.03 g/cm3, 0.58±0.03 g/cm3 and 42.53±0.04 % respectively at a moisture content ranging between 5 % to 8 % wet basis. The mean value for coefficient of friction for wood, plastic and metal structural surface was 0.068±0.01, 0.102±0.033 and 0.100±0.037 respectively at a moisture content ranging between 5 % to 8 % wet basis. The mean value for angle of repose for metal, plastic and plywood structural surface were 31.5±1.73°, 25.5±1.29° and 26.25±4.35° respectively. The effect of moisture content on the physical properties considered was significant, the results were expressed graphically.

Pengembangan Kawasan Wisata Pantai Laguna Melalui Peningkatan Kapasitas Mitra

The attractiveness of a tourist area is a driving force for a tourism place, therefore the tourist attraction is the main driver that encourages tourists to visit a tourist spot. The method used in this service is the method of transferring knowledge and skills through a participatory approach. The forms of activities provided to partners are training, counseling and mentoring. The stages of the activity begin with observation, namely interviews with relevant government and stakeholders. The activity continued with the socialization of the PIPK program and holding a Forum Group Discussion (FGD) to find out the conditions that are currently happening at the service location, whether in the form of obstacles, threats, constraints or potentials that exist and are feasible to develop. The next stage is formulating alternative policy programs taken, offering the right solution in overcoming problems from partners. The stages of implementation through training and counseling and providing assistance. The results of this community service activity can be seen in each of the Pokdarwis Bahari partners, namely 1 (one) design of a tourism site plan, Availability of adequate facilities, 1 ( one) tourism management structure, 1 (one) online-based promotional media and for lagoon KUB partners, 1 (one) design of fishery product processing equipment as well as diversification of various processed fishery products that are ready to be marketed.