Journal of Agricultural Machinery

Effect of Gaseous Fuels and Coolant Temperature on Performance and Combustion Characteristics of a Low-Speed Single Cylinder Diesel Engine

B. Sabahi; H. Bahrami; M. J. Sheikhdavoodi; S. M. Safieddin Ardebili; E. Houshyar

Volume 12, Issue 3 , September 2022, , Pages 351-366

https://doi.org/10.22067/jam.2021.68089.1007

Abstract

IntroductionToday, diesel engines provide the main power source for the world equipment e.g., common propulsion generators in industry and agriculture. These engines are widely used due to their high combustion efficiency, reliability, compatibility, and cost-effectiveness. However, diesel engines are ... Read More IntroductionToday, diesel engines provide the main power source for the world equipment e.g., common propulsion generators in industry and agriculture. These engines are widely used due to their high combustion efficiency, reliability, compatibility, and cost-effectiveness. However, diesel engines are one of the most critical consumers of fuel which in turn causes some environmental pollution. One of the convenient and low-cost ways to reduce the pollution of these engines is dual-fuel mode and the use of gaseous fuels as an alternative fuel. This study investigated the effect of blending CNG and LPG with neat diesel in dual-fuel mode. Besides, the variation in engine coolant temperature on engine performance characteristics was experimentally studied.Materials and MethodsThe experimental apparatus consisted of a stationary, four-stroke, naturally aspirated, water-cooled, single-cylinder compression ignition engine. To control the engine load, an electrical dynamometer was made using a 7.5 kW three-phase generator and coupled to the engine as a cradle. A load cell was used to determine the force applied to the generator. The engine speed was monitored continuously by a tachometer. Fuel consumption was measured by using a weight method. A thermostat with variable temperature was used to control the temperature of the engine coolant. To measure the mass flow of air entering the cylinder, an airbox with a sharp edge orifice was used. For this study, factorial experiments in the form of a randomized complete block design with three replications were utilized to analyze the data statistically. The studied parameters were three levels of fuel ratio (100% diesel, 20% diesel and 80%± 2% CNG, 20% diesel and 80%±2% LPG), 11 engine speeds (1500 to 1600 rpm with 10 rpm intervals), and three engine coolant temperatures (50, 60, and 70 °C). All experiments were conducted in the governor control mode.Results and DiscussionThe results showed that the torque, brake power and brake mean effective pressure (BMEP) in the diesel-CNG mode at all engine speeds and in the diesel-LPG mode at low engine speeds significantly increased compared to pure diesel. The increases in these parameters in the diesel-CNG mode were 18.67%, 19.56% and 19.85%, and in the diesel-LPG mode were 14.02%, 13.86% and 14.2%, compared to those related to the pure diesel, respectively. This increase could be due to the high calorific value of gas fuels and improvement of combustion inside the cylinder due to the formation of homogeneous charge. At low engine speeds, the reductions in the brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC) and brake specific energy consumption (BSEC) for coolant temperature 60 °C were 11.21% and 10.77%, compared to coolant temperature 50 °C, respectively. Also, the BSFC and BSEC for diesel-CNG dual-fuel mode decreased by 8.12% and 10.81%, respectively. These values for the diesel-LPG dual-fuel mode were 5.4% and 2.4%, respectively. The brake thermal efficiency (BTE) also showed a significant increase at high speeds and when using the dual-fuel operational mode. However, raising the coolant temperature due to reducing the heat losses of the engine increased the BTE. The increases in BTE for coolant temperatures 60 and 70 °C were 7.19% and 4.37%, compared to the coolant temperature of 50 °C, respectively. When using the engine in dual-fuel mode, the volumetric efficiency due to reducing the air ratio showed a significant reduction. These diesel-CNG and diesel-LPG dual-fuel mode values were 20.31% and 24%, respectively. Furthermore, raising the coolant temperature diminished the volumetric efficiency. The reduction in volumetric efficiency for the coolant temperatures of 60 °C and 70 °C were 6.84% and 19.91% compared to the coolant temperature of 50 °C, respectively.ConclusionThe following conclusions can be deduced based on this study:The use of gaseous fuels as the main fuel and with a small amount of diesel in compression ignition engines is possible and improves the engine's performance characteristics.In the diesel-CNG mode, torque, brake power and BMEP at all engine speeds and in the diesel-LPG mode at low engine speeds significantly increased compared to pure diesel because of improved combustion inside the cylinder.At low engine speeds, increasing the coolant temperature reduced the BSFC and BSEC. Also, in the dual-fuel mode compared to the engine with baseline diesel fuel, the BSFC and BSEC were significantly lower due to the higher calorific value of gaseous fuels and higher power generation.The BTE at high engine speeds and when the engine was in dual-fuel mode showed a significant increase. Also, increasing the coolant temperature due to reducing the heat losses of the engine increased the BTE.When using the engine in the dual-fuel mode, due to the volume of air replaced by the gas, the volumetric efficiency showed a significant reduction. Also, raising the coolant temperature diminished the volumetric efficiency.Overall, it can be stated that the use of a diesel-CNG dual-fuel mode with a coolant temperature of 60 °C at entire engine speeds has the best outputs on the performance and combustion characteristics of the engine.

Challenges and Opportunities in Development of Agricultural Mechanization in Ahvaz County using SWOT Method

N. Moradi; A. Asakereh; M. J. Sheikhdavoodi

Volume 11, Issue 2 , 2021, , Pages 535-548

https://doi.org/10.22067/jam.v11i2.83348

Abstract

IntroductionAgricultural mechanization is defined as the use of energy and production resources, machinery and equipment in agriculture. Modern agriculture is heavily dependent on mechanization, and machinery, equipment, energy resources, and related management processes are heavily used in the food ... Read More IntroductionAgricultural mechanization is defined as the use of energy and production resources, machinery and equipment in agriculture. Modern agriculture is heavily dependent on mechanization, and machinery, equipment, energy resources, and related management processes are heavily used in the food and non-food production. Agricultural mechanization is the major energy-consuming factor in the agricultural system and has benefits such as reducing operating costs and agricultural toil. SWOT analysis has been used in numerous studies on agricultural development and mechanization. SWOT analysis, as an effective mathematical approach, is used for strategic planning and identifying system strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. In this study, SWOT method was used to evaluate the internal and external factors of agricultural mechanization development in Ahvaz County to present appropriate strategies.Materials and MethodsThe main purpose of this study is to use SWOT analysis to determine the best strategic planning for agricultural mechanization development in Ahwaz. Therefore, the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of agricultural mechanization development in Ahwaz were studied within the framework of the SWAT program. Ahvaz is considered the agricultural hub of Khuzestan province. Ahvaz, the capital of Khuzestan province, accounts for about 35 percent of the total area under cultivation in the province. Karun, Dez and Karkheh rivers, as the main source of agricultural water, pass through Ahvaz lands. SWOT analysis is a sophisticated but effective way of strategically analyzing a system that considers both the internal and external environment. Opportunities and threats are the external factors of a system, and strengths and weaknesses, the internal factors of the system. Opportunities are attractive external factors that illustrate the reasons for system development and improvement. These are essential elements in the system's external environment that the system can exploit to its advantage. In addition, threats are major external factors that can adversely affect the system. The extent to which the company's internal environment corresponds to the external environment is expressed in terms of strategic fit. SWOT analysis offers four aggressive, conservative, competitive and defensive strategies. Various methods have been used to collect data, including face-to-face interview, questionnaires and a database provided by the Ministry of Jihade-Agriculture of Iran. Data were obtained using the questionnaire from 189 farmers and experts. After classifying and monitoring the data, internal and external factors evaluation matrices were prepared. After analyzing these matrices, the importance and weight of the parameters (i.e. strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities for agricultural mechanization development) were determined. Finally, the SWOT analysis matrix was prepared to determine the agricultural mechanization development strategy in Ahvaz.Results and DiscussionAnalyzing the matrix of external factors evaluation showed that the low tendency to invest in agricultural production, less attention by officials to the agricultural sector and water scarcity for irrigation were the most important threats. On the other hand, parameters such as the possibility of providing agricultural facilities and loans to farmers, the large number of agricultural mechanization graduates, the high incentive for farmers to use agricultural machinery, and the possibility of producing agricultural equipment are the most effective opportunities for agricultural mechanization development in Ahvaz County. Also, the results show that vast and flat agricultural lands are the most important strengths of the area, while the high cost of machinery is the most important weakness. SWOT analysis showed that the region is not internally desirable despite relatively good opportunities in external factors, as weaknesses are relatively dominant. The final scores of the internal and external factors evaluation matrices were 2.437 and 2.593, respectively, indicating that competitive strategy should be considered. Therefore, taking advantage of important opportunities for mechanization development in Ahvaz, important weaknesses should be reduced or eliminated.ConclusionThe purpose of this study was to prepare an appropriate strategic planning for the development of agricultural mechanization in Ahvaz. SWOT matrix was calculated, based on internal and external factors evaluation matrices. The matrix was then used to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of agricultural mechanization development in this region. Also, the weight of the most important factors (i.e. strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of agricultural mechanization development) was calculated. Ultimately, based on the matrix results, to develop agricultural mechanization in this region, the competitive strategy was proposed.

Economical Assessment of Replacing and Refining Methods of Hydraulic Oil of Sugarcane Harvesters in Sugarcane Cultivation Industry of Khuzestan

H. Nematpour Malek Abad; M. J. Sheikhdavoodi; I. Hazbavi; A. Marzban

Volume 11, Issue 1 , 2021, , Pages 111-122

https://doi.org/10.22067/jam.v11i1.76542

Abstract

Contamination due to hydraulic fluids exerts deleterious effects after a long time, however this factor is often ignored or its consecutive breakdowns and system failures are considered due to other factors. Therefore, in order to prevent the likelihood of occurring such problems, the following two strategies ... Read More

Optimization of Refinement Operations of Sugarcane Harvester Hydraulic Oil

H. Nematpour Malek Abad; M. J. Sheikhdavoodi; I. Hazbavi; A. Marzban

Volume 10, Issue 1 , 2020, , Pages 59-72

https://doi.org/10.22067/jam.v10i1.75912

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to model and optimize the offline refinement operations of sugarcane harvester hydraulic oil using RSM. For this purpose, the effects of independent variables of operating hours (250, 500 and 750 hours), Twin Dip Filter Mesh (7, 9 and 11 microns) and hydraulic oil refining ... Read More

Modeling

Modeling of the Variables that Influence Sugarcane Yield using C5.0 and QUEST Decision Tree Algorithms

H. Zaki Dizaji; H. Bahrami; N. Monjezi; M. J. Sheikhdavoodi

Volume 9, Issue 2 , 2019, , Pages 469-484

https://doi.org/10.22067/jam.v9i2.69712

Abstract

Introduction The sugar industry usually gathers huge amounts of information during normal production operations, which is rarely used to study the relative importance of both management and environment on sugarcane yield performance. Yield prediction is a very significant problem of agricultural organizations. ... Read More Introduction The sugar industry usually gathers huge amounts of information during normal production operations, which is rarely used to study the relative importance of both management and environment on sugarcane yield performance. Yield prediction is a very significant problem of agricultural organizations. Each agronomist wants to know how much yield to expect as soon as possible. The aim of this study was to determine the performance of C5.0 and QUEST algorithms to predict the yield of sugarcane production in Amir-Kabir agro-industry Company of Khuzestan province, Iran. However, the working method described in this paper is applicable to other geographical areas and other kinds of crops. Materials and Methods The data for the study were collected from Amir-Kabir agro-industry Company. The data is obtained from 2012 to 2016 years. The study area is located in Khuzestan Province which is a major agricultural region in Iran. The geographical location of the study area is between latitudes 31° 15′ to 31° 40′ north and longitudes 48° 12′ to 48° 30′ east. It covers an area of about 12000 ha. The average elevation of the study area is 8m above sea level. Mean annual rainfall within the study area is 147.1mm, the mean annual temperature is approximately 25°C and the mean soil temperature at 50cm depth is 21.2°C. The used data were obtained from a survey with 15 variables carried out on 1201 sugarcane farms. Variables used in the study of data mining can be divided into two categories: target variable and predictor variables. The variable of yield was used as the target variable (dependent) and other variables as predictor variables (independent). In two models, the input data included crop cultivar, month of harvest, chemical fertilizer (Nitrogen), chemical fertilizer (Phosphate), age (plant or ratoon), times irrigation, ratio of surface spraying, soil texture, soil electrical conductivity (EC), water consumption per hectare, drain, farm management, crop duration, area, and yield-category. The study was included in 1201 farms. The necessary data were collected and pre-processing was performed. We propose to analyze different decision tree methods (C5.0 and QUEST). Results and Discussion First, decision tree methods were analyzed for variables. Then, according to C5.0 method (error rate 0.2319 for the training set and 0.3306 for test set) performed slightly better than another method in predicting yield. Crop cultivar is found that an important variable for the yield prediction. 24 rules were found in this study, C4.5 showed a better degree of separation. The measured prediction rate of C5.0 was correct: 76.81% and wrong: 23.19% in the training data, and correct: 66.94% and wrong: 33.06% in the test data. The prediction rate of QUEST was correct: 68.25% and wrong: 31.75% in the training data, and correct: 70.83% and wrong: 29.17% in the test data. Using the training data comparison between the model types showed that the C5.0 model produces a more accurate prediction model and was, therefore, the model to use. Using the testing data in comparison with the model types showed that the QUEST model produced a more accurate prediction model. The results of our assessment showed that C5.0 and QUEST algorithms were capable to produce rules for sugarcane yield. Therefore, our proposed methods as an expert and intelligent system had an impressive impact on sugarcane yield prediction. Conclusion In today's conditions, agricultural enterprises are capable of generating and collect large amounts of data. Growth of data size requires an automated method to extract necessary data. By applying data mining technique it is possible to extract useful knowledge and trends. Knowledge gained in this manner may be applied to increase work efficiency and improve decision making quality. Data mining techniques are directed towards finding those schemes of work in data which are valuable and interesting for crop management. In this research, decision tree algorithms (C5.0 and QUEST) were used. This classification algorithm was selected because it has the potential to yield good results in prediction and classification applications. This study was performed to present a model-based data mining to predict sugarcane yield in 2012-2016. The 24 classification rules generated from the C5.0 decision tree algorithm have great practical value in agricultural applications. The results showed the QUEST and C5.0 decision tree algorithms produced the best prediction accuracy. Sensitivity analysis results indicated that crop cultivar was the most important variables. It was observed that efficient technique can be developed and analyzed using the appropriate data, which was collected from Khuzestan province to solve complex agricultural problems using data mining techniques (decision tree). The decision tree has been found useful in classification and prediction modeling due to the fact that it can capability to accurately discover hidden relationships between variables, it is capable of removing insignificant attributes within a dataset.

Application of Artificial Neural Networks for Predicting the Yield and GHG Emissions of Sugarcane Production

S. Haroni; M. J. Sheikhdavoodi; M. Kiani Deh Kiani

Volume 8, Issue 2 , 2018, , Pages 389-401

https://doi.org/10.22067/jam.v8i2.52870

Abstract

Introduction One of the most important sources of the sugar production is sugarcane.Sugar is one of the eight human food sources (wheat, rice, corn, sugar, cattle, sorghum, millet and cassava). Also sugarcane is mainly used for livestock feed, electricity generation, fiber and fertilizer and in many ... Read More Introduction One of the most important sources of the sugar production is sugarcane.Sugar is one of the eight human food sources (wheat, rice, corn, sugar, cattle, sorghum, millet and cassava). Also sugarcane is mainly used for livestock feed, electricity generation, fiber and fertilizer and in many countries sugarcane is a renewable source for the biofuel. The efficient use of inputs in agriculture lead to the sustainable production and help to reduce the fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gases emission and save financial resources. Furthermore, detecting relationship between the energy consumption and the yield is necessary to approach the sustainable agriculture. It is generally accepted that many countries try to reduce their dependence to agricultural crop productions of other countries. The being Independent on agricultural productions lead to take more attention to modern methods and the objective of all these methods is increasing the performance with the efficient use of inputs or optimizing energy consumptions in agricultural systems. Energy modeling is a modern method for farm management that this model can predict yield with using the different amount of inputs. The objective of this study was to predict sugarcane production yield and (greenhouse gas) GHG emissions on the basis of energy inputs. Materials and Methods This study was carried out in Khouzestan province of Iran. Data were collected from 55 plant farms in Debel khazai Agro-Industry using face to face questionnaire method. In this study, the energy used in the sugarcane production has considered for the energy analysis without taking into account the environmental sources of the energy such as radiation, wind, rain, etc. Energy consumption in sugarcane production was calculated based on direct and indirect energy sources including human, diesel fuel, chemical fertilizers, pesticides, machinery, irrigation water, electricity and sugarcane stalk. Energy values were calculated by multiplying inputs and outputs per hectare by their coefficients of energy equivalents. Input energy in agricultural systems includes both direct and indirect energy and renewable and non-renewable forms. Direct energies include human labor, diesel fuel, water for irrigation and electricity and indirect energies consisted of machinery, seed (cultivation of sugarcane has been done with cutting of sugarcane instead of seed), chemical fertilizer. Renewable energies include machinery, sugarcane stalk, chemical fertilizer while non-renewable energy consisted of machinery, chemical fertilizer, electricity and diesel fuel. Energy values were calculated by multiplying inputs and outputs per hectare by their coefficients of energy equivalents. The amounts of GHG emissions from inputs in sugarcane production per hectare were calculated by CO2 emissions coefficient of agricultural inputs. Energy modeling is an attractive subject for engineers and scientists who are concerned about the energy management. In the energy area, many different of models have been applied for modeling future energy. An artificial neural network (ANN) is an artificial intelligence that it can applied as a predictive tool for nonlinear multi parametric. Artificial neural network has been applied successfully in structural engineering modeling ANNs are inspired by biological neural networks. Results and Discussion The total energy used in the farm operations during the sugarcane production and the energy output was 1742883.769 and 111000 MJha_1, respectively. Electricity (52%) and chemical fertilizers (16%) were the most influential factors in the energy consumption. The electricity contribution was the highest due to the low efficiency of energy conversion in electric motors which were used for irrigation in the study area. In some areas, inefficient surface irrigation wastes a lot of water and energy (in forms of electricity). Another reason is that electricity energy equivalent for Iranian electricity production is higher than developed countries because Iran’s electricity grid is highly dependent on fossil fuels, so that 95% of the electrical energy in Iran is generated in thermal power plants using fossil fuels sources. In addition, the electricity transmission system is too old. GHG emissions data analysis indicated that the total GHG emissions was 415337.62 kg ha-1 (CO2eq) kgCO2eq ha-1 in which burning trash with the share of 62% had the highest GHG emission and followed by electricity (32%), respectively. The ANN model with 7-5-15-1 and 5-5-1 structure were the best model for predicting the sugarcane yield and GHG emissions, respectively. The coefficients of determination (R2) of the best topology were 0.98 and 0.99 for the sugarcane yield and GHG emissions, respectively. The values of RMSE for sugarcane production and GHG emission were found to be 0.0037 and 4.52×10-6, respectively. Conclusion The statistical parameters of R2 and RMSE demonstrated that the proposed artificial neural networks results have best accuracy and can predict the yield and GHG emission. It is generally showed that artificial neural networks have good potential to predict the yield of the sugarcane production.

Qualitative and Quantitative Features Evaluation of Two Methods of Sugarcane Harvesting (with aim of Energy and Sugar Production)

K. Andekaeizadeh; M. J. Sheikhdavoodi; M. Byria

Volume 8, Issue 1 , 2018, , Pages 212-221

https://doi.org/10.22067/jam.v8i1.53629

Abstract

Introduction Sugarcane is an important plant in the world that cultivate for the production of sugar and energy. For this purpose, evaluation of Sugarcane (SC) and Energycane (EC) methods is necessary. Energy is vital for economic and social development and the demand for it is rising. The international ... Read More Introduction Sugarcane is an important plant in the world that cultivate for the production of sugar and energy. For this purpose, evaluation of Sugarcane (SC) and Energycane (EC) methods is necessary. Energy is vital for economic and social development and the demand for it is rising. The international community look toward alternative to fossil fuels is the aim of using liquid fuel derived from agricultural resources. According to calculations, about 47% from renewable energy sources in Brazil comes from sugarcane so as, the country is known the second largest source of renewable energy. Sugarcane in Brazil provides about 17.5% of primary energy sources. Material such as bagasse and ethanol are derived from sugarcane that provide 4.2% and 11.2 % consumed energy, respectively . In developing countries, the use of this product increase in order to achieve self-sufficiency in the production of starch and sugar and thus independence in bioethanol production. Evaluation of energy consumption in manufacturing systems, show the measurement method of yield conversion to the amount of energy. Many of products of Sugarcane have ability to produce bioenergy. Many materials obtain from sugarcane such as, cellulosic ethanol, biofuels and other chemical materials. Hence, Energycane is introduced as a new method of sugarcane harvesting. But, one of the problems of this method is high cost and high energy consumption of harvester. So that the total cost of Energycane method is 38.4 percent of production total costs, whereas, this cost, in Sugarcane method is 5.32 percent of production total costs. In a study that was conducted by Matanker et al. (2014) with title “Power requirements and field performance in harvesting EC and SC”, the power requirements of some components of sugarcane harvester and its field capacity, in Sugarcane and Energycane methods were examined. The consumed power by basecutter, elevator and chopper was measured in terms of Mega grams per hour (Mg.h-1) Chopper energy consumption in Energycane method was 1.65 KJ more than Sugarcane method. The quantitative parameters including forward speed (km.h-1), field capacity (ha.h-1), the field performance (Mg.ha-1) and reed output (Mg.h-1) were also measured. Finally, statistical comparison was conducted between the two methods. The aim of this study is to provide Simple Additive Weighting (SAW) method using the calculated parameters by the Matanker et al. This method provides decision-making ability for a manager. Materials and Methods In this study, quantitative parameters including fuel consumption (Lit.ha-1), harvester power (kW), efficiency of engine torque (%), energy of used hydraulic oil in basecutter, chopper and elevator (Mj.Mg-1), forward speed (km.h-1), field capacity (ha.h-1), the field performance (Mg.ha-1) and reed output (Mg.h-1 ) and qualitative parameters including the mean of average diameter of the stem (mm), stem height (m), number of stems on the meter (m-1), the percentage of cut stems and intact, cut stems and partially damaged and strongly damaged stems. The average height of straw and the stubble (mm), average of bulk density (kg.m-3), the average of moisture content, average of dry matter (biomass), (Mg.ha-1) were measured. Data analysis was conducted with Simple Additive Weighting (SAW) method. Tables 1 and 2 in terms of qualitative and quantitative parameters for the two methods of A and B, to form of rij matrix and based on measured criteria (C) have arranged, respectively. Conclusion Choosing the appropriate method for sugarcane harvesting should be according to the purpose of harvesting. Energycane method has high energy consumption that it increases the operational costs. On the other hand, the quality of the obtained biomass from it is better, but Sugarcane method has high energy efficiency. But in terms of quality, the plant is not in good condition. For this reason, it is necessary, aim of harvesting and its type, be specified before crop planting.

The Effect of Temperature and Drying Method on Drying Time and Color Quality of Mint

H. Bahmanpour; S. M. Sajadiye; M. J. Sheikhdavoodi; M. Zolfaghari

Volume 7, Issue 2 , 2017, , Pages 415-426

https://doi.org/10.22067/jam.v7i2.51268

Abstract

Introduction Mint (Mentha spicata L.) cbelongs to the Lamiaceae family, is an herbaceous, perennial, aromatic and medicinal plant that cultivated for its essential oils and spices. Since the essential oil is extracted from dried plant, choosing the appropriate drying method is essential for gaining high ... Read More Introduction Mint (Mentha spicata L.) cbelongs to the Lamiaceae family, is an herbaceous, perennial, aromatic and medicinal plant that cultivated for its essential oils and spices. Since the essential oil is extracted from dried plant, choosing the appropriate drying method is essential for gaining high quality essential oil.Vacuum drying technology is an alternative to conventional drying methods and reported by many authors as an efficient method for improving the drying quality especially color characteristics. On the other side, solar dryers are also useful for saving time and energy. In this study the effect of two method of dryings including vacuum-infrared versus solar at three different conventional temperatures (30, 40 and 50°C) on mint plant is evaluated while factorial experiment with randomized complete block is applied. Drying time as well as color characteristics areconsidered for evaluation of each method of drying. Materials and Methods Factorial experiment with randomized complete block was applied in order to evaluate the effect of drying methods (vacuum-infrared versus solar) and temperature (30, 40 and 50°C) on drying time and color characteristics of mint. The initially moisture content of mint leaves measured according to the standard ASABE S358.2 during 24 hours inside an oven at 104 °C. Drying the samples continued until the moisture content (which real time measured) reached to 10% wet basis. The components of a vacuum dryer consisted of a cylindrical vacuum chamber (0.335 m3) and a vacuum pump (piston version). The temperature of the chamber was controlled using three infrared bulbs using on-off controller. Temperature and weight of the products registered real time using a data acquisition system. The components of a solar dryer were consisting of a solar collector and a temperature control system which was turning the exhaust fan on and off in order to maintain the specific temperature. A date acquisition system was applied to register and monitoring product weight real time. For imaging of dried samples, a semi-professional digital cameras Fujifilm Fine Pix HS55model Barzvlvshn 921000 pixel was applied. Dry samples were used to determine the RGB color model that consists of three whole red (Red), green (Green) and blue (blue) light intensity 0 to 255 (in this case, zero for black and 255 for white pixels) Finally, the average of RGB changes color index were calculated as the mean change color of samples during the drying. Results and Discussion The results showed that drying time of solar dryer is more than vacuum-infrared (averaged: 201 versus 153 minutes). For two methods of drying, increasing temperature, made reduction in drying time. The maximum drying time registered 237 minutes for solar method which was set to 30°C and minimum drying time was registered 112 minutes relating to vacuum –infrared which was set to 50°C. Color evaluation showed that the effect of drying method on the changes of colour index (before and after drying) is reasonable. Vacuumed-infrared dryer case with 8.75% color change was showed to be much efficient than solar dryer with 11.96% change. Analysis of variance was performed due to the drying temperature index mint color changes and results showed the reasonable difference. The highest and lowest color change related to the temperature of 50°C (11.767%) and 30°C (9.197%) respectively. Conclusion Drying method as well as applying temperature showed rescannable effects on daring time and color quality of mint. The vacuum-infrared method reduces drying time for all temperature treatments considered in this study. Beside this, using vacuum-infrared showed minimum changes on color characteristic and can be say more efficient in aspect of color quality especially at its lowest applicable temperature (30°C). Increasing temperature causes the samples to be more darken for both drying methods. This phenomena may be related to replacement of magnesium by hydrogen inside the chlorophyll and then causing the chlorophyll to be destroyed.

Identifying and Prioritizing the Effective Parameters on Lack of Timeliness of Operations of Sugarcane Production using Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP)

N. Monjezi; M. J. Sheikhdavoodi; H. Zaki Dizaji; A. Marzban; M. Shomeili

Volume 7, Issue 2 , 2017, , Pages 514-526

https://doi.org/10.22067/jam.v7i2.52521

Abstract

Introduction Planning and scheduling of farming mechanized operations is very important. If the operation is not performed on time, yield will be reduced. Also for sugarcane, any delay in crop planting and harvesting operations reduces the yield. The most useful priority setting method for agricultural ... Read More Introduction Planning and scheduling of farming mechanized operations is very important. If the operation is not performed on time, yield will be reduced. Also for sugarcane, any delay in crop planting and harvesting operations reduces the yield. The most useful priority setting method for agricultural projects is the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). So, this article presents an introductry application manner of the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) as a mostly common method of setting agricultural projects priorities. Analytic Hierarchy process (AHP) is a decision making algorithm developed by Dr. Saatyin 1980. It has many applications as documented in Decision Support System literature. Currently, this technique is widely used in complicated management decision makings which AHP was preferred from other established methodologies as it does not demand prior knowledge of the utility function; it is based on a hierarchy of criteria and attributes reflecting the understanding of the problem, and finally, because it allows relative and absolute comparisons, thus making this method a very robust tool. The purpose of this research is to identify and prioritize the effective parameters on lack of timeliness of operations of sugarcane production using AHP in Khuzestan province of Iran. Materials and Methods The effective parameters effecting on lack of timeliness of operations have been defined based on expert’s opinions. A questionnaire and personal interviews have formed the basis of this research. The study was applied to a panel of qualified informants made up of fourteen experts. Those interviewed were distributed in Sugarcane Development and By-products Company in 2013-2014. Then, by using the Analytical hierarchy process, a questionnaire was designed for defining the weight and importance of parameters affecting on lack of timeliness of operations. For this method of evaluation, three main criteria considered were yield criteria, cost criteria and income criteria. Criterions and prioritizing of them was done by questionnaire and interview with sophisticated experts. This technique determined and ranked the importance of criteria affecting on lack of timeliness of operations based on attributing relative weights to factors with respect to comments provided in the questionnaires. By using of software (Expert choice) Analytical Hierarchy Process was done and the inconsistency rate on expert judgments was investigated. Expert Choice software (Expert Choice 1999) was applied to examine the structure of the proposed model and achieve synthesis/ graphical results considering inconsistency ratios. Results and Discussion The Expert Choice software performed well in conjunction with the panel of experts for choosing the criteria and assigning weights under the AHP methodology. According to results, effective parameters on lack of timeliness of operations of sugarcane production consist of delays caused by management, delays caused by human, delays caused by machine and delays caused by procedure (the production process).Weight of criteria effective factors (yield, cost and income) on lack of timeliness of operations obtained from paired comparison in the experts’ view which has been calculated with Expert choice software. The result of this survey by AHP techniques showed that cost criteria had the most and income criteria had the least importance for expert in sugarcane production. In this stage of research, alternatives paired comparison relative to criteria was separately formed and information of questionnaire which relates to paired comparison of criteria was obtained. Between effective parameters on lack of timeliness of operations, machine factors to 0.366 weighted average was the most effective factor and production process to 0.298 weighted average, management factors to 0.177 weighted average and human factors to 0.160 weighted average was later respectively (Inconsistence Rate =0.03). The results are examined by monitoring sensitivity analysis while changing the criteria priorities. Since different judgments are made on comparison of criteria, we use sensitivity analysis in order to provide stability and consistence of analysis. With increase or decrease of the criteria, we will conclude that ratio of other indices will not change. Conclusion The analytic hierarchy process, as developed by Saaty, has been successfully applied in recent research to cases of agricultural project. This paper looks at AHP as a tool used in Sugarcane Agro-Industries to help in decision making. Results showed that criteria studied in this research can help prioritizing the effective parameters on lack of timeliness of operations of sugarcane production. Cost criteria are the main criteria effective on lack of timeliness operations of sugarcane production. The most important factor is machine factor.

The selection of best tillage implements in terms of energy use efficiency using simple additive weighting methodology

K. Andekaeizadeh; M. J. Sheikhdavoodi; M. E. Khorasani

Volume 7, Issue 1 , 2017, , Pages 37-47

https://doi.org/10.22067/jam.v7i1.48464

Abstract

Introduction Main part of energy consumption in agricultural mechanization is tillage operations therefore optimization of energy consumption in tillage operation is very important. A management method for system to optimize in agriculture is Simple Additive Weighting (SAW) methodology that this method ... Read More Introduction Main part of energy consumption in agricultural mechanization is tillage operations therefore optimization of energy consumption in tillage operation is very important. A management method for system to optimize in agriculture is Simple Additive Weighting (SAW) methodology that this method can operate according to criteria of the systems. This method states that, which system has better performance? (for example the system for agricultural tractors, type of implements, methods of tillage, planting and harvesting, and etc). Fuel consumption is the most important factor in terms of energy consumption in tractor because the fuel energy contributes to help tractor to work . Specific draught is important force that measured for investigation of energy consumption of tillage implements, it can show the amount of drawbar force that optimized (for work width 1 meter implements tillage) by using this method. The multiplication of the drawbar force in forward speed factor resulted drawbar power. The most common method is using of tractors drawbar power in mechanized agriculture. Important factor for assessment and determination performance of tractor is drawbar power. Several studies have been showed that about 20 to 55%of available drawbar power was wasting by implements tillage. Another important parameters that affect on traction efficiency pull’s machine is slip. A simple additive weighting two-step procedure involving basic weighted as follows: (1) scale the values of all attributes to make them comparable; (2) sum up the values of the all attributes for each alternative. Materials and Methods In this study, three implements tillage were studied including moldboard plow, disk plow and disk harrow and they called A, B and C, respectively. Three different forward speeds of 3, 4, 5, 6 km.h-1 for each implements were selected according to the type of work at various depths. In this study fuel consumption factor was measured by means of micro-oval flow meter, forward speed was measured by a Doppler radar, Slip was measured by Proxy Sensor, and drawbar force was measured by a three point auto hitch dynamometer. Depth tillage was maintained by depth-knob control system. tillage implements for comparison proper class was rated tables (1), (2) and (3) that includes low depth (12.4 cm moldboard plow, disk plow 12.3 cm and 12.4 cm disk harrow), middle depth (18 cm moldboard plow, disk plow 17.4 cm and 15.2 cm disk harrow) and the high depth (23.5 cm moldboard plow, disk plow 23.4 cm and 17.2 cm disk harrow). Results and Discussion The results of Table 5 shows a higher combined ratio of the amount of energy that is optimum performance in the form of (1), (2) and (3). Also Combined ratio is a way that the whole system will be valued according to their criteria that objective criteria according to the study, we classified as positive and negative criteria and all its problems the system had a higher combined ratio than the rest of the system is the optimal system performance. Kheiralla et al. (2004) in their research used statistical methods and indicated that energy efficiency disk harrow, disk plow and moldboard plow was better than the other devices but Simple Additive Weight way of energy efficiency in different conditions partially expressed. Conclusion The results showed that disk plow in different depth tillage and forward speed, has higher energy efficiency. Disk harrow compared with other tillage implements recommended for the high depth. Disc harrow is not optimal in the low depth because it compared to other implements has lower slip and tractive efficiency. Moldboard plow is optimum use energy in depth and average speeds (4 and 5 km h-1).

The study of some physical properties and energy aspects of potatoes drying process by the infrared-vacuum method

N. Hafezi; M. J. Sheikhdavoodi; S. M. Sajadiye; M. E. Khorasani

Volume 6, Issue 2 , 2016, , Pages 463-475

https://doi.org/10.22067/jam.v6i2.42536

Abstract

Introduction Potato (Solanumtuberosum L.) is one of the unique and most potential crops having high productivity, supplementing major food requirement in the world. Drying is generally carried out for two main reasons, one to reduce the water activity which eventually increases the shelf life of food ... Read More Introduction Potato (Solanumtuberosum L.) is one of the unique and most potential crops having high productivity, supplementing major food requirement in the world. Drying is generally carried out for two main reasons, one to reduce the water activity which eventually increases the shelf life of food and second to reduce the weight and bulk of food for cheaper transport and storage. The quality evaluation of the dried product was carried out on the basis of response variables such as rehydration ratio, shrinkage percentage, color and the overall acceptability. Drying is the most energy intensive process in food industry. Therefore, new drying techniques and dryers must be designed and studied to minimize the energy cost in drying process. Considering the fact that the highest energy consumption in agriculture is associated with drying operations, different drying methods can be evaluated to determine and compare the energy requirements for drying a particular product. Thermal drying operations are found in almost all industrial sectors and are known, according to various estimates, to consume 10-25% of the national industrial energy in the developed world. Infrared radiation drying has the unique characteristics of energy transfer mechanism. Kantrong et al. (2012) were studied the drying characteristics and quality of shiitake mushroom undergoing microwave-vacuum combined with infrared drying. Motevali et al. (2011) were evaluated energy consumption for drying of mushroom slices using various drying methods including hot air, microwave, vacuum, infrared, microwave-vacuum and hot air-infrared. The objectives of this research were to experimental study of drying kinetics considering quality characteristics including the rehydration and color distribution of potato slices in a vacuum- infrared dryer and also assessment of specific energy consumption and thermal utilization efficiency of potato slices during drying process. Materials and Methods A laboratory scale vacuum-infrared dryer, developed at the Agricultural Machinery and Mechanization Engineering Laboratory of Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz has been used. The dryer consists of a stainless steel drying chamber; a laboratory type piston vacuum pump, which was used to maintain vacuum in the drying chamber; an infrared lamp with power of 250 W which was used to supply thermal radiation to a drying product; and a control system for the infrared radiator. Sample Preparation Fresh potatoes were purchased from a local market in Hamadan province. Potatoes were peeled, washed, and cut into sliced with thickness of 1, 2 and 3 mm by a manual slicer. Drying experiments of potato slices were performed in a vacuum chamber with absolute pressure levels of 20, 80, 140 and 760 mmHg; and radiation intensity of infrared lamp was 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4 W cm-2. The mass change of the sample during drying was detected continuously using an electronic weight scale (Lutron, GM- 1500P, Taiwan) with the accuracy of ±0.05 g. Evaluation of rehydration capacity of dried potato slices The rehydration tests measured the gain in weight of dehydrated samples (~5 g), dehydrated samples were rehydrated in 200 cc of distilled water at 100°C for 3 minutes. Evaluation of color The color of potatoes was measured on five slices selected randomly, and was described by three coordinates in the RGB color space using computer vision. Evaluation of specific energy consumption Energy consumption of dying process came from the electrical energy consumed by the operation of the vacuum pump and the infrared lamp. Specific energy consumption was defined as the energy required for removing a unit mass of water in drying the potato slice. Evaluation of thermal utilization efficiency Thermal utilization efficiency is defined as the latent heat of vaporization of moisture of sample to the amount of energy required to evaporate moisture from free water. The latent heat of vaporization of water at the evaporating temperature of 100°C was taken as 2257 kJkg-1. Results and Discussion The results of the evaluation of rehydration capacity of potato slices during drying process are shown in Table 1. Statistical analysis (ANOVA, post-hoc Duncan) showed that thickness at probability level of 1% had statistically significant influence on rehydration capacity values of dried potato slices. Moisture of dried slice of potato compared to its fresh was obtained nearly 80% in boiling water (at temperature 100°C) for 3 min. The most color changes of slice after drying was related to green color. According to Table 2 and statistical analysis results showed that factor of thickness was not statistically significant on specific energy. The effect of absolute pressure (p<0.05) and radiation intensity (p<0.01) parameters also interaction of absolute pressure and radiation intensity (p<0.05) had statistically significant influence on specific energy of dried potato slices. According to Table 3 and statistical analysis the factor of absolute pressure had statistically significant at probability level of 5% on thermal utilization efficiency. Also the effect of interaction of absolute pressure and radiation intensity had statistically significant at probability level of 5% on thermal utilization efficiency of dried potato slices. The drying efficiency of potato slices varied between 2.13% to 31.01%. Conclusions Dried potato slices at a thickness of 1 mm put in boiling water for three minutes; showed the most amount of water absorption ratio that it was able to absorb the value of 86% more than the initial moisture. The lowest rate of color change before and after the drying process is related to the thickness of the thinnest sliced potatoes. Comparison of energy consumption showed that the radiation intensity of 0.4 W cm-2, absolute pressure level of 80 mmHg and slice thickness of 1 mm had shorter drying time in experimental conditions.

Evaluating the effect of methanol-unleaded gasoline blends on SI engine performance

B. Sabahi; M. J. Sheikhdavoodi; H. Bahrami; D. Baveli Bahmaei

Volume 5, Issue 2 , 2015, , Pages 336-344

https://doi.org/10.22067/jam.v5i2.28378

Abstract

Introduction: Today, all kinds of vehicle engines work with fossil fuels. The limited fossil fuel resources and the negative effects of their consumption on the environment have led researchers to focus on clean, renewable and sustainable energy systems. In all of the fuels being considered as an alternativefor ... Read More Introduction: Today, all kinds of vehicle engines work with fossil fuels. The limited fossil fuel resources and the negative effects of their consumption on the environment have led researchers to focus on clean, renewable and sustainable energy systems. In all of the fuels being considered as an alternativefor gasoline, methanol is one of the more promising ones and it has experienced major research and development. Methanol can be obtained from many sources, both fossil and renewable; these include coal, natural gas, food industry and municipal waste, wood and agricultural waste. In this study, the effect of using methanol–unleaded gasoline blends on engine performance characteristics has been experimentally investigated. The main objective of the study was to determine engine performance parameters using unleaded gasoline and methanol-unleaded gasoline blends at various engine speeds and loads, and finally achieving an optimal blend of unleaded gasoline and methanol. Materials and Methods: The experimental apparatus consists of an engine test bed with a hydraulic dynamometer which is coupled with a four cylinder, four-stroke, spark ignition engine that is equipped with the carbureted fuel system. The engine has a cylinder bore of 81.5 mm, a stroke of 82.5 mm, and a compression ratio of 7.5:1 with maximum power output of 41.8 kW. The engine speed was monitored continuously by a tachometer, and the engine torque was measured with a hydraulic dynamometer. Fuel consumption was measured by using a calibrated burette (50cc) and a stopwatch with an accuracy of 0.01s. In all tests, the cooling water temperature was kept at 82±3˚C. The test room temperature was kept at 29±3˚C during performing the tests. The experiments were performed with three replications. The factors in the experiments were four methanol- unleaded gasoline blends (M0, M10, M20 and M30) and six engine speeds (2000, 2500. 3000, 3500, 4000 and 4500 rpm). Methanol with a purity of 99.9% was used in the blends. All experiments were performed at 50% open throttle. Engine performance characteristics for fuel blends were compared with unleaded gasoline. Results and Discussion: The experimental results showed that adding methanol to unleaded gasoline increased brake torque and brake power in the M10 and decreased in the M30 compared to merely usingpure gasoline. Engine behavior when using M20 blend was similar to that of using pure gasoline (M0). The brake power and torque at engine speeds 2500, 3000, 3500 and 4000 rpm for M10 were increased by 5.42%, 7.76%, 14.89% and 16.78% compared to when these parameter relate to pure gasoline (M0), respectively, whereas the brake power and brake torque for M30 blend at engine speeds 2000, 2500, 3000, 3500, 4000 and 4500 rpm compared to when using pure gasoline was decreased by 6.91%, 8.1%, 6.23%, 5.29%, 4.59% and 14.27%, respectively. The experimental results showed that brake specific fuel consumption for M30 blend was increased at all engine speeds. The increase in specific fuel consumption values for this blend from 2000 - 4500 rpm were 17.78%, 16.38%, 13.06%, 10.99%, 14% and 19.11%, respectively. Also, the specific fuel consumption for the M20 was similar to the specific fuel consumption of pure gasoline. Comparing the brake specific fuel consumption of M10 to M0 fuel at 2500, 3000, 3500, 4000 and 4500 rpm this parameter was decreased by 1.9%, 6.03%, 8.91%, 13.85% and 5.55%, respectively. As the methanol content in the fuel blends increases, brake thermal efficiency also increases at all engine speeds and in all used fuels blends. The thermal efficiency at 2000, 2500, 3000, 3500, 4000 and 4500 rpm using M10 was increased by 3.73%, 8.12%, 12.43%, 15.57%, 22.34% and 12.01%, respectively in comparison to pure gasoline. These values for M20 were 4.14%, 7.82%, 10.12%, 13.37%, 18.94% and 13%, and for M30 were 2.69%, 3.89%, 6.35%, 8.01%, 5.12% and 0.78%. Conclusions: From the results of the study, the following conclusions can be deduced: 1- Using methanol as a fuel additive to unleaded gasoline causes an improvement in engine performance. 2- The largest increment in engine torque and brake power compared with M0 showed about 16.78% with M10 at 4000 rpm. 3- Minimum brake specific fuel consumption was obtained at 4000rpm with M10 fuel. 4- Thermal efficiency increased compared to the pure gasoline usage at all engine speeds and in all used fuel blends. The largest increment in brake thermal efficiency compared with M0 showed 22.34% with M20 at 4000 rpm. 5- The 10 vol. % methanol in fuel blend gave the best results for all measured parameters at all engine speeds.

Analysis of Factors Affecting The Management of Overall Energy Efficiency of Tractor-Implement by Real-Time Performance Monitoring

N. Kazemi; M. Almassi; H. Bahrami; M. J. Sheikhdavoodi; M. Mesgarbashi

Volume 4, Issue 2 , 2014, , Pages 214-225

https://doi.org/10.22067/jam.v4i2.28495

Abstract

Overall energy efficiency (OEE) is an important indicator of energy consumption in tillage operations. Tillage energy was studied objectivity to accurately measure the OEE of MF399-4WD tractor. The tractor was equipped with different types of sensors to measure and calibrate the required data including: ... Read More

Study of Primary Tillage Timeliness Cost for Irrigated Wheat in Fars Province Using System Dynamics

Gh. R. Rabet; H. Bahrami; M. J. Sheikhdavoodi

Volume 3, Issue 2 , 2013, , Pages 163-172

https://doi.org/10.22067/jam.v3i2.25174

Abstract

Delay in irrigated wheat primary tillage operations causes yield reduction and hidden timeliness cost in Fars province. Mechanization of primary tillage operations for irrigated wheat in Fars province was simulated using System Dynamics approach. A part of the model structure was related to the agricultural ... Read More

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Volume 11 (2021)

Volume 10 (2020)

Volume 9 (2019)

Volume 8 (2018)

Volume 7 (2017)

Volume 6 (2016)

Volume 5 (2015)

Volume 4 (2014)

Volume 3 (2013)

Volume 2 (2012)

Volume 1 (2011)

Author = Sheikhdavoodi, M. J.

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