The Indian Society of Agricultural Engineers
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Influence of Temperature and Mass Flow Rate on Heat Transfer Characteristics in Parallel Flow Corrugated Plate Heat Exchanger
No full textEfficient heat exchangers (HEs) are essential components in various industrial processes, enabling transfer of thermal energy between fluids. Current research investigated heat transfer and fluid flow characteristics of a corrugated surface type parallel flow plate heat exchanger (PHE) with water as a heat transfer fluid. The study aims to enhance our understanding of how these operational parameters impact heat transfer performance and provide insights into optimizing the design and operation of such HEs for improved energy efficiency. The performance of HE was evaluated at variable temperature and mass flow rate of pumped water. The thermophysical properties of hot and cold water, dimensions of HE, heat transfer coefficient and effectiveness of the PHE were estimated. Results revealed that the overall and convective heat transfer coefficient increased proportionally with temperature and mass flow rate of pumped water. The study found approximately 75% and 23% increase in the convective heat transfer coefficients (h) and overall heat transfer coefficient (U), respectively, when increasing the hot water mass flow rate from 0.03 to 0.09 m s-1. The heat transfer coefficient exhibited a linear relationship with Reynolds number (<2000) and Nusselt number (<100), indicating laminar flow. Moreover, maximum effectiveness (0.955) was achieved at 65°C with a higher mass flow rate
Income Distribution and Viability of Solar Photovoltaic Adoption in Rural Communities: A Comprehensive Analysis
No full textThis study examines the relationship between income distribution and feasibility of adopting solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in rural Indian communities, aiming to promote sustainable and decentralized energy access. Using systematic sampling and household-level surveys, data were collected from six villages across the states of West Bengal and Nagaland, covering 174 households. Analysis of daily electricity consumption revealed that average energy demand ranged from 0.8 kWh day⁻¹ in lower-income households to 3.2 kWh day⁻¹ in higher-income households. At the same time, kerosene usage remained minimal at less than 0.1 liters per household per day, and it was used primarily as backup during power outages. Grid-connected PV systems with battery storage and polycrystalline panels were identified as the most context-appropriate and technically balanced solution for rural electrification based on energy requirements, infrastructure reliability, and user behaviours. System design and sizing were adapted for each income group, with results showing that energy generation exceeded daily demand in all cases. It was found that higher-income households benefit from greater savings and shorter return on investment periods, whereas lower-income groups face affordability challenges despite appropriately scaled systems. These findings underscore the technical and economic viability of solar PV systems across income segments while also highlighting the need for targeted financial and policy interventions to ensure equitable adoption. Integrating socioeconomic factors into rural energy planning is essential for achieving inclusive and effective solar energy deployment in India
Effect of Moisture Content on Some Physical and Mechanical Properties of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Seeds
No full textThe design, improvement, and use of seed planting, harvesting, and postharvest equipment depend on the physical and mechanical properties of the specific crop type and variety. However, this information is lacking for wheat varieties produced in different regions of Ethiopia. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of moisture content (8.5%, 13.5%, 18.5%, 23.5%, and 28.5%) on physical and mechanical properties of three wheat varieties (Danda’a, Jalanne, and Kakaba) commonly cultivated in Ethiopia. A factorial combination of 3 (verities) × 5 (moistures levels) treatment levels was adopted with three replications. The variables studied were the grain size, shape, weight, bulk density, angle of repose, and coefficient of friction. The data were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA), and the Dunnett multiple range test was used to separate the means. Significance was accepted at p < 0.05. As moisture increased, the grain\u27s dimensions, shape, thousand kernel weight, coefficient of friction, and angle of repose increased while bulk density decreased. The bulk density decreased from 0.73 to 0.54 g cm-³ as moisture increased from 8.5% to 28.5%. The study revealed substantial variation across moisture treatments, underscoring the sensitivity of grain physical properties to hydration levels. The mean values for grain length, surface area, and volume increased from 5.786 ± 0.253 to 6.525 ± 0.361 mm, 38.514 ± 2.997 to 49.627 ± 3.201 mm2, and 22.531 ± 2.644 to 32.933 ± 3.201 mm3, respectively. Similarly, the thousand kernel weight, repose angle, and friction coefficient increased from 26.70 to 42.00 g, 23.20° to 34.70°, and 0.4142 to 0.8391, respectively. Variations in grain properties indicate the necessity for diverse design and calibration criteria for seed planting, harvesting, and postharvest equipment tailored to different wheat varieties at different moisture levels
Biologicals in Focus: How Climate-Resilient Solutions are Addressing Global Food Security
No full textStudies on engineering properties of multiplier onion
Get PDFThe knowledge of physical and mechanical properties of onion bulb is important for successful design of any planter. Multiplier onion is propagated through bulbs and bulbs are planted manually. Manual planting of onion bulb is highly labour intensive (80-100 man-days ha-1) due to the close plant geometry (plant to plant and row to row spacing is 10 × 15 cm) among the vegetable crops. Engineering properties of multiplier onion were determined in order to design and develop a tractor operated raised bed onion bulb planter. In multiplier onion each onion comprises of 4-5 bulbs. These bulbs were cleaned, separated into single bulbs and divided in to 9 categories manually based on their individual weight viz., <2g, 2-3 g, 3-4 g, 4-5 g, 5-6 g, 6-7 g, 7-8 g, 8-9 g, >9 g. The onion bulb had a moisture content of 80.62±0.87 %. It was observed that the properties varied for different sizes of onion grades and the grades had highly significant effect on most of the properties. The linear dimensions of onion bulbs viz., length, width, thickness for nine grades ranged from 21.21±2.60 to 32.31±3.30 mm, 13.54±1.77 to 30.95±2.91 mm and 10.91±1.40 to 22.63±2.15 mm. The geometric mean diameter, sphericity, shape index and projected area all ranged from 28.22±2.04 to 14.54±0.96 mm, 0.87±0.06 to 0.69±0.08, 1.78±0.32 to 1.22±0.14 and 5.50±0.51 to 1.55±0.30 cm2, respectively. The one hundred onion bulb weight, bulk density, true density were in the range of 1185±19.59 to 121.6±6.30 g, 793.20± 9.45 to 480.19±13.13 kg.m-3, 1086± 205.22 to 1013.6±348.85 kg.m-3, respectively. The angle of repose decreased with increase in size of onion bulbs. The interaction between sphericity, shape index and angle of repose indicated that as the size of the onion size increase angle of repose decreased
Performance of biomass combustor based drying system for ginger drying
Get PDFA biomass combustor based dryer was evaluated with different biomass for drying of ginger. Biomass combustor based dryer consists of fuel hopper, combustion chamber, heat exchanger, grate for proper combustion of the combustible gas, chimney, ambient air inlet, hot air outlet and drying chamber. The system was evaluated at five fuel consumption rate (1 to 5 kg.h–1) and five air flow rate (100, 150, 200, 300 and 400 m3.h–1) using maize cobs, sized wood and saw dust briquettes for ginger drying. The experimental performances show that the hot air temperature inside the dryer vary between 36 to 81ºC for maize cobs, 53 to 85ºC for sized wood and 49 to 87ºC for biomass briquettes at tested air flow rate and fuel consumption rate in the system. The maximum efficiency of the system was found at the fuel consumption rate of 1 kg.h–1 and 400 m3.h–1 air flow rate using maize cobs, sized wood and saw dust briquettes as fuel respectively. The cost of operation of ginger drying at 1 kg.h–1 fuel consumption rate and 400 m3/h air flow rate was Rs. 32.76, 34.26, 34.76 and 55 per hour using maize cobs, sized wood, saw dust briquettes and mechanical drying system, respectively. Hence, the drying of ginger in biomass combustor based dryer using maize cobs at 1 kg.h–1 fuel consumption rate and 400 m3/h air flow rate resulted in better performance
Transforming Agriculture through Digital Technologies
No full textIndia is a place of paradoxes when it comes to agriculture. The nation is home to the most malnourished people in the world while yet producing 11% of the world’s agricultural output. The majority of smallholder farmers in India, who make up nearly half of the population, rely on agriculture for their livelihoods, although medium and large-scale farmers consume the majority of the government’s agricultural subsidies. In contrast to India’s outstanding achievements in modernising its agricultural sector, smallholder farmers have been sidelined. Over 300,000 Indian farmers have committed suicide since 1995, and the average debt of a farming household has increased fivefold in ten years while agricultural revenue growth has lagged
Transforming Agriculture through AI and Drone technique
No full textIndia is one of the major agricultural players in the world, 58% of its population is involved in agriculturerelated work and depends on it as a primary source of income. For decades, Agriculture has been a key focus of economists for the simple reason that it contributes to over 18% of the Indian GDP and provides livelihood to 700 million people in India. Over the course of time, India has achieved significant milestones in terms of global ranking in the production of food grains, milk and horticulture. However, the challenges of the Indian agriculture ecosystem remain the same as before because of fragmentation and inefficiency. Despite this, new innovations and technological intervention is changing the landscape. Let’s dive deeper into it and see how innovation transforms agriculture
Contribution of Agricultural Engineering Research and Development in Production and Post Production Agriculture of India since Independence: Status and Future Perspectives
No full textThe role of agricultural mechanization in production and post-production agriculture including that of livestock farming and aquaculture cannot be overlooked because, it facilitates timely completion of various unit operations, better utilization of inputs which provides better yield and higher production with no or minimum drudgery to the farm workers. Traditional agricultural tools and machines are now being replaced with improved energy-efficient equipment which utilizes renewable and nonrenewable energy sources in their operation. The likely future trend in agricultural mechanization by 2030 AD and beyond are use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) based remotely controlled unmanned vehicle/machine for tillage, sowing, irrigation, intercultural, chemical spray for plant protection, harvesting, and so on. As of now, the trend is for higher capacity and precision machinery, to be used on a custom hire basis or contract services. This trend has already been started and the GoI has already introduced a submission on agricultural mechanization. The level of processing from manual threshing and manual winnowing of food grain to multi-crop thresher to modern storage godown has been developed. The automated cleaning, grading, pulse milling, modernization of rice milling, cold storage, refrigerated storage, and advanced packaging system has been in place today. Agroprocessing centers in the production catchment need to be established and operated at panchayat and divisional (Tehsil) levels by following the principle of the circular economy. Also, for improving the field irrigation efficiency, the development in the irrigation tools/gadgets to shift from open channel to drip and sprinkler systems is highly desirable for saving water. Therefore, the use of renewable energy resources (especially solar and wind energy) for all such improvement could be an alternative to the exhaustive energy sources for sustainable growth and development of the agriculture sector
Performance Assessment of Puri Main Canal Irrigation System, Odisha
Get PDFThis paper deals with evaluation of performance of water delivery system of Phiriphira distributary of Puri main canal in Mahanadi Delta irrigation command of Odisha. The performance parameters like adequacy, efficiency, equity and dependability were estimated and the results are discussed. The study was carried on considering various data including daily discharge and crop water requirement. The average values of efficiency parameter (0.76 to 0.81) indicate that water delivery system in the command is fair. Similarly the average estimated values of equity were obtained as 0.14 to 0.24 which says that in the canal section there is fairness in canal water delivery system. The average values of dependability were 0.31, 0.17 and 0.14 for head, middle and tail reach, respectively which indicates that the dependability of the system was poor in head reach whereas in middle and tail reach, it was fair. On an average, there is fair distribution of canal water delivery system