CFD-Simulink Modeling of the Inflatable Solar Dryer for Drying Paddy Rice

Small-scale farmers in developing Asian countries have minimal agricultural mechanisms available to them. In the Philippines, postharvest losses in rice production can reach about 36% in the drying process alone. Thus, the inflatable solar dryer (ISD) was developed through the collaboration of the University of Hohenheim, the International Rice Research Institute, and GrainPro Philippines Inc. Although the ISD was successfully tested with different agricultural products, further characterization of the ISD design is required for predicting the drying performance. To this end, the airflow behavior in the ISD was simulated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) via ANSYS Fluent. Moreover, a thermal model was developed in MATLAB/Simulink by taking into account heat transfer in the heating area and coupled heat and mass transfer within the drying area. Three batches of drying experiments were performed and airflow measurements were taken inside the dryer to validate the models. The MATLAB/Simulink model was further used to predict the drying performance under various weather conditions spanning 10 years. The simulated temperatures and moisture content in the ISD showed high accuracy (mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) < 10%) with the experimental data. The proposed dynamic model provides an efficient computational tool that can be applied to predict the drying performance and to optimize the ISD design.

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Effects of relative humidity and temperature on small scale peach fruit drying using a tunnel solar dryer: A case study of peach fruit produced by small scale farmers in the Midlands of Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa

South African Journal of Agricultural Extension (SAJAE) ◽

10.17159/2413-3221/2018/v46n2a454 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 46 (2) ◽

pp. 1-13

Author(s):

K. M. Mkhathini ◽

L. S. Magwaza ◽

T. S. Workneh ◽

G. Mwithiga

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Relative Humidity ◽

Small Scale ◽

Peach Fruit ◽

Solar Dryer ◽

Kwazulu Natal ◽

Small Scale Farmers

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The Conventional and Modern Uses of Water Buffalo Milk in the Philippines

Southeastern Philippines Journal of Research and Development ◽

10.53899/spjrd.v26i2.152 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 26 (2) ◽

pp. 1-21

Author(s):

Takashi Tsuji

Keyword(s):

Water Buffalo ◽

The Philippines ◽

Buffalo Milk ◽

Small Scale ◽

Spanish Colonial ◽

Murrah Buffalo ◽

Business System ◽

Small Scale Farmers ◽

A Minor ◽

Peasant Farmers

In Southeast Asia, milking of livestock is not common. In the Philippines, water buffalo (carabao) milk has been used since the Spanish colonial period of the 16th century. Milk is processed into cheese (kesong puti) or candy (pastillas). These customs are found in a few areas on the Islands of Luzon and Visayas. However, in 1996, following the launch of the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC), the uses of modern milk have been practiced nationwide using Murrah (buffalo), which produces more milk than a carabao. This paper analyzes the dairy transition currently occurring in the Philippines from the conventional uses of carabao milk to the modern uses of Murrah milk. Intensive fieldwork was broadly conducted in conventional and modern milk use areas of the country, with water buffalo management and milk use systems researched using participatory observation and interview methods. This study delves into how the conventional uses of water buffalo milk have helped support the livelihood of special farmers and whether recent government-backed projects, such as enhancing the ability of water buffaloes to produce milk, have made carabaos dispensable. The shift to modern milk uses, which relies on buffalo milk, has become a national project, in order to improve the subsistence of peasant farmers. This paper concludes that the modern dairy farming of Murrah is becoming popular in farming societies close to the PCC and that the dairy culture has changed from being a minor conventional regional system to a major industrial farming and business system to sustain the lives of local small-scale farmers.

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Experimental Performance of a Mix Mode Solar Dryer for Drying Centella Asiatica

Advanced Materials Research ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amr.770.80 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 770 ◽

pp. 80-83 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Nattapon Srisittipokakun ◽

Keerati Kirdsiri

Keyword(s):

Centella Asiatica ◽

Weather Conditions ◽

Agricultural Products ◽

Wire Mesh ◽

Small Scale ◽

Hot Air ◽

Solar Dryer ◽

Drying Efficiency ◽

To Receive ◽

Drying Chamber

This paper describes a mixed mode natural convection of solar dryer. The dryer was designed for small-scale commercial producers of agricultural products in non-electrified locations. The products to be dried are placed in multi layer on a wire mesh in the drying tunnel to receive energy from both hot air supplied from the collector and incident solar radiation on products. Temperatures in the drying chamber varied from 28.0° C to 55.0° C depend on the weather conditions. To investigate its performance, the dryer was used to dry 30 kg of Centella asiatica in December 2012. The dryer could be used for Centella asiatica of 80% (wb) moisture content, and they could be dried within 4 hours, with 0% (wb) remaining moisture. In addition, the Centella asiatica being dried in the solar tunnel drier were completely protected from rain, insects and dust, and the dried Centella asiatica were high quality dried products terms of flavor, color and texture. The drying efficiency of the solar component alone was found to be 39.18%.

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Small Business in the Development Process of the Philippines

International Small Business Journal Researching Entrepreneurship ◽

10.1177/026624268500300404 ◽

1985 ◽

Vol 3 (4) ◽

pp. 58-64

Author(s):

Wolfgang Konig ◽

Joachim Peters

Keyword(s):

Small Business ◽

Field Work ◽

The Philippines ◽

Business Community ◽

Small Scale ◽

Institution Building ◽

Business Size ◽

The University ◽

Work Done ◽

The Impact

Dr. Wolfgang Kbnig and Joachim Peters lecture at the University of Gbttingen, Germany. The paper is the result of research on industrial co-operation between developed and developing countries and is partly based on field work done in the Philippines in 1984. It deals with the impact that business size has on the pattern of development of this country and specially evaluates the role of small-scale firms. Controversial issues boil down to two competing approaches as far as the further promotion of these units is concerned. One approach consists of taking a broad range of selective measures in order to compensate small business for discrimination suffered from macro-economic instruments and to enhance its prospects in this way. The other approach stresses the danger of market distortion and therefore recommends a policy of deregulation in order for market forces to mobilize the potential of small business. Consideration of the pros and cons of these approaches leads, among others, to the conclusion that assistance to institution building is important as long as it is backed by the will to self-help of the small business community in the Philippines.

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Drying Pineapple Using a Mix Mode Solar Dryer

Advanced Materials Research ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amr.979.11 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 979 ◽

pp. 11-15 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Nattapon Srisittipokakun ◽

Keerati Kirdsiri

Keyword(s):

Weather Conditions ◽

Agricultural Products ◽

Wire Mesh ◽

Small Scale ◽

Tunnel Dryer ◽

Hot Air ◽

Solar Dryer ◽

To Receive ◽

Local Materials ◽

Drying Chamber

Pineapple was dried using a mix mode solar dryer developed in the Faculty of Science and Technology, Nakhon Pathom Rajabhat University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand. The dryer was designed for small-scale commercial producers of agricultural products in non-electrified locations. The products to be dried are placed in multilayer on a wire mesh in the drying tunnel to receive energy from both hot air supplied from the collector and incident solar radiation on products. It is constructed in local materials then tested experimentally in food stuffs drying pineapple. With this dryer, 40 kg of pineapple can be dried within 4 days. The dryer reduces drying losses as compared to sun drying and show lower operational costs than the artificial drying. Temperatures in the drying chamber varied from 28.0 °C to 57.0 °C depend on the weather conditions. The dryer could be used for pineapple of 83% (w.b.) moisture content, and they could be dried within 4 days, with 15% (w.b.) remaining moister. In addition, pineapples being dried in the solar tunnel dryer were completely protected from rain, insects and dust, and the dried.

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Socioeconomic Impact of Establishment of University of Embu on Small Scale Farmers in Nthambo Sub-Location, Kenya

Asian Journal of Probability and Statistics ◽

10.9734/ajpas/2018/v2i124565 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 1-15

Author(s):

Gogo Jacqueline Akelo ◽

Cyrus Gitonga Ngari

Keyword(s):

Agricultural Land ◽

Community Diversity ◽

Socioeconomic Impact ◽

Small Scale ◽

Supporting Evidence ◽

Agricultural Potential ◽

Small Scale Farmers ◽

The University ◽

The Impact ◽

Potential Area

The University of Embu is one of the fast developing and recently chartered University in Kenya. It is located in Nthambo sub-location, which is an agricultural potential area. Universities establishment have considerable influence on the activities of community that stays around it. Despite the fact that several studies have been conducted on the socioeconomic impact of establishment of different Universities to the community they reside in, a research on the socioeconomic impact of establishment of University of Embu on small scale farmers in their agricultural activities have never been done. Given that the University of Embu has been established on the agricultural potential area, this study sought to investigate the impact of the establishment of University of Embu on agricultural resources and productivity, describe the community diversity and living standards of the community. Methodology used in this research was descriptive survey design and stratified random sampling technique obtaining a sample of 100 households which was proportionate to the population. Using SPSS software for cross-tabulation, the results indicated that: the rate of both livestock and crop production have been declining with supporting evidence of (60.2%) and (66%) of the households respectively, the community was diverse (87.2%) with majority being university students (68.1%), most of the small scale farmers had access to electricity connection (78.1%), even though farming activity remains main economic activity of community within the area, it has been declining from (95.3%) to (53.2%), business activities have increased from (3.5%) to (41.5%), most of the households (54.3%) have constructed rental houses majorly to earn more money (70.2%). The researchers recommend that Embu County government should adopt a policy such that the communities surrounding University of Embu must develop, implement and enforce mechanisms for effective preservation of productive agricultural land (i.e. Urban growth boundaries, purchase of development rights, exclusive agricultural zoning among others).

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Researching Alternative Cash Crops for Small Scale Farmers in Southern Ohio

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.33.3.530a ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 33 (3) ◽

pp. 530a-530

Author(s):

Brad Bergefurd ◽

Gary Gao

Keyword(s):

Applied Research ◽

Small Scale ◽

Extension Agents ◽

Research Projects ◽

Cash Crops ◽

Grant Program ◽

Culinary Herbs ◽

Small Scale Farmers

Speciality crops are great alternative cash crops for small scale farmers. Small scale farmers are constantly searching for viable economic crops to grow. We have been conducting applied research on the production and marketing of culinary herbs, oriental vegetables, colored peppers, and muskmelons to name a few. These crops show excellent potential for southern Ohio. Field demonstration, seminars, and surveys were used to gather and disseminate information on these speciality crops. More than 230 people attended our seminars on alternative cash crops. More than 150 people attended our field days. In addition, we had identified many chefs that are willing to purchase from local speciality crop growers. It will be a win-win situation for both chefs and growers. Growers will be able to maximize their profitability while chefs will receive fresh and unique produce. As a result of our research, we were able to show small scale growers what they can grow successfully and how they can market their crops for most profit. These applied research projects received a combined funding of $10000.00 from OSU Extension-Innovative Grant program. These projects are a great way to establish credibility among clients. We would also like to demonstrate how other extension agents can help their clients. A lecture utilizing slides and overhead transparencies will be the format of the seminar.

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