Automation of Seed Priming Technology for Enhanced Seed Vigour of Blackgram Seeds

Background: Seed priming technique involves soaking of seeds in priming agent to a point where germination related metabolic activities occur in the seeds followed by drying of imbibed seeds to original moisture to prevent the radical protrusion and facilitate storage of primed seed. Draining of priming agent and drying of large quantity of primed seeds is a laborious and time consuming process. The current study was aimed to standardize automation of seed priming process by utilizing house-hold top loading washing machine. Methods: The top loading washing machine referred to as Seed Priming Cabinet, contained a priming drum with provision for draining water. On completion of the soaking period, the ‘SPIN’ button was pressed by setting the duration of spin drying (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 min.). Then the seeds were removed from the drum of priming cabinet and subjected to shade drying so as to reach the original moisture content and evaluated for seed quality parameters. Result: The blackgram seed subjected to conventional hydropriming was compared with automatic seed priming for 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 min. and observed that hydropriming and spin drying for 3 min. was found to be optimum and the per cent increase in germination recorded over control was 18.0 per cent thus suggesting that automation of seed priming technology can be recommended for enhanced seed vigour and crop productivity of blackgram.

Overhead Protection Increases Fuel Quality and Natural Drying of Leaf-On Woody Biomass Storage Piles

Short-rotation woody crops (SRWC) have the potential to make substantial contributions to the supply of biomass feedstock for the production of biofuels and bioproducts. This study evaluated changes in the fuel quality (moisture, ash, and heating value) of stored spring harvested shrub willow (Salix spp.) and hybrid poplar (Populus spp.) chips with respect to pile protection treatments, location within the storage piles, and length of storage. Leaf-on willow and poplar were harvested in the spring, and wood chips and foliage with moisture content in the range of 42.1% to 49.9% (w.b.) were stored in piles for five months, from May to October 2016. Three protection treatments were randomly assigned to the piles. The control treatment had no cover (NC), so piles were exposed to direct solar radiation and rainfall. The second treatment had a canopy (C) installed above the piles to limit direct rainfall. The final treatment had a canopy plus a dome aeration system (CD) installed over the piles. Covering piles reduced and maintained the low moisture content in wood chip piles. Within 30 days of establishment, the moisture content in the core of the C pile decreased to less than 30%, and was maintained between 24%–26% until the end of the storage period. Conversely, the moisture content in the NC piles decreased in the first two months, but then increased to the original moisture content in the core (>45 cm deep) and up to 70% of the original moisture content in the shell (<45 cm deep). For all the treatments in the tested conditions, the core material dried faster than the shell material. The higher heating value (HHV) across all the treatments increased slightly from 18.31 ± 0.06 MJ/kg at harvest to 18.76 ± 0.21 MJ/kg at the end of the storage period. The lower heating value (LHV) increased by about 50% in the C and CD piles by the end of the storage period. However, in the NC piles, the LHV decreased by 3% in the core and 52% in the shell. Leaf-on SRWC biomass stored in piles created in late spring under climatic conditions in central and northern New York showed differing moisture contents when stored for over 60–90 days. Overhead protection could be used to preserve or improve the fuel quality in terms of the moisture content and heating value if more than two months of storage are required. However, the implementation of such management practice will depend on whether the end users are willing to pay a higher price for dryer biomass and biomass with a higher LHV.

Experimental study of the moisture content influence on CH4 adsorption and deformation characteristics of cylindrical bituminous coal core

Moisture content in coal is an important factor affecting the coal seam gas extraction. It directly affects the storage and flow of gas in bituminous coal. In this paper, the cylindrical bituminous coal cores of Xutuan coal mine in Huaibei coal mine group were studied as experimental objects, using the laboratory self-designed experimental device Gas Adsorption and Strain Testing Apparatus system. The influence of the bituminous coal moisture content on gas adsorption characteristics was studied. Drying experiments of coal samples showed that they lose the original moisture content following the exponential decay function of time. At wetting, the saturated moisture content in coal samples increased following the Exponential Association function of time. The experimental results show that the average original moisture content and average saturated moisture content of raw coal samples are 1.3 and 2.4%, respectively. On this basis, the gas adsorption experiments on samples with different moisture contents under different gas pressures were carried out. With the moisture content increase, the gas adsorption capacity and saturation value decreased and the decrease rate gradually reduced. The single exponential decay function describes the gas adsorption capacity dependence on moisture content. Moisture content also affects the adsorption deformation of bituminous coal. At high moisture content, the adsorption deformation of bituminous coal is less.

The assessment of the possibilities of reducing the number of tests of the initial moisture content in the foam-polymer-mineral insulation of pipes

This article proposes a method of assessing the type and parameters of the distribution of the initial moisture content of the foam-polymer-mineral (PPM) insulation of steel pipes of underground heat pipes, as well as a method of testing the statistical hypothesis about the type and parameters of the distribution of moisture content. Investigated the possibility of reducing the amount of testing of PPM insulation steel pipe on the subject of the original moisture content without reducing the accuracy and reliability of the estimation of the true values of the original moisture content.

The Effect of HS- Ions in 1-mol/l NaOH Solutions on the Ion Diffusion in Wood Calculated as the Steady State Diffusion and the Drift Speed

Summary Diffusion tests in pine, birch and spruce were done with different Na2S fractions of 1-mol/l NaOH solutions. The steady state diffusion was found to be dependent on the original moisture content present in the wood samples and the concentration of the electrolyte, but not the HS− ions. The drift speed was dependent on the mobility of the HS− ions, reducing the flux as compared to the OH− flux in pure NaOH solutions. The moisture content originally present inside the wood samples affected the migration, especially in the longitudinal direction due to structural effects.

Physico-Mechanical Properties of Hardened Mg-Phosphate Cement

In a series of test specimens made out of magnesium phosphate cement, their physico-mechanical properties–i.e., fracture toughness, Poisson's ratio, Young's modulus, and bending strength–were studied. Samples included in the study were either in their original moisture state or dried. Some of them were polished on their tension side to eliminate the effect of surface defects.

The effects of alteration of grain moisture content by wetting or drying on the test weight of four winter wheats

SUMMARYThe rate of change in the test weight of four winter wheat varieties, with changing grain moisture content, was greater when the grain was wetted than when it was dried. The test weight of grain which had been dried and returned to its original moisture content was lower than that of the original sample.

Relationship of the moisture content of Finnish wheat flour and relative humidity

Changes in the moisture content of Finnish commercial wheat flour stored at variable relative humidities, representing the conditions typical of flour storage in Finland, were investigated. It could be shown that flour of 15 % moisture at the time of packing tends to dry considerably during normal storage conditions. Owing to the hysteresis effect, the moisture content of once dried flour is not likely to reach detrimental levels during normal storage, even if the relative humidity would exceed the critical level of 75—80 % for short periods. Minimum warehouse relative humidity was observed during Januay, at which time flour moisture had decreased to 6.7 %. The equilibrium humidity for flour of 15 % original moisture content was found to be about 70 %.