Date

4-2010

Degree

Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Engineering

Major Course

Major in Agricultural Power and Machinery Engineering

College

College of Engineering and Agro-Industrial Technology (CEAT)

Adviser/Committee Chair

Delfin C. Suministrado

Committee Member

Rossana Marie C. Amongo, Marvin C. Petingco

Abstract

The compressive failure behavior of rough rice was related to moisture content. Previous studies found out that these two parameters were inversely proportional. This study focused on testing the applicability of moisture content-force relationship to four varieties of freshly harvested rough rice. A load cell strain gage operating under a Wheatstone bridge configuration was used with a maximum capacity of 20,275 N. The strain gages on this system reacted on the axial force applied causing change in resistance, thus affecting the output voltage. By attaching a strain amplifier to the balanced circuit, the minute changes in voltage output became readable data. The test was done on samples with moisture contents ranging from 18 to 24% (wet basis), set by exposing the samples to heat for different time durations. The load cell experienced forces ranging from 34 to 72 N. The inverse relationship of moisture content and breaking force was observed in the four varieties. The properties of the rice variety affected the range of force needed to crack a grain at a certain moisture setting. Statistical parameters revealed that no single model could characterize the relationship between moisture content and breaking force of the four varieties, thus, of all the varieties of rice. Results of this study will help in developing a new secondary procedure determining the moisture content of rice

Language

English

Document Type

Thesis

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