Estimation of some physical and mechanical characteristics of Wheat grain at definite moisture content

Abstract

Physical properties and mechanical properties of grains have importance in design of farm machinery, processing equipment's, handling equipment's, and processing of food and agricultural products. The physical properties must be known to an engineer to design a machine for handling, cleaning, conveying, storing and milling. There are some of important physical properties such as shape, size, volume, density and mechanical properties like angle of repose, static friction coefficient of different grains is necessary for the design of seed drill cum fertilizer, harvester, thresher etc. and food processing units such as separating, handling, storing, drying systems etc. Physical and mechanical properties of grain were estimated at Food Research Lab, Food and Processing Engineering, Vaugh Institute of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences, Prayagraj, (Uttar Pradesh). Therefore, The objective of present study was to determine some physical and mechanical properties of wheat grain at 9.2 % moisture content such as dimensions (length, width and thickness); equivalent, geometric and arithmetic mean diameter; sphericity; surface area; area of flat and transverse surface; volume; mass of one grain; and then other properties under effect of moisture content variation such as density, thousand kernel mass, coefficient of friction against deferent materials and angle of repose. The average length, width and thickness of wheat seed were measured 6.25, 4.48 and 3.73 mm at a moisture content of 9.7 % (wet basis) respectively. Equivalent diameter and sphericity were calculated at moisture content of 9.7 % were 4.63 mm and 74 %. The bulk density and particle density was estimated 623 and 1215 kg/m3 at same moisture content while mechanical properties such as angle of repose and static friction were determined 24.60 and 0.352 respectively at same moisture level. Therefore, these estimated physical and mechanical properties can be used to design and development of combine tillage and sowing assembly.