Distribution of Damage in Maize Combine Cylinder and Relationship Between Physico-Rheological Properties of Shelled Grain and Da
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Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Retrospective Theses and Dissertations Dissertations 1972 Distribution of damage in maize combine cylinder and relationship between physico-rheological properties of shelled grain and damage Ali Ramadan Mahmoud Iowa State University Follow this and additional works at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd Part of the Agriculture Commons, and the Bioresource and Agricultural Engineering Commons Recommended Citation Mahmoud, Ali Ramadan, "Distribution of damage in maize combine cylinder and relationship between physico-rheological properties of shelled grain and damage " (1972). Retrospective Theses and Dissertations. 5935. https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd/5935 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Dissertations at Iowa State University Digital Repository. 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Silver prints of "photographs" may be ordered at additional charge by writing the Order Department, giving the catalog number, title, author and specific pages you wish reproduced. University Microfilms 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106 A Xerox Education Company 73-3908 MAHMOUD, Ali Ramadan, 1940- DISTRIBUTION OF DAMAGE IN MAIZE COMBINE CYLINDER AND RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PHYSICO-RHEOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF SHELLED GRAIN AND DAMAGE. Iowa State University, Ph.D., 1972 Engineering, agricultural University Microfilms, A XEROX Company, Ann Arbor, Michigan THIS DISSERTATION HAS BEEN MICROFILMED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED. Distribution of damage in maize combine cylinder and relationship between physico-rheological properties of shelled grain and damage by Ali Ramadan Mahmoud A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty in Partial Fulfillment of The Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Major; Agricultural Engineering Approved: Signature was redacted for privacy. In Chargeyof Major Work Signature was redacted for privacy. For the Major Departmeny Signature was redacted for privacy. For the Graduate College Iowa State University Ames, Iowa 1972 PLEASE NOTE: Some pages may have indistinct print. Filmed as received. University Microfilms, A Xerox Education Company 11 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page I. INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES 1 II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE 7 A. Historical Development of Corn Shelling 7 B. Shelling Performance of the Rasp-Bar Combine Cylinder 13 C. Recent Developments In Corn Shelling 15 D. U.S. Official Grain Grading Standards 25 E. Methods of Evaluating Mechanical Damage 30 F. Physical and Rheological Properties of Agricultural Products 36 III. CONCAVE STUDIES 44 A. Distribution of Shelled Corn Along the Concave 50 1. Experimental procedures 50 2. Statistical analysis and results 54 B. Distribution of Mechanical Damage Along the Concave 67 1. Experimental procedure 67 2. Statistical analysis and results 68 C. Discussion and Conclusions 78 IV. EAR ORIENTATION STUDIES 83 A. Effect of Ear Orientation on Kernel Damage 84 1. Equipment and experimental procedure 84 2. Results and discussion 85 B. Forces Acting on the Concave 88 1. Equipment and experimental procedure 88 2. Results and discussion 94 3. Theoretical prediction of the normal force 99 4. Conclusions 108 V. DAMAGE EVALUATION 110 A. Bulk Density of Shelled Corn 112 1. Experimental procedure 112 2. Statistical analysis and results 115 ill TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) Page B. Strain of Bulk Shelled Corn 120 1. Statistical analysis and results 121 C. Compressive Energy Dissipated in Compressing Bulk Shelled Corn 124 1. Statistical analysis and results 125 D. Time of Relaxation of Compressed Shelled Corn 129 1. Theory 132 2. Computation of time of relaxation 133 3. Statistical analysis and results 140 E. Conclusions 144 VI. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 147 A. Summary 147 B. Conclusion 150 1. Concave studies 150 2. Ear orientation studies 150 3. Damage evaluation 151 C. Suggestions for Further Study 152 VII. REFERENCES 153 VIII. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 168 IX. APPENDIX A: CONCAVE STUDIES DATA 171 X. APPENDIX B: EAR ORIENTATION STUDIES DATA 197 XI. APPENDIX C: DAMAGE EVALUATION DATA 202 1 I. INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES Corn is a native crop of Mexico (161). It was introduced to the United States mainland as a result of the North American explorations by Columbus in the late 15th century. Today, the United States is the largest single corn producer in the world. Corn is its most valuable crop, and is grown on nearly 25 percent of the productive cropland. Corn production has more than doubled in the last 30 years, rising from 2.1 to 5.5 billion bushels. In 1970, United States corn production accounted for 48 percent of the total world output (177). The harvest of corn has progressed from hand picking of the ears, through machine picking for storage in cribs, to field shelling by plcker- shellers and recently to combines. In 1953 Hopkins and Pickard (92) reported that the combine cylinder could harvest and shell corn efficient ly. Accordingly this initiated further research and field studies of corn shelling. By 1956 only 3 percent of the corn for grain was field shelled. Since then, the practice has emerged as the preferred method of harvesting corn. In the last 10 years there has been a marked change from harvesting corn on the ear to field shelling. A field survey (178) in the com belt indicated the continued shift to combines for harvesting corn. The portion of acreage harvested by corn head on combines reached 69 percent in Illinois for 1971 season. Such a trend is illustrated in Figure 1 for Iowa, with a projected 60 percent of the acreage to be field shelled by 1975. The combine approach has gained such favor because combines are universal type harvesters which may be equipped with different head attachments and, when appropriately adjusted, can be used to harvest all 2 N MECHANICAL PICKERS Q CORN HEAD ON COMBINE 100 2 FIELD PICKER-SHELLER PROJECTED _ 80 • • • • 60 - 1 • 1 1 t \ 1 \ 0, • 'G • 40 - 20 — A 6 A A A A A 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 I 1 1 I960 1969 1970 1978 1980 YEARS Figure 1. Percent of corn acreage harvested by machines (Iowa). types of grains. Grain damage is currently a tremendous problem to the entire grain industry. Although there has been a certain amount of damaged grain associated with artificial drying, the new dimension in the picture is harvest damage. Current estimates (11) of shelling damage range between 38 and 62 percent in typical high moisture shelling (24 to 30 percent moisture content). Cracked, broken, scuffed and/or crushed kernels produce many fines, before and after drying. These fines affect dryer performance, storage characteristics and marketing opportunities. Mechanical damage has many adverse effects, the most important being the economic loss to the farmer. Bailey (12) estimates that the American farmer loses up to 3 cents on every bushel of corn he sells because of 3 broken kernels alone. The average amount bf screenings cleaned out before the grain gets to the consumer is over 3 percent, and these screenings are worth at least 20 cents per bushel less than whole com. Also, cleaning costs about one cent per bushel. This amounts to a total loss of approximately $75 million annually to grain producers in the corn belt. Damaged shelled corn molds and spoils more readily than sound corn. By-products of mold growth are heat, water and carbon dioxide. The germ is the first part o£ the grain kernel to be discolored and destroyed, but eventually the whole kernel will be turned brown (heat damaged) and commercially objectionable musty or sour odors will develop. In the past 5 years a new and deadly element has been increasingly identified with mold damage. Several fungi produce toxins which have been classified as carcinogens. The detectable presence of a carcinogen, such as aflatoxin, in any food or animal feed renders that substance unfit for consumption under terms of the Delaney Amendment to the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. Chemical tests can identify this substance at levels as low as 2 parts per billion, and it is conceivable that a single, contaminated kernel could cause the condemnation of a sizable amount of grain (87).