Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: P. Junga Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Agronomy, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic Author-Name: E. Krčálová Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Agronomy, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic Author-Name: K. Somerlíková Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Demography and Applied Statistics, Faculty of Regional Development and International Studies, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic Author-Name: J. Mareček Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Agronomy, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic Title: Experimental testing of some types of biologically degradable materials for processing in the SBM mechanical plant for hydrothermal treatment Abstract: The SBM (stabiliser of biomass) mechanical plant model is designed for the hydrothermal treatment of biologically degradable materials with using the principle of thermal hydrolysis. The primary task of this equipment is to subject biologically degradable materials to hydrothermal treatment and to recover the materials for a further use or to eliminate them. These entities could use the mechanical plant for economic and environment-friendly methods of handling biologically degradable wastes or materials. The objective of the experiment with various types of biologically degradable materials was to establish the level for the transformation of input characteristics of tested materials after conversion in the SBM mechanical plant and to assess the suitability of the processing by using this method with respect to the use of the final product. Materials tested in the first experiments included stable manure heated or unheated during the processing and maize silage wastes in mixture with wood chips. Keywords: biomass stabilization, thermal hydrolysis, technological equipment, biodegradable waste, mechanical-biological treatment Journal: Research in Agricultural Engineering Pages: 1-8 Volume: 58 Issue: 1 Year: 2012 DOI: 10.17221/30/2011-RAE File-URL: http://rae.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/30/2011-RAE.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/rae-201201-0001.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlrae:v:58:y:2012:i:1:id:30-2011-RAE Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: P. Hutla Author-Workplace-Name: Research Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: P. Jevič Author-Workplace-Name: Research Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Z. Strašil Author-Workplace-Name: Crop Research Institute, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: J. Kočica Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Chemical Technology, Prague, Czech Republic Title: Impact of different harvest times on ash fusibility of energy grasses Abstract: Five different energy grass plants (reed canary grass, tall fescue, orchardgrass, tall oatgrass, red top) were identified and studied for the purpose of determining the fuel energy qualities of the plants' mass while focusing on ash fusion temperatures. The plants were cultivated on four different locations and harvested in various times of the year (early summer, autumn and spring of the following year). It was found that the ash fusion temperatures of plants harvested in early summer were substantially lower in comparison with the autumn and spring harvest. The analysis of the composition of the ashes gathered from samples of grass plants harvested in early summer contained a substantially higher level of potassium, higher level of sodium and higher level of anions Cl- and PO43-. SiO2 is the most represented component in all of the ashes, with the late harvest having approximately 2-3 times higher level than the early one. Keywords: solid biofuel, ash fusion temperature, melting point, renewable energy sources, biomass Journal: Research in Agricultural Engineering Pages: 9-15 Volume: 58 Issue: 1 Year: 2012 DOI: 10.17221/29/2011-RAE File-URL: http://rae.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/29/2011-RAE.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/rae-201201-0002.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlrae:v:58:y:2012:i:1:id:29-2011-RAE Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: T. Ivanova Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Tropics and Subtropics, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: B. Havrland Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Tropics and Subtropics, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: P. Hutla Author-Workplace-Name: Research Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: A. Muntean Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Agricultural Engineering and Auto Transportation, State Agrarian University of Moldova, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova Title: Drying of cherry tree chips in the experimental biomass dryer with solar collector Abstract: Drying significantly influences the process of a biomass conversion into the renewable energy source as well as quality of solid biofuels (briquettes, pellets). The research is focused on monitoring and evaluation of the drying process in the case of cherry tree chips drying in experimental biomass dryer with solar collector. The dryer has been conceived as a result of the project which was realized at the State Agrarian University of Moldova. Technological and construction specifics of the biomass dryer are described in the paper. The moisture content of the cherry tree chips was observed in dependence of the drying time and at different locations of the drying chamber. The drying process in the biomass layer was found as non-uniform. Further parameters such as relative air humidity and the air temperature were measured and analysed, as well. It was concluded that the experimental biomass dryer with solar collector can work well in the conditions of the Central Moldova during the sunny period of the year. Keywords: bioenergy, drying process, material moisture content, relative air humidity, renewable energy, Republic of Moldova Journal: Research in Agricultural Engineering Pages: 16-23 Volume: 58 Issue: 1 Year: 2012 DOI: 10.17221/10/2011-RAE File-URL: http://rae.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/10/2011-RAE.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/rae-201201-0003.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlrae:v:58:y:2012:i:1:id:10-2011-RAE Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: D. Herák Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: A. Kabutey Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: A. Sedláček Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: G. Gűrdil Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Agricultural Machinery, Faculty of Agriculture, Ondokuz Mayis University Samsun, Samsun, Turkey Title: Mechanical behaviour of several layers of selected plant seeds under compression loading Abstract: This article is focused on the determination of the mechanical behaviour of several layers of plant seeds namely; garden pea (Pisum sativum L.), common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), common sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) and jatropha (Jatropha curcas L.) seeds under compression loading. The results from the experiment showed that during compression plant seeds may change their mechanical behaviour that is deformation characteristic ceases to be a function of growing and beginning to resemble that of trigonometric functions and this behaviour is called the "wave effect". Also the strain value at which there is no further change of the mechanical behaviour is actually a local maximum of deformation characteristic and this is called the limit deformation. Exceeding this value can cause vibration of the presser including other negative factors which influences the process of pressing. The amounts of the limit deformation, strain energy and volume energy for jatropha, common bean, common sunflower and garden pea were determined in this experiment. From the calculated amounts of the volume energy, garden pea had the best resistance to change in the mechanical behaviour due to the fact that its change in the mechanical behaviour was not discovered. The other plant seeds; common beans, common sunflower and jatropha with respect to resistance to change in the mechanical behaviour followed in that order of magnitude. Keywords: jatropha, common bean, garden pea, common sunflower, pressing, wave effect Journal: Research in Agricultural Engineering Pages: 24-29 Volume: 58 Issue: 1 Year: 2012 DOI: 10.17221/11/2010-RAE File-URL: http://rae.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/11/2010-RAE.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/rae-201201-0004.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlrae:v:58:y:2012:i:1:id:11-2010-RAE Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: M. Brožek Author-Workplace-Name: Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: A. Nováková Author-Workplace-Name: Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: M. Kolářová Author-Workplace-Name: Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Title: Quality evaluation of briquettes made from wood waste Abstract: At logging and at the subsequent wood and wood semi-products treatment the fine grained loose waste arises, e.g. wood dust, saw dust, shavings, chips, bark etc. One of possibilities of its meaningful utilization is the briquetting technology, products of which are briquettes determined for energetic utilization (combustion). In the paper the experimental results are published. The briquettes quality evaluation was their aim. For the briquetting tests bark (pine), shavings (about 90% spruce + 10% pine), sawdust (spruce), birch chips and poplar chips were used. The basic physical-mechanical properties were the evaluation criteria. Following properties were determined: gross calorific value, total moisture content, density, rupture force, length, diameter, density and mechanical durability. Keywords: briquetting, density, rupture force, mechanical durability Journal: Research in Agricultural Engineering Pages: 30-35 Volume: 58 Issue: 1 Year: 2012 DOI: 10.17221/33/2011-RAE File-URL: http://rae.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/33/2011-RAE.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/rae-201201-0005.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlrae:v:58:y:2012:i:1:id:33-2011-RAE