• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.286-296
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• 2019

Land suitability assessments have been a crucial issue for enhancing productivity in agriculture and conserving agricultural lands. Based on soil and climate information, land suitability assessment for peaches (Prunus persica) and grapes (Vitis vinifera L.) were conducted using the maximum limiting characteristic method (MLCM) in South Korea. In peaches, S1 (highly suitable) exists on 2.21% of the land, S2 (moderately suitable) on 19.20%, N1 (currently not suitable) on 12.07%, and N2 (permanently not suitable) on the remaining 66.52%. In grapes, 3.65% of the land is classified as S1, 17.98% as S2, 11.85% as N1 and 66.52% as N2. In both fruit trees, the results acquired from soil and climatic information were similar to those from soil information alone. The data also suggest that the grades by soil information were relatively low over the land. With the assumption that the more suitable area a province has, the more will be cultivated for the fruit trees, we compared the percentages of area for peach and grape farming per province with the results by MLCM, and suggested that some provinces with a small percentage of farm can be encouraged to plant more in suitable areas as dictated by MLCM for the species. In the near future, we plan to use an advanced method such as analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to conduct similar tests, in which having reference data of yields or benefits per farm can efficiently increase the accuracy of the measurements.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.337-346
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• 2019

Land suitability assessments for agricultural crop production determine the suitability of an area in terms of crop yields. We employed the maximum limiting characteristic method (MLCM) and an analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to assess land suitability for Pears (Pyrus) in all Korean provinces (Dos). In general, suitability grades according to the MLCM were much lower than those according to the AHP. The MLCM determined that suitable areas (S1, S2, and S3) exist on 19.55% of the land, whereas 99.08% of the land was classified as suitable by the AHP. Based on information on pear farms in each Korean province in 5 years (1982, 1987, 1992, 1997, 2002, and 2007), the proportion of suitable land area according to the MLCM in each province as compared to all suitable areas was closer to the proportion of areas covered by pear farms in the 5 years in each province and also to the proportion of pear farm areas in 2007 in each province. Based on the assumption that if a province has more suitable areas for pears, more pears will be cultivated in that province, the results of the MLCM can be regarded as more accurate than those of the AHP.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.21-28
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• 2001

Major deficiencies of current automation scheme including various robots for bioproduction include the lack of task adaptability and real time processing, low job performance for diverse tasks, and the lack of robustness of take results, high system cost, failure of the credit from the operator, and so on. This paper proposed a scheme that could solve the current limitation of task abilities of conventional computer controlled automatic system. The proposed scheme is the man-machine hybrid automation via tele-operation which can handle various bioproduction processes. And it was classified into two categories. One category was the efficient task sharing between operator and CCM(computer controlled machine). The other was the efficient interface between operator and CCM. To realize the proposed concept, task of the object identification and extraction of 3D coordinate of an object was selected. 3D coordinate information was obtained from camera calibration using camera as a measurement device. Two stereo images were obtained by moving a camera certain distance in horizontal direction normal to focal axis and by acquiring two images at different locations. Transformation matrix for camera calibration was obtained via least square error approach using specified 6 known pairs of data points in 2D image and 3D world space. 3D world coordinate was obtained from two sets of image pixel coordinates of both camera images with calibrated transformation matrix. As an interface system between operator and CCM, a touch pad screen mounted on the monitor and remotely captured imaging system were used. Object indication was done by the operator’s finger touch to the captured image using the touch pad screen. A certain size of local image processing area was specified after the touch was made. And image processing was performed with the specified local area to extract desired features of the object. An MS Windows based interface software was developed using Visual C++6.0. The software was developed with four modules such as remote image acquisiton module, task command module, local image processing module and 3D coordinate extraction module. Proposed scheme shoed the feasibility of real time processing, robust and precise object identification, and adaptability of various job and environments though selected sample tasks.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.248-262
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• 1991

Simulation model was developed to analyze drying process for tray type red pepper dryer and validated by experiments. This model could predict satisfactorily temperatures and moisture contents of red pepper and temperatures of drying air during drying. Optimize algorithm was developed to search control valiables (drying air temperature, air recycle ratio and air flow rate) of red pepper dryer based on a criterion of minimizing energy consumption under the constraint conditions that statisfied carotenoid retension of at least 210mg per 100g dry matter, the moisture content of bottom layer of 15% (d.b) and drying time of less than 35 hours. Step changes in drying air temperature and air recycle ratio were considered in the optimization. In single step in control variables, the difference of the moisture content between top layer and bottom layer was great and more fan power was required. As the drying trays were exchanged when the moisture content of bottom layer reached to 100% (d.b), fifty percent of energy was saved and the difference of moisture content was little. In double step changes in control variables, optimal conditions were found by changing the step when the moisture content of bottom layer reached to 100% (d.b) (about 19.8 hours from starting drying). Optimum air flow rate was $18.1cmm/m^2$. Optimum drying air temperature and air recycle ratio in the first step was $55.8^{\circ}C$ and 0.80, and in the second step $65.6^{\circ}C$ and 0.88, respectively. In triple step changes in control variables, the optimal conditions were found by changing the steps when the moisture content of bottom layer reached to 250% (d.b) and 150% (d.b). Optimal air temperatures were $66.2^{\circ}C$, $58.4^{\circ}C$ and $66.9^{\circ}C$, and optimal air recycle ratios were 0.778, 0.785, 0.862 at each step, respectively. Optimal air flow rate was $18.9cmm/m^2$. The best operating mode was triple step mode considering energy consumption, drying time, fan power, and quality of dried red pepper. When the triple step mode was used to dry the red pepper, the energy consumption was about 16.5%~57.2% less than that of the single step mode and the drying time was 6.6 hours shorter than that of the double step mode.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.55-55
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• 1976

An experimental work was conducted to develop an optimum operating system of various hay drying systems ; sun-drying with long hay, sun-drying after chopping, sun-drying after crushing, heated air drying after chopping using batch-type dryer and heated air drying after crushing using tunnel-type dryer. Seombody having 60 cm long and initial moisture content of approximately 79 % in wet basis was used for the experiment. The criteria selected for determining the optimum operating condition were the drying performance rate, the production cost and quality of dried matter of each drying systems. The result of this study are summarized as follows : 1. Drying characteristics of leaves of long stem hay, chopped seombody and crushed one were obtained by maintaining the oven temperature at 70 degrees centigrade. The required drying times for various samples to approximately 15% moisture content in wet basis were about 50 min .for leaves ; 160 min. for crushed hay ; 250 min. for chopped hay ; 340min. for ling hay and more than 360 min .for stems. The drying time of crushed hay was required about 50 % of that for the uncrushed long hay. Such a significant difference of drying of time between the leaf and long stem may indicate that an effective drying of seombody may not be achieved unless any kind of special process treatment for the whole hay is undertaken. 2. In each individual drying system, the following conclusions were drawn: a. After 8 days sun-drying on concrete floor under good days with average tempe?rature at $256{\circ}C$ and relative humidity at 55% at 2 P.M., the moisture content of long hay was still above 25 5'~ and the leaf loss during drying caused by wind and rough handling was more than 50 ~G. b. It was possible to dry the chopped seombody by sun-drying down to about 10 % moisture content within 5 days, however, a stock of heat and discolouration phenomena were observed during the drying, which may be due to the increased deposit-density by chopping, resulting in lowering the quality of the dried product. c. Sun-drying for the crushed material by hay-conditioner was required about 4 days to reduce the moisture content to about 10 %, keeping the quality of dried product at good grade. o. The optimum deposit-depth of the chopped seombody in the batch-type dryer used was about 28cm with about 42kg/hr of drying performance rate. However, it was necessary to overturn the materials between the upper and lower layers in order to obtain a good quality of dried product. d. The drying performance rate by the tunnel-type drier was highest among those of drying systems tested, giving the rate of approximately 400kg/day. 3. On reviewing the individual drying system for seombody, it was possible to draw conclusion that the best system was tunnel drying with the crushed seombody as far as the performance rate was concerned. However, the methods gives the highest operational cost. The system for the lowest operational cost with good quality of dried product was the sun-drying with the crushed material. Accordingly, it may be recommended that the system of sun-drying for the crushed seombody may be the most feasible system presently applicable to farm-level operation.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.56-63
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• 1976

An experimental work was conducted to develop an optimum operating system of various hay drying systems ; sun-drying with long hay, sun-drying after chopping, sun-drying after crushing, heated air drying after chopping using batch-type dryer and heated air drying after crushing using tunnel-type dryer. Seombody having 60 cm long and initial moisture content of approximately 79 % in wet basis was used for the experiment. The criteria selected for determining the optimum operating condition were the drying performance rate, the production cost and quality of dried matter of each drying systems. The result of this study are summarized as follows : 1. Drying characteristics of leaves of long stem hay, chopped seombody and crushed one were obtained by maintaining the oven temperature at 70 degrees centigrade. The required drying times for various samples to approximately 15% moisture content in wet basis were about 50 min .for leaves ; 160 min. for crushed hay ; 250 min. for chopped hay ; 340min. for ling hay and more than 360 min .for stems. The drying time of crushed hay was required about 50 % of that for the uncrushed long hay. Such a significant difference of drying of time between the leaf and long stem may indicate that an effective drying of seombody may not be achieved unless any kind of special process treatment for the whole hay is undertaken. 2. In each individual drying system, the following conclusions were drawn: a. After 8 days sun-drying on concrete floor under good days with average tempe\ulcornerrature at $256{\circ}C$ and relative humidity at 55% at 2 P.M., the moisture content of long hay was still above 25 5'~ and the leaf loss during drying caused by wind and rough handling was more than 50 ~G. b. It was possible to dry the chopped seombody by sun-drying down to about 10 % moisture content within 5 days, however, a stock of heat and discolouration phenomena were observed during the drying, which may be due to the increased deposit-density by chopping, resulting in lowering the quality of the dried product. c. Sun-drying for the crushed material by hay-conditioner was required about 4 days to reduce the moisture content to about 10 %, keeping the quality of dried product at good grade. o. The optimum deposit-depth of the chopped seombody in the batch-type dryer used was about 28cm with about 42kg/hr of drying performance rate. However, it was necessary to overturn the materials between the upper and lower layers in order to obtain a good quality of dried product. d. The drying performance rate by the tunnel-type drier was highest among those of drying systems tested, giving the rate of approximately 400kg/day. 3. On reviewing the individual drying system for seombody, it was possible to draw conclusion that the best system was tunnel drying with the crushed seombody as far as the performance rate was concerned. However, the methods gives the highest operational cost. The system for the lowest operational cost with good quality of dried product was the sun-drying with the crushed material. Accordingly, it may be recommended that the system of sun-drying for the crushed seombody may be the most feasible system presently applicable to farm-level operation.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.420-428
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• 2012

Purpose: Porcine proliferative enteropathy(PPE), caused by the obligate intracellular bacterium Lawsonia intracellularis, is a widely distributed disease throughout the world causing substantial economic loss. The bacterial pathogen invades the intestinal epithelial cells which causes hyperplasia of the infected cells and leads to the process of disease pathogenesis. For diagnosing PPE in a pig farm in earlier stage, a rapid diagnosing test equipment is needed for farmers. To test the equipment appropriately, we prepare the samples and antibodies for rapid detecting the Lawsonia intracellularis in pig feces. Methods : To prepare the PPE infected samples, we sampled PPE suspected pig feces in a pig farm. To manufacture a anti-Lawsonia intracellularis antibody for capturing the Lawsonia intracellularis, the rabbit-anti LsaA synthetic peptide polyclonal antibody was inoculated to rabbits. To select the couple of antibodies which is most well sandwiched with the bacteria, ELISA test was done with PPE infected ileum samples. Finally, to verify the PPE infected feces which would be used to test the rapid kit, PCR test was done on the sampled PPE suspected feces Results : The rabbit-anti LsaA synthetic peptide polyclonal antibody is developed, and is verified to capture the bacterial well through the fluorescence antibody test. Also, we found that the monoclonal antibody and the polyclonal antibody could be used as couples for sandwiching the bacteria. Finally, through the PCR test for samples of pig feces, we could prepare the 150 PPE positive samples and 50 PPE negative samples. Conclusions : The manufactured polyclonal antibody and the imported monoclonal antibody could be used to capture the bacteria using the sandwich techniques. Also, the prepared PPE infected negative and positive samples could be used to test the performance of the rapid kit to capture the bacterium Lawsonia intracellularis.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.247-254
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• 2018

Purpose: Although previous studies have performed on-farm evaluations for the control of airborne diseases such as foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and influenza, disease control during the process of livestock and manure transportation has not been investigated thoroughly. The objective of this study is to predict common patterns of livestock-vehicle movement. Methods: Global positioning system (GPS) data collected during 2012 and 2013 from livestock vehicles on Jeju Island, South Korea, were analyzed. The GPS data included the coordinates of moving vehicles according to the time and date as well as the locations of livestock farms and manure-keeping sites. Data from 2012 were added to Esri software ArcGIS 10.1 and two approaches were adopted for predicting common vehicle-movement patterns, i.e., point-density and Euclidean-distance tools. To compare the predicted patterns with actual patterns for 2013, the same analysis was performed on the actual data. Results: When the manure-keeping sites and livestock farms were the same in both years, the common patterns of 2012 and 2013 were similar; however, differences arose in the patterns when these sites were changed. By using the point-density tool and Euclidean-distance tool, the average similarity between the predicted and actual common patterns for the three vehicles was 80% and 72%, respectively. Conclusions: From this analysis, we can determine common patterns of livestock vehicles using previous year's data. In the future, to obtain more accurate results and to devise a model for predicting patterns of vehicle movement, more dependent and independent variables will be considered.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.237-246
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• 2018

Purpose: This study (a) investigated the effect of microwave power intensity and sample thickness on microwave drying characteristics of radish strips, and (b) determined the best-fit drying model for describing experimental drying data, effective moisture diffusivity ($D_{eff}$), and activation energy ($E_a$) for all drying conditions. Methods: A domestic microwave oven was modified for microwave drying and equipped with a small fan installed on the left upper side for removing water vapor during the drying process. Radishes were cut into two fixed-size strip shapes (6 and 9 mm in thickness). For drying experiments, the applied microwave power intensities ranged from 180 to 630 W at intervals of 90 W. Six drying models were evaluated to delineate the experimental drying curves of both radish strip samples. The effective moisture diffusivity ($D_{eff}$) was determined from Fick's diffusion method, and the Arrhenius equation was applied to calculate the activation energy ($E_a$). Results: The drying time was profoundly decreased as the microwave power intensity was increased regardless of the thickness of the radish strips; however, the drying rate of thicker strips was faster than that of the thinner strips up to a certain moisture content of the strip samples. The majority of the applied drying models were suitable to describe the drying characteristics of the radish strips for all drying conditions. Among the drying models, based on the model indices, the best model was the Page model. The range of estimated $D_{eff}$ for both strip samples was from $2.907{\times}10^{-9}$ to $1.215{\times}10^{-8}m^2/s$. $E_a$ for the 6- and 9-mm strips was 3.537 and 3.179 W/g, respectively. Conclusions: The microwave drying characteristics varied depending on the microwave power intensity and the thickness of the strips. In order to produce high-quality dried radish strips, the microwave power intensity should be lower than 180 W.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.201-205
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• 2005

Tri-octyl amine (TOA) is used in solvent extraction process for radioactive waste. This compound may be degraded to di-octyl amine (DOA), mono-octyl amine (MOA) by radioactive materials. Amount of TOA, DOA and MOA in TOA must be monitored because they production of these compounds means degradation of which leads to a decrease in the extraction yield. Retention behavior for TOA, DOA and MOA are studied with Phenomenex LUNA-$C_{18}$ ($4.6mm{\times}25cm$) analytical column and $CH_3OH:H_2O$ (50 mmol $CH_3COONH_4$) eluent by liquid chromatography. Optimum condition for these compounds is $CH_3OH:H_2O$ (50 mmol $CH_3COONH_4$) = 85 : 15 ratio. TOA, DOA and MOA compounds is well separated within 20 minute. Dynamic range is $30{\sim}160{\mu}g/mL$ for TOA, $5{\sim}100{\mu}g/mL$ for DOA and $0.1{\sim}5{\mu}g/mL$ for MOA, respectively. The detection limit are $0.1{\mu}g/mL$ for TOA, $1{\mu}g/mL$ for DOA (in SCAN mode) and $0.1{\mu}g/mL$ for MOA (in SIM mode) in this system with $20{\mu}L$ sample loop.