• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.21-29
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• 2009

A rapeseed reaping equipment attachable to a conventional combine was developed in order to harvest rapeseed for bio-diesel materials. This study was carried out to measure the harvest feasibility of a prototype combine in rapeseed fields. Grain, stem and pod flow rate, grain qualities (whole kernel, damaged kernel, unhulled kernel, material-other-than-grain) and grain loss rates (header, threshing, separation) were investigated in each field test. As the result of the fold test, the average grain flow rates of SUNMANG and MS varieties showed 1,430 kg/h and 2,038 kg/h, respectively. The average stem and pod flow rates showed 3,443 kg/h and 6,596 kg/h, respectively. In each working speed, the average whole kernel rate and the material-other-than-grain showed 99.9% and below 0.08%, respectively. In the average grain loss, the rates showed 5.66% in case of SUNMANG and 5.94% in MS. Header loss was higher than other parts for SUNMANG. However, threshing loss was relatively higher than other parts for MS. Header loss rate due to side cutter knifes, however, was not so high when compared with a grain loss due to the cutter bar. Effective field capacity and field efficiency of the prototype combine showed 0.389 ha/h and 44%, respectively. Comparison of customary combine with the prototype combine through field test demonstrated that the header loss was reduced by 69.3% when the prototype combine was used.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.114-119
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• 2009

Field test was conducted to investigate primary factors reducing rapeseed harvesting using a reciprocating cutter-bar of combine. The results showed that the correlation between crop moisture content and yield loss had a U-type, which indicated that the yield reduction increased at too high and too low crop moisture contents. The proper ranges of crop moisture contents were 27${\sim}$35%, 21${\sim}$56%, and 62${\sim}$73% in case of grain, pod and stem, respectively. Crop moisture content was negatively correlated with header loss, but positively correlated with threshing loss. In contrary, stem moisture content showed positive correlations with total loss, threshing loss and separation loss. Working speed was positively correlated with header loss. Total flow rate, pod flow rate and stem flow rate were highly correlated with threshing loss and separation loss. However, grain flow rate did not show any correlation with total loss. According to the principal component analysis, two principal components were derived as components with eigenvalues greater than 1.0. The contribution rates of the first and the second components were 52.7% and 38.9%, which accounted for 91.6% of total variance. As a contributive factor influencing total loss of rapeseed mechanical harvesting, a crop moisture content factor was greater than a crop flow rate factor. The stepwise multiple regression analysis for total loss was conducted using crop moisture content factor, crop flow rate factor and coefficient. However, the model did not show any correlation among independent and dependent factors ($R^2$=0.060).

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.230-238
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• 2008

Mechanization such as machine harvesting, precleaning, drying and cleaning for rapeseed harvested with high moisture content should be accomplished for biodiesel production. In addition, machine drying and cleaning is inevitable in the mechanization of work, just because rice should be transplanted right after harvesting rapeseed in Korea. Particularly, early harvested rapeseed with the combine have high moisture content and undesirable materials such as stalks and stones which make drying-process difficult and lower the efficiency of drying. Therefore, this study was conducted to develop precleaner and cleaner which could remove foreign substances from harvested rapeseeds. The precleaner consists of throw-in hopper, conveyor, feeding hopper, two precleaning sieves and discharging sections. Precleaning capacity was 1,505 kg/hr in shaking frequency of 370 cpm (cycles per minute) and tilt angles of between $5^{\circ}$ and $7^{\circ}$. The efficiency of precleaning was between 90.9% and 91.5%. The cleaner consists of feeding, shaking, blowing, cleaning and discharging sections. Cleaning performance was 435.4kg/hr in the number of rocking motions of 475 cpm and tilt angle of $10^{\circ}$. The ratios of cleaning, foreign substances and loss were 96.5%, 3.5% and 0.2%, respectively.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Agricultural Machinery Conference
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• 1996.06c
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• pp.539-546
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• 1996

The physical condition of rapeseed delivered to fat industry plants plays a significant role in the formation of the qualitative features of the raw material for oil production and, consequently , of the oil itself. Rapeseed is stored in silos , frequently for months, before it is subjected to processing. During the long storage, the conditions of the seed cover is very important, as the seed cover provides natural protection of the seed against the effect of the environment. Seeds with damaged seed cover are more easily affected by mildew, and the rate of chemical processes. Deteriorating the quality of oil contained in the cotyledons is faster in such seeds. Cracked seed covers facilitates also the growth and development of microorgaism. So as rapeseed damage occurring inthe course of harvest and the post-harvest processing have a negative effect of the quality and quantity of oil the sees contain. The study presented here was aimed at examining the typical process of purcha ing and handling of rapeseed in fat industry plants, in the aspect of the occurrence of mechanical damage to the seeds. Special attention was paid to the condition of rapeseed immediately after combine harvesting : next , the successive stages of technological handling of the seed were examined. observing the operation parameters of the particular machinery and equipment in order to identify those operations which caused deterioration in the quality of the material (sees). Seed samples were taken successively from the following the hopper, prior to cleaning , after cleaning , prior to drying , after drying, from dry rape silo. The total level of damage increased through the handling. The content of unusable contaminants had the tendency to decrease in the successive operations. though the actual values still exceeded levels permitted by standards. The study allow to indicate the operation fo postharvest technological process, which cause the most seed damage as well as gave quantita ive description of the losses occurred.