SOME PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF SELECTED VEGETABLE
1 Ilori, T.A., 2Raji.A.O and 3O.O. Kilanko
1Department of Agricultural Engineering Programme, Federal College of Agriculture, Ibadan
2Department of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering, University of Ibadan, Ibadan
3 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Covenant University, Ota
E-mail: iloritaa@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT
Physical attributes of biomaterial are needed as parameter in computer simulation of deformation of Agricultural and Food material under compressive loading using Discrete Element method. In this study, two vegetable namely chilli pepper (Capsicum frutescens)and bell pepper (Capsicum annum) were selected and some physical properties (mass, major diameter, intermediate diameter, minor diameter, and volume) at 10.88% w.b and 9.79% w.b moisture content were determined using standard methods. The results of the study show that the frequency distributions of each of the size of the two pepper varieties follow a normal distribution curve. The average geometric mean diameter and sphericity of bell pepper are 43.94mm and 64.23%while that of chilli pepper are 25.55mm and 86% respectively The mean mass, volume, true density and bulk density for bell pepper were 29.91g, 27.75cm3, 1.117gcm-3 and 0.52gcm-3 while that of chilli pepper were 8.4g, 8.23cm3, 0.90gcm-3 and 0.41 gcm-3 respectively. These data are useful in the design and development of handling and processing machines
Keywords: DEM, bell pepper, chilli pepper, physical properties