1. Storage Aeration and Dehydration of Almonds Michael Coates PhD candidate

2. 1)To shorten the current ground drying process and reduce the likely contact with soil and possible contaminates under wet conditions by going directly to storage. 2)To control mould growth and pest infestation by controlling the climate within the stockpile. Benefits: Harvesting is not dependant on the weather conditions. Transmission of soil contaminates can be better controlled. Prevent the growth of moulds and pest infestation within the stockpile. Stockpile life and quality time can be extended. (commons.wikimedia.org, 2007)

3. The first 6 months The PhD project Current progress (www.Usefulbusiness.co.uk, 2011)

4. Literature review Research proposal Confirmation of candidature Data collection Liaisons for a test bunker

5. A CFD coupled DEM computer model for aerating / dehydrating almonds in bulk storage. Discrete Element Method (DEM) Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)

6. Discrete Element Method (DEM) 1.The almond is build from spheres to get the closest likeness. 2.Properties are applied to that group of spheres. 3.A factory of thousands are created to observe the interaction over time. 4.Primarily used in mining and soil modelling Customer algorithm for dimensional changes 5.Limited consideration for environmental conditions (Sarnavi et al., 2013) (DEM Solutions, 2013)

7. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) 1.A storage medium is devised with known boundary conditions. 2.Inlets and vents are specified on the model. 3.Conditions are applied to the model such as rate of airflow, pressure and change in temperature. 4.A fluid (air) is introduced and observed over time. 5.Limited consideration for dynamic change in geometry Air velocity (left) and pressure (right) in a silo (Falkner G., 2004)

8. DEM coupled CFD Provides a more realistic model of the interaction between the storage medium, the almonds and the environment. Determine the best storage design and air flow configuration. Maximise airflow Map changes in relative humidity Predict fungal growth (DEM Solutions, 2013)

9. Material properties from literature and experiment. Bulk density resistance to air flow Water Activity (Aw) Mass transfer Rate of desorption Rate of diffusion Thermal transfer 25° C Nonpareil isothermal (King et al., 1983)

10. Acquiring the software and hardware Moisture content test Air resistance test Literature highlights (Karaj et al, 2012) (Internetmarketingvolt.com, 2012) Hull Shell Kernel

11. Moisture Content Test TG&P Orchard (March 2013) PeerlessNonpareil Each tree ranges between 85% and 20% Moisture Content Before hull split Just after hull split Ready to harvest

12. Air resistance Test Final design Initial design

13. Literature Highlights Most literature is focused on the kernel Requires experiments to be run to capture hull data Open loop control systems 75% of drying happens in the first 2 hrs. due to convection. Systems don’t account for the diffusion cycle. Desorption rate for Nonpareil (Moreira et al., 1989) Grain moisture gradient after 10 min (Oliveira et al., 2012)

14. Supervisors: Assoc. Professor John Fielke – The University of South Australia Dr Chris Saunders – The University of South Australia Industry Co-ordinator: Ben Brown – Almond Board of Australia This project (AL12003) has been funded by HAL using the Almond levy, voluntary contributions from industry and matched funds from the Australian Government.

15. Commons.wikimedia.org, 2007, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rain_cloud_swifts_creek_0107.jpg – raincloud, viewed June 2, 2013. www.Usefulbusiness.co.uk, 2011, http://www.usefulbusiness.co.uk/blog/2011/4/17/is-the-big-new-idea-overrated.html, viewed June 2, 2013. King, A. D., W. U. Halbrook, G. Fuller and L. C. Whitehand (1983). Almond nutmeat moisture and water activity and its influence on fungal flora and seed composition. Journal of Food Science 48(2): 615-617. Sarnavi, H. J., A. Noor Mohammadi, A. Modares Motlagh and A. Rahmani Didar (2013). DEM model of wheat grains in storage considering the effect of moisture content in direct shear test. Research Journal of Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology 5(3): 829-841. Falkner, G., 2004, Numerical Investigation Into the Aeration of Grain Silos, http://eprints.usq.edu.au/11/1/GriffithFAULKNER- 2004.pdf, viewed June 2, 2013. DEM Solutions, 2013, http://www.dem-solutions.com/software/edem-software/particle-fluid-interactions/, viewed June 2, 2013. Karaj, S., K. Meissner and J. Müller (2012). Geometric vs. Aerodynamic diameter for modelling airflow resistance of wood chip. International Conference of Agricultural Engineering CIGR-AgEng2012. Valencia, Spain. Internetmarketingvolt.com, 2012, http://internetmarketingvolt.com/keyword-research-and-its-benefits, viewed June 2, 2013. Moreira, R. G. and F. W. Bakker-Arkema (1989). Moisture desorption model for nonpareil almonds. Journal of Agricultural Engineering Research 42(2): 123-133. Oliveira, V. A. B. d., A. G. B. d. Lima and C. J. e. Silva (2012). Drying of wheat: A numerical study based on the non-equilibrium thermodynamics. International Journal of Food Engineering Failure Analysis 8(3): 19.

16. ? ? ? ? ? ? ?