Analysis of Rain-Induced Attenuation at Ku-V Band Using Gamma Drop Size Distribution Model Over a Tropical Region

Wireless Personal Communications - In this paper, modeling of rain drop size distribution (DSD) and analysis of rain-induced attenuation are analyzed based on Gamma DSD model in a tropical...     

A Study of the Radial Compressive Cracking Force of Two Cassava Varieties

Radial compressive cracking force of two cassava varieties （TMS 30572 and TMS 4（2）1425） was determined. Tubers from plants about 1.5 years old, freshly harvested from the Teaching and Research Farm of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria, were used for this study. The tubers were cleaned and sliced into different lengths ranging from 25 mm to 150 mm in steps of 25 mm. For each species, slices of a particular length were sorted into 8 diameter groups： 21-30, 31-40, 41-50, 51-60, 61-70, 71-80, 81-90 and 91-100 ram. The cracking force of the sliced tubers was determined using an adapted tensometer. Generally, the cracking force increases with increase in tuber slice length. While the average value across all diameters ranges from 504.65 N to 1,770.19 N as the tuber length varies from 25 mm to 150 mm for TMS 30572, it ranges from 428.32 N to 1,721.95 N for TMS 4（2）1425. Within the same diameter group, the compression cracking force for tubers of small lengths was significantly lower than that required for large tuber lengths. Further, while the average cracking force for TMS 30572 varies between 894.54 N and 1,287.16 N across varying diameter ranges, it varies between 715.47 N and 1,268.82 N for TMS 4（2）1425. The highest values for both varieties occur at diameter range 71-80 mm. The data generated would be useful for the development of an efficient cassava peeling machine, based on the principle of peel-flesh separation by compression and peel removal with knives.