Iowa Innovators, October 2007

The “Iowa Innovators” series is a joint project of the Iowa Newspaper Association and the Iowa Department of Economic Development (IDED). The series is an outgrowth of an idea from member INA publishers. “Iowa Innovators” articles describe initiatives that Iowa communities have used to improve their ability to attract business and industry and demonstrate community innovation. The articles also describe Iowa companies on the leading edge of technology, business expansion, workforce development and recycling

Are inclined screw blades for vertical grain augers advantageous?

Due to modern technology, screw blades are often manufactured by rolling them out of one single strip of steel. When simultaneously some blade inclination is applied, less residual stresses and/or larger possible ratios between outer and shaft diameter are claimed by some manufacturers, which seems plausible. However, it is sometimes also claimed that the efficiency of the conveyors is increased by such an inclined blade. The underlying idea is that the blade will cause extra pressure between the material to be conveyed and the tube of the conveyor. This in turn would delay the angular speed of the material, thus resulting in a steeper upward motion.\ud \ud In order to investigate this phenomenon, previous investigations based upon the conveyance of a single point mass have been modified for an inclined screw blade. It appeared that such a blade has no significant advantages over a normal one, which was confirmed by a series of tests. For completeness, tests were also carried out with a leading screw, resulting in worse results.\ud \ud In the case that the pitch equals the diameter and for friction coefficients of 0.3 at both screw blade and tube wall, an increase of no more than 5% in capacity will occur, even for blade inclination angles up to 30°. At the same time, however, the efficiency can drop by 15%

ECONOMICS OF PRODUCING FOR AN IDENTITY-PRESERVED (IP) GRAIN MARKET

Demand for identity-preserved (IP) crops produced by Northern Plains farmers is increasing. Buyers are willing to pay a premium for grains that can be guaranteed to possess a unique characteristic. Several general crop management practices apply to crops raised for IP. These include greater investment in segregated storage facilities, more meticulous production, isolation, added cleaning/sorting, documentation, greater testing, additional marketing, and risks of liability. To illustrate, the economics of producing certified seed for sale to other farmers is used as an example of IP grain production. Many of the concepts and specific practices of certified seed production are applicable to most IP crops raised.identity-preserved, crop production, economics, marketing, certified seed, Crop Production/Industries, Demand and Price Analysis,

Performance of Agronomic Crop Varieties in Alaska 1978 –2002

There is no such thing as the perfect variety for Alaska. Some varieties are adapted to a wide range of climatic and geographic locations, while others are more specific in their adaptation. The change in elevation of a few hundred feet or a move of a few miles can have a considerable effect on the performance of any variety. Also, cultural practices such as tillage, fertilizer rates, planting date, seeding rate, pest control, and a multitude of other factors can also influence crop yields. This is especially noticeable in northern environments such as Alaska. For example, date-of-planting studies done by F.J. Wooding (1973) and C.W. Knight (1989) found that any date after the middle of May for planting an agronomic crop can result in delayed maturity, low yields, and low quality grain, even for the best adapted varieties for Alaska

Experimental rating and computer modeling of augers helixes whipping during local load

Розглянуто особливості експериментального визначення прогину витків шнека при місцевому навантаженні. Коротко проаналізовано сучасний стан питання, наведено опис експериментальної установки, в графічній формі представлено основні результати експерименту. Крім того, розглянуто можливість застосування сучасних інформаційних технологій для оцінювання напружено-деформівного стану гвинтових робочих органів, зокрема наведено приклад практичного застосування системи SolidWorks для аналізу напружень та деформацій витка гвинтової спіралі.The article deals with experimental determination of augers helixes whipping during local load. Short analysis of the newest information on the question and description of the experimental device are presented. Also the basic results of the experiment are submitted visually. Besides, the possibility of application of modern informational technologies for stress-strain state rating of augers working bodies is analyzed. The example of practical usage of Solid Works system for stress and strain of the auger of spiral is depicted

Iowa Developments, January 2008, Volume 12, Number 1

Business news from the Iowa Department of Economic Developmen

Assessment of the Condition of Iowa Augers, Auger-related Injuries, and Farmers’ Perceptions about Auger-related Injuries

This study provides an insight into auger-related injuries, Iowa farmers’ perceptions of auger-related injuries and the condition of augers used in Iowa agriculture. Specific auger-related injury data (437 records) from the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) was examined and interpreted. The most likely body part injured was the finger and 11:00 A.M., 3:00 P.M., and 5:00 P.M. were the times of the day with the highest number of injuries reported. In addition, a survey was administered to 400 farmers to ascertain their awareness of auger-related injuries and to determine the condition of their augers. Farmers’ perceptions of what body part is most likely to be injured by an auger and the level of severity expected from those injuries coincided with injury records from 1993 to 1997. A total 34% of the primary and secondary augers reported were unshielded or without guarding. This assessment provides insight for development of intervention countermeasures to reduce auger-related injuries