Determining physical and aerodynamic properties of garlic to design and develop of a pneumatic garlic clove metering system

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate some moisture-dependent physical and aerodynamic properties of garlic cloves (Allium Sativum L.). A completely randomized design (CRD) with five replications was chosen for the experimental layout. The data were analyzed by SAS program version 9.1 and means comparison were done by Duncan’s multiple range test (DMRT). Regression analysis was used to determine the relationship between physical and aerodynamic properties, and their moisture contents. The average length, width, thickness, geometric and arithmetic mean diameter of garlic cloves were 32.0, 21.8, 20.9, 24.4 and 24.9, respectively. The average of the surface area, projected area, one thousand kernel mass, volume and bulk density of garlic cloves increased from 1718.3 to 2029.1 mm², 546.6 to 644.3 mm², 6783.0 to 8159.3 g, 5916.5 to 7356.0 mm³ and 476.3 to 567.4 kg/m³, respectively, with increasing moisture content from 35.8% to 60.5% w.b. Studies showed that as moisture content increased, the true density decreased from 1146.4 to 1109.3 kg/m³. Within the same moisture range, the terminal velocity of garlic cloves increased linearly from 15.6 to 16.7 m/s. Finally, a vacuum seed metering system (a unit of pneumatic planter) for planting garlic cloves were designed and developed based on physical and aerodynamic properties of garlic cloves.