Kaloudis, E.; Agrafioti, P.; Athanassiou, C. Prediction of Oxygen Distribution in Silos and Chambers Filled with Various Agricultural Commodities. Agronomy2023, 13, 3027.
Kaloudis, E.; Agrafioti, P.; Athanassiou, C. Prediction of Oxygen Distribution in Silos and Chambers Filled with Various Agricultural Commodities. Agronomy 2023, 13, 3027.
Kaloudis, E.; Agrafioti, P.; Athanassiou, C. Prediction of Oxygen Distribution in Silos and Chambers Filled with Various Agricultural Commodities. Agronomy2023, 13, 3027.
Kaloudis, E.; Agrafioti, P.; Athanassiou, C. Prediction of Oxygen Distribution in Silos and Chambers Filled with Various Agricultural Commodities. Agronomy 2023, 13, 3027.
Abstract
In the context of post-harvest pest management in agricultural products, the adoption of modified atmospheres presents an eco-friendly alternative to conventional pesticides. This study focuses on nitrogen gas as a potential agent for insect control in stored commodities, utilizing computational simulations to investigate its penetration and distribution within two common storage configurations: chamber-contained pallets and silos. By employing the convection-diffusion equation, the simulations reveal insights into nitrogen distribution dynamics and duration required for oxygen reduction. The results highlight the influence of boundary conditions, commodity porosity, and convection effects on nitrogen dispersion. In chamber scenarios, boundary condition type significantly affects oxygen reduction time, while in silos, convection and diffusion interact to establish a consistent diffusion layer thickness. This research enhances the understanding of modified atmosphere techniques and their potential for sustainable pest management. It provides practitioners with valuable quantitative insights, paving the way for optimized modified atmosphere strategies in real-world agricultural contexts.
Biology and Life Sciences, Agricultural Science and Agronomy
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
