ศูนย์นวัตกรรมเทคโนโลยีหลังการเก็บเกี่ยว

A model for predicting mould growth and subsequent heat generation in bulk stored grain.

Wilson, M. T.;

Journal of Stored Products Research Year: 1999 Vol: 35 Issue: 1 Pages: 1-13 Ref: 21 ref.

1999

บทคัดย่อ

A mathematical model is proposed to predict the rate of heat and carbon dioxide production due to mould growth in stored grain. Unlike previous models, it is intended to be applicable in conditions that change with time. Starting from a model for mould growth in varying conditions the work of a number of authors is combined to produce a model to predict the heat production at all parts in a grain bulk. The effects of temperature and RH on the mould growth rate are decoupled, so that the resulting equation for mould growth is a product of one-parameter terms. The heat generation rate is then written as a specific function of the mould population and mould growth rate. The model's current predictions for very wet grain are good. For drier grain, the model performs less well because of the difficulty in parameterising the sorption curve. Allowance was made in the model for the 'lag-phase' of mould growth. The heat generation rate, which is controlled by positive feedback, was found to be very sensi

tive to changes in the description of the rate of mould growth as a function of environmental conditions. The model relies on knowledge of the variation of the maximum growth rate of mould with environmental conditions. For the range of conditions found in a typical grain store, such data are incomplete, and must be added to before the model can be fully implemented.