Analysis of Agricultural Energy Systems

Hardcover  xviii + 394 pages  ISBN 0444886605      £175.00

Published as volume 5 in the series Energy in World Agriculture, this book indicates that almost all agricultural operations and processes can be viewed as transformations of energy from one form to another: for example fertiliser to feed grains; feed grains to dairy products; livestock wastes to fertilisers. Progress in agricultural science and engineering has led to better understanding of these energy transformations, much of which has been expressed in the form of mathematical analysis. Computer programs have been developed that perform the calculations necessary to obtain the required results quickly and accurately. The objective of this handbook is to explain some of the most important of these analytical techniques as they have been applied to real agricultural energy problems throughout the world. In addition to the strictly mathematical calculations of these techniques, also covered are the beginnings of a new field of artificial intelligence.

The analytical methods described are all applied to real agricultural energy system problems such as biomass energy, energy uses in livestock housing and ethanol production on the farm. The techniques include expert systems, linear programming and simulation. Knowledge- based systems allow expression of the expert's concepts in a language and form that is much more like the expert's personal language. Linear programming is used to solve the complex, realistic problem of energy crop analysis. Drying of grain crops is a major energy cost and simulation methods take into account risks of increased field and storage losses when energy inputs are reduced. This handbook is filled with techniques, programs and data for analysis of various agricultural energy systems. Methods are detailed enough for the expert reader and extensive tables show energy requirements for a large number of industrial processes related to processing agricultural products and converting and utilising biomass energy. The contents include chapters on:

• Knowledge Engineering and Energy Systems
• A Knowledge-Based Expert Control System for Low-Energy Maize Drying
• A Knowledge-Based Decision System for Control of Waste Heat for a Greenhouse-Aquaculture Complex
• Teaching Energy Cost Minimisation by Linear Programming
• Energy Crop Selection Using Linear Programming
• Input-Output Energy Analysis for Agriculture and the Food Chain
• Energy Input-Output Simulation of Crop Production
• Management Strategies for Low Temperature Maize Drying
• Energy Use in Maize Harvest and Drying
• Microcomputer Program for Evaluating Energy Consumption in Low-Temperature Grain Drying
• Models of Scheduling Operations for Improved Energy Efficiency
• Integrated Management of Energy and Climate in Animal Houses
• A Simulation Model for Analysis of Harvesting and Transport Costs for Biomass Based on Geography, Density and Plant Location
• GETOH - A Computer Program for Evaluation of On-Farm Alcohol Production
• Economic Feasibility of Crop Residue as a Drying Fuel
• Analysis of Agricultural Plants for Cogeneration, Feasibility in the United States

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Elsevier : agriculture & forestry : animal feed : bioenergy : biomass : ethanol : handbooks : modelling, computer & mathematical : power generation : renewable energy