Semi-Continuous Ozonation System for Pest Control
Previous trials of ozone treatment for post-harvest food grains have proved ozonation as a potential non-chemical, non-residual and environmentally-friendly ahemative for methyl bromide fumi-gation for treatment of stored food grains. Ozone is a strong oxidizing agent, which is used to control harmful microbes and volatiles. Stored grain products can harbor multiple microorganisms including molds that produce harmful toxins. To examine the effect of ozone on surface microbes, samples of stored maize were treated for a maximum of 60 minutes at a maximum ozone concentration of 1900 ppm. The data showed that the amount of microorganisms significantly decreased or were completely absent after the maize samples were treated with ozone. In order to improve the treatment effect, a counter-flow semi-continuous ozonation treatment system was designed in order to ozonate grain at a faster rate,based on the concentration-time product (CTP) of ozone required to eliminate microbial growth on grain kernels and achieve insect mortality. The ozonation treatment system can be installed in typical grain silos. Ozone is generated at a constant rate and introduced into the plenum of the silo with a variable speed fan to control treatment effect. The bottom grain layer is removed with a specially de-signed unloading conveyor after it has reached the desired ozone CTP. Air velocity was quantified for each grain layer to determine the theoretical ozone concentration. Ozone concentration was allowed to build up for 60 to 120 minutes in the bottom grain layer. As the layers of grain were removed,the ozone concentration in each layer increased until the maximum value was reached. A counter-flow semi-con-tinuous ozonation system was successfully tested and proved to be a technically feasible non-chemical tool for pest control.
J.D.Mcclurkin Carlos A.Campabadal Dirk E.Maier
Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Purdue University, 225 South University Stree Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Purdue University, 225 South University Stree
国际会议
成都
英文
170-174
2008-09-21（万方平台首次上网日期，不代表论文的发表时间）