Terminal Velocity for Separation Basis

Table 1 below displays the TVTS readings compared to the solid spherical object calculations (Mohsenin, 1970).

Table 2 summarizes percentage difference between nodes and internodes of each biomass group. In each group, nodes prove to have greater terminal velocities than internodes, however the percent difference of wet corn rind segments is slight. Switchgrass segments of shorter length and higher moisture content display the greater difference in terminal velocity between node and internode. Interestingly, the 1.27cm cut segments of both dry and wet groups had a close percentage of difference. The effects of corn stalk pith and rind locations and the moisture content on terminal velocity. Wet corn pith locations show the greatest percent of difference with the node segments being 141.5% greater than internode segments.

In conclusion, switchgrass with a high moisture content (52% w. b.) that was cut into 0.635cm segments had greater terminal velocity differences between node and internode sections. Corn pith with a high moisture content (43% w. b.) had greater node and internode terminal velocity difference than corn rind.

Table 1. Terminal Velocities for the Combinations of the Three Biomass Groups.