Poster Presentation 1A-12

Structural Analysis of Wheat Stems

Kurt D. Hamman,* Richard L. Williamson, Eric D. Steffler,

Christopher T. Wright, J. Richard Hess and Peter A. Pryfogle

Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory

P.O. Box 1625

Idaho Falls, Idaho 83415-2210

Phone:  (208) 526-4638

Fax:  (208) 526-0690

hammkd@inel.gov

The effective utilization of crop residues for conversion to fuels and chemicals requires development of improved harvesting, preprocessing and bulk handling systems for biomass.  Design and development of these systems requires knowledge of the crop residue biomechanical properties.  We hypothesize that the cells and tissues that comprise residues, such as wheat, form a complex composite structure that contributes to different biomechanical properties.  In this paper, structural analysis of wheat stem cross sections is performed using finite element analysis techniques and composite material theory.  A representative geometry of the stem structural components including the hypoderm, ground tissue and vascular bundles, was established using microscopy techniques. Material property data for the analysis was obtained from measured and published results.  Using the theory of composites, wheat stem models were created and material properties of constituent materials, for which experimental data were not available, were extracted.  Initially, the model was used to simulate compression tests of wheat samples in an effort to predict compressive failure.  Subsequent simulations have included tensile, bending and shear stress analysis.  The results of the analysis were compared with experimental data.