Haramaya University
Haramaya Institute of Technology
Department of Agriculture Engineering
Course Title: Instrumentation in Agricultural Machinery
Course Code: AGMD641
Masters Degree in Agricultural Machinery Engineering
Course Outline
Name of Instructor: Dr. Mohammad Firoz Alam Khan
1. Strain and stress;
Strain relationship, strain gauges;
Mechanical, optical, electrical, acoustical and pneumatic etc. and their use;
Various methods of determining strain/stresses experimentally;
Measuring devices for displacement (linear and rotational), velocity, force, torque/moment and shaft
power;
Strain gauges: types and their application in two and three dimensional force measurement;
Design and analysis of strain gauges (ring and octagonal ring dynamometers) and their applications in
agricultural machinery.
2. Introduction to functional elements of instruments;
Active and passive transducers; analogue and digital modes;
Null and deflection methods;
Performance characteristics of instruments including static and dynamic characteristics;
3. Devices for measurement of force, moment/torque, acceleration, velocity, displacement, temperature, relative
humidity, pressure, sound, vibration, flow etc.;
4. Recording devices and their type;
5. Measuring instruments for calorific value of solid, liquid, and gaseous fuels; measurement of gas
composition using GLC;
6. Basic signal conditioning devices - data acquisition system - micro computers for measurement and data
acquisition; and data storage and their application.
References:
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Beckwith T. G. 1996. Mechanical Measurements. Addison-Wesley.
Doeblin EO. 1966. Measurement System - Application and Design. McGraw Hill.
Doeblin, E.O. (1966). Measurement Systems - Application and Design. McGraw-Hill Book Company.
Ernest O Doebelin.1995. Measurement Systems - Application and Design. McGraw Hill.
Holman P 1996. Experimental Methods for Engineers. McGraw Hill.
Nachtigal CL. 1990. Instrumentation and Control. Fundamentals and Application. John Wiley & Sons.
Anonymous. 1983. RNAM Test Code and Procedures for Farm Machinery. Technical series 12.
Barger EL, Liljedahl JB & McKibben EC. 1967. Tractors and their Power Units. Wiley Eastern.
Indian Standard Codes for Agricultural Implements. Indian standard Institution, Nanak Bhavan, Bahadur Shah Zafar
Marg, New Delhi.
Inns FM. 1986. Selection, Testing and Evaluation of Agricultural Machines and Equipment. FAO Service Bulletin No.
115.
Lal R & Dutta PC. Agricultural Engineering (through solved examples). Saroj Parkashan, Allahabad.
Metha ML, Verma SR, Mishra SK & Sharma VK. 1995. Testing and Evaluation of Agricultural Machinery. National
Agricultural Technology Information Centre, Ludhiana.
Nebraska Tractor Test Code for Testing Tractor, Nebraska, USA.
Smith D, Sims BG & O’Neill DH. Testing and Evaluation of Agricultural Machinery and Equipment- Principle and
Practice. FAO Agricultural Services Bulletin 110.
Oliver, F.J. (1971). Practical Instrumentation Transducers. Hayden Book Company Inc., New York.
Perry, C.C. and Lissner, H.R. (1962). The Strain Gauge Primer, McGraw-Hill Book Company.
