• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.22-35
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• 1995

Pepper is the most important horticultural plant in Korean farm. Pepper harvesting has been known to be the most difficult process in pepper cultivation so that demand for mechanization is strong. In a research to develop a pepper harvesting machine performance and capacity of the harvester should be determined based on both economical feasibility and machine design concept. In order to accomplish an economical analysis of the pepper harvester, a mathematical model for comparing manual harvesting cost to machine harvest cost was developed. Validity of the model depends on the data used in the model. Economical information for the model variables was acquired from the result of farm survey on pepper cultivation technique and economics of pepper farmer. Technical information on pepper harvester were also collected through literature review and analyzed. Based on the economical analysis and synthesis of the technical information on pepper harvesters, its performance and capacity were determined. The operating performances of the harvester such as cutting, conveying, flipping, pepper removing and post-processing (sorting) were determined. Daisy capacity of the machine was determined to be 0.41 ha. A pepper harvester with the suggested capacity was economically feasible if the price of pepper harvester, pepper recovery ratio and service life of harvester were about 6 million won, 80%, and 4 years, respectively.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.31-38
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• 1987

In order to improve the traditional post harvest system in Korea, a model for mechanized rice drying and storage system was developed and introduced as the first part of the study(Park, 1986). As the second part of the study, capital requirement and cost of the model system was analyzed. Also, optimum size of the model system was estimated by comparing with the traditional harvest system. From the study, the following results can be concluded: 1. The capital requirement of the model system decreases as the model size increases. For example, a model system having 500 ton storage capacity requires 439,000 Won/ton. However it requires 313,200 Won/ton only, if the model size increases to 1000 ton. 2. Also, total cost of the model system decreases as the model size increases. For example, total costs of the model system having 500 ton and 1000 ton storage capacity are 101,208 Won/ton and 69,320 Won/ton, respectively. 3. The breakeven point (optimum size) of the model can be estimated around 630 ton storage capacity if the operation rate is assumed as 100%. However, the optimum size of the model is 710 ton, if the operation rate it assumed 80%.