Engineering and Technology Horizons

Development of a Smart Irrigation System for Highland Durian Seedlings Integrating Fog Harvesting and Atmospheric Water Generation via IoT

Panisara Hadkhuntod, Samran Wanon, Rojjana Muangsan — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0700

Severe drought conditions in Thailand, particularly in highland areas with limited water access, have significantly impacted durian cultivation in Nakhon Thai District, Phitsanulok Province. This study develops a smart irrigation system for highland durian seedlings by integrating fog harvesting technology and atmospheric water generation (AWG) via an Internet of Things (IoT) framework. The system consists of a fog collector using 0.8 mm nylon mesh and a condensation–based AWG unit, managed by an ESP8266 microcontroller with cloud-based data logging and solar power integration. A 90–day field experiment on Monthong durian seedlings demonstrated that the system produced an average of 0.7 L/day from fog harvesting and 1.2 L/day from AWG, totaling 1.9 L/day. This output was sufficient to sustain the growth of one–year–old seedlings, achieving a 100% survival rate throughout the trial period with a low energy consumption of 0.3 kWh/day. The results confirm that this integrated IoT–based architecture provides a sustainable and efficient water management solution for remote and drought–prone agricultural regions.

Effect of Sorting Bin Geometry and Operational Parameters on Impurity Separation Efficiency in Jasmine Rice Using Rotating Drum Sorter

Kanya Kosum — Thu, 21 May 2026 00:00:00 +0700

Small-scale rice mills in rural Thailand lack advanced sorting equipment for removing impurities from jasmine rice. This study investigated sorting bin geometry and operational parameter effects on separation efficiency using a rotating drum sorter with three-layer concentric screens (2.51 mm, 1.55 mm, 8.0 mm apertures). Three geometries (cylindrical, octagonal, hexagonal) were evaluated at three inclination angles (2°, 3°, 4°) and rotation speeds (50, 55, 60 rpm) using 3³ factorial design (n = 81). ANOVA revealed bin geometry as the dominant factor (61.2% contribution, F = 287.45, P < 0.001), with cylindrical bins achieving optimal performance at 55 rpm and 3° inclination: 82.0 ± 2.1% separation efficiency, 3.02 ± 0.15 min/kg processing time, 96.3 ± 1.1% purity, and 10.4 ± 1.2% material loss. Cylindrical geometry outperformed hexagonal (64.0%, 28% improvement) and octagonal (58.0%, 41% improvement) configurations through four mechanisms: uniform centrifugal force distribution, laminar material flow, minimal dead zones (<2% versus 8-12%), and consistent grain-screen contact dynamics. Compared to manual methods (72 ± 8% efficiency, 8.5 ± 2.1 min/kg), the cylindrical sorter offers 14% higher efficiency, 2.8× faster processing, and 6-8 month payback period, providing cost-effective mechanization for approximately 15,000 small rice mills in Thailand.

Design and Development of Pneumatic Controlled Seed Sowing Machines in Seedling Trays

Muangmol Senpheng , Siwakorn Kaewrat , Somchat Sonasang — Thu, 21 May 2026 00:00:00 +0700

The objective of this study was to design and develop a pneumatically controlled seed sowing machine for seedling trays in order to reduce labor requirements and improve planting efficiency. The system integrates a pneumatic actuation mechanism with a control system developed using FluidSIM 4.2. The experimental setup utilized seedling trays with dimensions of 34 × 54 cm, while the prototype machine measured 50 × 90 × 60 cm. Five types of seeds—melon, lettuce, kale, chili, and tomato were tested using three nozzle diameters (2.6 mm, 1.34 mm, and 0.83 mm), with planting conditions ranging from one to four seeds per hole. The results indicate that nozzle size significantly affects planting accuracy depending on seed characteristics. Larger and elongated seeds (melon) achieved the highest accuracy with a 2.6 mm nozzle, whereas small and round seeds (kale and lettuce) performed best with a 1.34 mm nozzle. For small and lightweight seeds (chili and tomato), the 0.83 mm nozzle yielded the highest accuracy due to improved suction concentration and stability. Overall, the system achieved a planting accuracy of 96% across 300 experimental trials, with an error rate of 4%. In terms of operational efficiency, the proposed machine can complete seed sowing for a 50-hole tray within approximately 1 minute, compared to approximately 15 minutes required for manual operation. These results demonstrate that the developed system provides a cost-effective and efficient alternative to conventional manual seed planting methods.