Assessment of several hydrodynamic properties of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.).

It is necessary to know the hydrodynamic properties of agricultural products in order to analyze the behavior of materials when transporting and grading. In this study, the samples were divided into three groups based on their mass. Based on the results, the mean length, mass, volume, density, average projected area, and shape coefficient were 21.5 cm, 408 g, 386 cm3, 1.05 g/cm3, 620.16 cm2, and 11.68 in samples with m < 500 g, 24.1 cm, 681.8 g, 627.95 cm3, 1.08 g/cm3, 876.29 cm2, and 11.95 in samples with 500 < m <1,000 g and 28.4 cm, 1,389.36 g, 1,240.5 cm3, 1.12 g/cm3, 1,402.73, and 12.15 in samples with m > 1,000 g. Moreover, the terminal velocity, falling time, buoyancy, and drag force were 0.12 m/s, 14.26 s, 3.79 N, and 0.2 N in the samples with m < 500 g, 0.16 m/s, 10.92 s, 6.30 N, and 0.29 N in the samples with 500 < m <1,000 g and 0.22 m/s, 7.94 s, 12.03 N, and 1.49 N in the samples with m > 1,000 g. It is noteworthy that the water-sugar beet density difference and the mass had the greatest effect on terminal velocity and falling time whereas shape coefficient did not significantly influence these properties.