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Abstract
In this study, the aerodynamic properties of three varieties of watermelon seeds as a function of moisture content were evaluated and modeled. The watermelon seed varieties used were Charleston grey, Kaolack, and Sugar baby, and their moisture content ranged from 8.61 to 24.26, 10.30 to 26.11, and 7.78 to 23.23% wet basis (wb), respectively. The results showed that the terminal velocity of the Charleston grey, Kaolack, and Sugar baby varieties increased from 5.27 to 6.67, 4.40 to 6.23, and 4.00 to 6.60 ms–1, respectively, as the moisture content increased. The Reynolds number of the three watermelon seed varieties increased with the increasing seed moisture content, while the drag coefficient generally decreased as the seed moisture content increased. Analysis of variance showed that the moisture content of the three watermelon seed varieties had significant effects on all the aerodynamics properties (p < 0.05). Mathematical models were developed to relate the moisture content of watermelon seeds with the values of the aerodynamic properties investigated.
