A History of BAE Research at Princeton

Energy Alternatives and Efficiency 

High energy prices in the 1970s, and threats of fuel shortages in the 1970s and early 1980s, prompted agricultural engineer Sam McNeill at the station to pursue research into developing a biomass burner as a heat source for on-farm grain drying. A prototype burner that used corn cobs and wood chips was successfully tested and demonstrated on a full-scale farm grain system. However, declining fuel prices reduced interest in alternate energy sources, and the manufacturer ceased production of the biomass burner. Nonetheless, the knowledge gained from this study helped farmers learn to use conventional fuel more efficiently, thereby reducing their drying costs in future years.  

Farm Energy Audits  

Starting in 2008, agricultural engineers based at UKREC, including Doug Overhults and Sam McNeill, launched a project to provide energy assessments for 144 Kentucky poultry farms through the Rural Energy for America (REAP) Energy Audit Program, making the growers eligible to apply for federal cost-share funds to install energy efficiency improvements on their production facilities.   

Fuel and electricity can account for up to 30 percent of a grower’s expenses in the highly energy-intensive business of broiler production. Potential energy efficiency improvements identified in the full-day farm audits included the addition of ceiling insulation and the replacement of incandescent lighting with fluorescent options. Energy assessments for the farms revealed an estimated annual energy savings value of $1.05 million, equivalent to approximately $7,300 per farm, with a projected payback of 5.9 years before applying any available cost-share assistance or tax credits.   

In subsequent years, this work has led to numerous energy audits for poultry and dairy farmers in the state, resulting in additional millions of dollars in energy grants flowing to farmers from REAP and the Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund (KADF).  

In the late 2010s, McNeill, Overhults, and ag engineer Michael Montross undertook additional on-farm energy audits for farmers and rural small-business owners across Kentucky. The assessments included potential projects such as production barns for dairy and poultry farms, grain drying or handling systems, solar PV installations, and irrigation pumping stations.   

Packing Factors for Whole Grains and Feed  

Agricultural engineers Sam McNeill, Aaron Turner, and Michael Montross collaborated with researchers from the University of Georgia, Kansas State, and the USDA Agricultural Research Service to address the need for reliable grain pack factors to apply in a science-based model (WPACKING) for estimating storage capacities and accurately monitoring grain inventories. Stored grains compact under their weight, and changes in bulk density and volume can differ based on factors such as grain type, moisture content, bin geometry, and bin material. Measuring the field pack factors and bin capacities on farms and comparing them to the model predictions was essential in developing an accurate modeling system for grain storage across the country.  

As U.S. farmers produced record yields of corn and soybeans in 2015, UKREC extension staff advised farmers on best storage practices for minimizing grain spoilage, including the construction of storage structures, proper aeration, and control of rodents, birds and insects.