Igathinathane (Igathi) Cannayen, Assistant Professor

Ph: 701-667-3011
Fax: 701-667-3054
Igathinathane.Cannayen@ndsu.edu
Igathi.Cannayen@ars.usda.gov

Ph. D. Agricultural and Food Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India

M. Tech. Post Harvest Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India

B. E. (Ag) Agricultural Engineering
Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, India

Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory
USDA-Agricultural Research Service
Room 208
1701 10th Ave SW
PO Box 459
Mandan ND 58554-0459

Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
North Dakota State University
NDSU Dept. 7620
PO Box 6050
Fargo ND 58108-6050

• Research - 60%
• Extension - 40%

• Biomass feedstock process engineering
• Biomass storage
• Postharvest and agricultural process and food engineering
• Mathematical modeling and numerical simulation
• Machine vision and computer applications in agricultural engineering
• Innovations in research

• Size reduction and separation of biomass
• Biomass densification and packaging
• Mechanical preprocessing methods of feedstock
• Physical, mechanical, and thermal properties of biomass products
• Machine vision applications for dimensional, size distribution, and grading products
• Thermal processing and energy densification of biomass    
• Economical aspects of biomass feedstock delivery

• Publications and Presentations
• Novel methods, techniques, devices, and computer applications developed
• Undergraduate and graduate research projects guided
• Courses taught

• Evaluating effects of particle characteristics on handling, storage and gasification of woody biomass. 2009. Southeastern Sun Grant Regional Grants (2009-2009). Pre-proposal sent (August 2009). Accepted for final proposal (Ranked 2nd of 35 selected out of 85 submitted; September 2009).  Amount: $250,000. Davis, J., Igathinathane, C., Wilkerson, E., and Sokhansanj, S.

• Member of American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE)
• Member of Canadian Society for Bioengineering (CSBE/SCGAB)
• Life Member of Indian Society of Agricultural Engineers (ISAE)
• Member of Gamma Sigma Delta (GSD). Honor Society Mississippi State University Chapter, Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine, US, 2008-2009
• Member of Andhra Agricultural Union, India 1993 to 2002

• Acted as reviewer (> 60 articles) for scientific journals: Applied Engineering in Agriculture of ASABE, Biomass and Bioenergy, Biosystems Engineering, BMC Plant Biology, Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, Journal of Food Engineering, Journal of Food Science, The Open Mineral Processing Journal, and Transactions of ASABE
• Member of Editorial Board of Andhra Agricultural Journal (Engineering Division), India
• Reviewed US-Binational Agril. Research and Development (BARD) Fund
• Revised the ASABE Standards S358.2 (Moisture Measurement—Forages) to S358.3 by incorporating number of samples to be considered in the experiments

• 2008 Research Support Award – College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station (MAFES) - Mississippi State University, US.
• Student Research Poster Competition; Winner third place - Wei, L., Igathinathane, C., Pordesimo, L. O., Batchelor, W. D., and Lee, J. 2008. “A novel method for determination of surface area of biomass particles.” The 7th Annual Southern Bioproducts and Renewable Energy Conference, Mississippi Biomass Council, Inc. April 14-15, 2008, Choctaw, Mississippi, US.
• Life Sciences Poster Competition; Winner third place - Wei, L., Pordesimo, L. O., Wooten, J., Columbus, E. P., and Igathinathane. C. 2008. “Effects of operational parameters on syngas yield and quality in a downdraft gasifier.” The 6th Annual Graduate Student Association (GSA) Research Symposium, April 4, 2008, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, US.
• Top 25 Article Citations – Elsevier Journals:
  (1) “Shape Identification and Particles Size Distribution from Basic Shape Parameters using ImageJ.” Igathinathane, C., Pordesimo, L.O., Columbus, E.P., Batchelor, W.D., and Methuku, S.R. 2008. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 63(2): 168-182.
  (2) “Interactive Computer Software for Leaf Area Measurement.” Igathinathane, C., Prakash, V. S. S., Padma, U., Ravi Babu, G., and Womac, A. R. 2006. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 51(1-2): 1-16.

• Research Associate – Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, US (Dec. 2006 – Apr. 2008; Mar. 2009 – Oct. 2009):
  Biomass feedstock engineering, handling, preprocessing, pelletization, machine vision, feedstock hydration kinetics, economic analysis, and syngas systems
• Visiting Scientist – University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada (May 2008 – Feb. 2009):
  Biomass feedstock engineering including pelletizing, densification, mechanical strength characteristics of densified materials, size and size distribution by machine vision, size reduction, and handling
• Research Associate – The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, US (Apr. 2003 – Nov. 2006):
  Size reduction, separation, energy requirement of size reduction, linear knife grid, corn stover moisture relations on field and after harvest, equilibrium moisture sorption and thermodynamic studies of corn stover components, storage and hydration studies of corn stover components
• Assistant Professor – College of Agricultural Engineering, Andhra Pradesh Agricultural University, India (Nov. 1993 – Mar. 2002): Teaching students of B.Tech. Agricultural Engineering and B.Sc. Agriculture students (18 courses) and research project guidance (19 undergraduate and graduate research projects)