Updated 6/11/2021
This open educational resource is available for free download as PDFs of individual chapters and the complete first volume (compilation of chapters).
Introduction to Biosystems Engineering is designed as a coherent, dynamic educational resource targeted at 1st- and 2nd-year university-level students. The chapters are intended to stimulate interest and curiosity across the breadth of Biosystems Engineering and provide an international perspective. Faculty anywhere in the world can select interesting and engaging chapters of local relevance.
This resource will grow over time with chapters contributed by Biosystems Engineers around the world. While the inaugural chapters are aligned with six ASABE technical communities, contributions of new chapters across the full scope of ASABE technical communities are very welcome. See How to Contribute a Chapter.
Development of this resource was supported by ASABE’s Harold Pinches and Glenn Schwab Teaching Materials Fund and Virginia Tech Publishing.
This educational resource is available as:
Instructors adopting or reviewing this text are encouraged to record their use on this form. This helps the book's sponsors to better understand this open textbook's impact.
Citation: Holden, N. M., Wolfe, M. L., Ogejo, J. A., & Cummins, E. J. (Eds.). (2020). Introduction to Biosystems Engineering, ASABE and Virginia Tech Publishing. doi:10.21061/IntroBiosystemsEngineering, CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Introduction to Biosystems Engineering
Energy Systems
- Bioenergy Conversion Systems
- Biogas Energy from Organic Wastes
- Biodiesel from Oils and Fats
- Baling Biomass: Densification and Energy Requirements
Information Technology, Sensors, and Control Systems
- Basic Microcontroller Use for Measurement and Control
- Visible and Near Infrared Optical Spectroscopic Sensors for Biosystems Engineering
- Data Processing in Biosystems Engineering
Machinery Systems
- Traction
- Crop Establishment and Protection
- Grain Harvest and Handling
- Mechatronics and Intelligent Systems in Agricultural Machinery
Natural Resources and Environmental Systems
- Water Budgets for Sustainable Water Management
- Water Quality as a Driver of Ecological System Health
- Quantifying and Managing Soil Erosion on Cropland
- Anaerobic Digestion of Agri-Food By-products
- Measurement of Gaseous Emissions from Animal Housing
Plant, Animal, and Facility Systems
- Plant Production in Controlled Environments
- Building Design for Energy Efficient Livestock Housing
Processing Systems
- Freezing of Food
- Principles of Thermal Processing of Packaged Foods
- Deep Fat Frying of Food
- Irradiation of Food
- Packaging
Available Compilations
The entire textbook may be downloaded as a PDF and chapters are available as individual PDF files.
Published January 2021 – The inaugural compilation of chapters includes 23 chapters written by 44 authors from 16 countries:
Holden, N. M., Wolfe, M. L., Ogejo, J. A., & Cummins, E. J. (Eds.). (2020). Introduction to Biosystems Engineering, ASABE and Virginia Tech Publishing. doi:10.21061/IntroBiosystemsEngineering, CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0