Design and Fabrication of a Mechanised Centrifugal Melon Shelling and Cleaning Machine
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Abstract
A mechanized centrifugal melon shelling and cleaning machine with a capacity of 114kg/h was developed and tested at the fabrication workshop of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, University of Ilorin. It comprised of the hopper, feed control mechanism, shelling unit, cleaning unit, power transmission unit and the frame. The machine performance was evaluated using a 2 × 3 × 5 factorial experimental design for shelling two varieties of melon seeds, (eastern and northern) varieties .The factors in the factorial experiment were at three levels each of shaft speed (1400 rpm, 2100 rpm and 2800 rpm), melon varieties (eastern and northern) and the moisture content of the seed (7%, 12%, 17%, 22% and 27% wet basis). Each treatment combination was performed in triplicates making a total of 90 values. The results showed that the highest shelling efficiency for variety E was at 78.7% at a moisture level of 17% and operating speed of 2100 rpm while the highest shelling efficiency for variety N was 76.5% at a moisture content of 22% and operating speed of 2100 rpm. Also, the highest cleaning efficiency for variety “E” was recorded as 66.4% at a moisture content of 17% and operating speed of 2800 rpm while the highest cleaning efficiency for variety “N” was recorded as 64% at a moisture content of 22% and operating speed of 2800 rpm. Therefore, melon shelling machine based on this technology could provide quality melon seeds at low cost for domestic use and for melon oil processing industry.
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