Design and fabrication of a pedal type carrot washing machine.

Abstract

The tremendous transfiguration of carrots (dacus carrota) is promising as it is one crop that is highly demanded and takes a short period from seed preparation to harvesting time. The carrots and the carrot based products are both locally and internationally demanded. Carrot is one of the most important food source of carotene and phytochemical compounds in human diet (Essig, 2013). It grows in a wide range of soils like sand, sandy loam and clayey loam and can stay in soil for more time after maturity if the market is not ready. Carrot is utilized extensively for human and raw material for both industrial and pharmaceutical products. Carrots are used in processed forms like through dehydration, canning and freezing and the other portion is consumed either raw or cooked (Fiedor and Burda, 2014). A series of activities is involved in carrot production like planting, weeding, thinning, pruning, harvesting and washing before packaging and grading for meeting market demands. Amongst the processing activities, washing being the first processing activity determines the final quality of the carrots consumed or put to the market. Washing carrots in Uganda is labor intensive, time consuming, ineffective and unhygienic as people get their body contact with the dirty water they use for washing. Carrot washing needs mechanization in order to meet the rising demands for carrots. One of the setbacks in carrot processing is mostly washing hence the objective of this study was to develop a simple and affordable pedal type carrot washing machine. The study went through step by step procedures which led to the intended objective and specific objectives. The designed carrot washing machine consists of frame, inner and outer cylinder, pedaling mechanism, the main and lay shafts, and flywheel and drainage valve. The machine mainly is to help in washing of carrots however it can be used in washing other light root crops like Irish potatoes. The results were discussed and it was found that the machine works moderately effective compared to rudimentary means of washing. Finally, conclusions and recommendations were drawn from the discussed results. It is believed that the machine has a positive impact on food quality and security as well as on economic empowerment of the rural carrot farmers in Uganda where the value of carrots is increasing highly.