Optimization of motorized groundnut shelling machine.

Abstract

Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea) is a species in the legume family. The botanical name Arachis means a legume and hypogaea means below ground, referring to the formation of pods in the soil. Groundnuts are used as food which has high content of carbohydrate and proteins and used industrially in making cakes and other products. Groundnut seeds as a by-product of its processing have a high edible oil content. Therefore, the commercial value of groundnut lies in its processing. Processing of groundnut is still a minor activity in Uganda due to lack of appropriate technology and funds in spite of its high economic potential in the country. Groundnut shelling can be done manually or mechanically. The available manual shelling method is associated with low shelling capacity of 0.5kg/hr per person, laborious, time consuming and costly. Shelling of groundnut pod with the help of mechanical power can be a probable solution of this problem. Different groundnut shelling machines have been designed and are available in the market. Some of them still have problems of low shelling efficiency (54%), mechanical seed damage (45%), some are large in size, costly (2.72 million) and not suitable for domestic applications. These still possess many challenges to farmers and processing industries where mass production is required. This project involves the process of designing the different parts of this shelling machine to improve on efficiency, reduce on mechanical damage, machine size while considering forces and ergonomic factor for people to use. The Sheller will be made of Mild Steel (MS), angle bar, MS flat bar, MS rod, MS sheet and MS sieve. Serenut varieties will be used for the experiment since its more commonly grown. The result of my study will encourage the farmers and industries to take up this new technology to shell the groundnut. Key words: Design and construction (fabrication), groundnut shelling, air blower, locally available materials.