Design and Performance Evaluation of Power Driven Piston Type Multi-crop Chipper

Abstract

Power-driven piston type multi-crop chipper was designed to improve chipping operation of micro, small-scale and medium (MSMEs) chip processors, to introduce new mechanism different from the existing conventional chippers, and develop a low costs, efficient and easy to operate and maintain chipping machine fabricated out of locally available materials. The machine was driven by 0.5 hp electric motor and was made up of dual chipping section to upscale chipping capacity. It was composed of blade plate and blades, connecting rods, pistons, crankshaft, hopper, discharge chute, chipping collector, frame, machine support, power transmission and pulleys and belt cover. The machine performance was tested using the following parameters: feeding capacity (FC), chipping capacity (CC) and chipping efficiency (CE) as to percentage of whole and damaged chips with acceptable thickness. Outcomes of the test showed that the machine has an overall FC and CC of 139.58 kg.hr 1 and 139.02 kg.hr 1 , respectively. The machine's has a CE of 95.48%. Whole chips obtained were 95.63% and the damaged chips were 4.37% of the total input materials. The developed machine is efficient, easy to operate and maintain. These generally make the machine acceptable for commercialization. It was tested for ripe and unripe cardaba banana (Musa sp.), potato (Solanum tuberosum) and sweet potato (Ipomea batatas).

Design and Performance Test of Multi Intake Foods Product Cutting Machine

“…Sonawane's research [13] concluded that at 360 rad s -1 , it could produce an efficiency ranging from 93 % to 94 % and a capacity of 100 kg h -1 by using an electric motor 1 HP or 2 HP. The piston model suppression system was developed by Magpili et al [14] and Hatwar et al [15] for a more stable cut than being pushed by hand. The success rate using piston-type plungers can reach an efficiency of 95.63 % [14].…”

“…The piston model suppression system was developed by Magpili et al [14] and Hatwar et al [15] for a more stable cut than being pushed by hand. The success rate using piston-type plungers can reach an efficiency of 95.63 % [14].…”