Design of a Motorised Maize Sheller and Optimisation of its Operating Parameters

N. R. Gatkal; S. M. Nalawade; P. P. Pawase

doi:10.52151/jae2023603.1810

Authors

N. R. Gatkal Department of Farm Machinery and Power Engineering, Dr. Annasaheb Shinde College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, India-413722. Author
S. M. Nalawade Department of Farm Machinery and Power Engineering, Dr. Annasaheb Shinde College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, India-413722 Author
P. P. Pawase Department of Farm Machinery and Power Engineering, Dr. Annasaheb Shinde College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, India-413722. Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.52151/jae2023603.1810

Keywords:

Grain damage, maize, moisture content, shelling efficiency

Abstract

Maize shelling is an important post-harvest operation to separate the grains from its cob. Traditional methods involve rubbing maize cobs against each other, rubbing on stones, or hand method. These methods are labour-intensive, time-consuming, and drudgery-prone. Migration from rural population to cities for better livelihoods has creates labour shortage in rural areas during the peak period of maize shelling. A study was undertaken to design, develop, and evaluate the performance of an electric motor powered maize sheller. It consisted of a frame, feeding chute, cylinder, outer cover, rotor shaft, electric motor, belt, and outlet. The developed maize sheller was operated at three cylinder speeds (150, 200, 300 rpm) and three cob moisture contents [12, 14, 16% (w. b.)]. Highest and lowest shelling rates were 96.9 kg.h^-1and 90.92 kg.h^-1at cylinder speed and moisture content of 300 rpm, 12% (w. b.) and 150 rpm, 16% (w. b.). Shelling efficiency was 98.60% at 300 rpm, 12% (w. b.) and 89.00% at 150 rpm, 16% (w. b.). Grain damage was 8.37% at 300 rpm, 16% (w. b.) and 3.1% at 150 rpm, 12% (w. b.). Shelling rate and shelling efficiency decreased with increase in moisture content, but grain damage increased. Shelling rate, shelling efficiency, and grain damage also increased with increase in cylinder speed from 150 rpm to 300 rpm. Sheller cylinder speed of 150 rpm and grain moisture content of 12% (w. b.) gave the best shelling rate, shelling efficiency, and minimum grain damage of 92.07 kg.h^-1, 91.40%, and 3.10 per cent. The payback period of the maize sheller was 1.13 year, while the benefit-cost ratio was 1.01.

References

Abagisaa H; Tesfayeb T; Befikaduc D. 2015. Modification and testing of replaceable drum multi-crop thresher. Int. J. Sci. Basic Appl. Res., 23(1), 242-255.

Anonymous, 2023. Second Advance Estimates of production of major crops released. Press Information Bureau. Government of India. https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1899193.

Alsharifi S K A; Aljibouri M A; Taher M A. 2019. Effect of sheller rotational speed on some maize cultivars quality. Agric. Eng. Int: CIGR J., 21(2), 196- 203. http://www.cigrjournal.org

Aremu D O; Adewumi I O; Ijadunola J A. 2015. Design, fabrication and performance evaluation of a motorized maize shelling machine. J. Biol. Agric. Healthcare, 5(5), 154-165.

ASHRAE. 1998. ASHRAE Handbook, Grains. American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers Inc., SI Edition.

Azeez T M; Uchegbu I D; Babalola S A; Odediran O O. 2017. Performance evaluation of a developed maize sheller. J. Adv. Eng. Technol., 5(2), 1-4.

Bello M K; Oladipo N O; Odeniyi O M; Agaja M O; Jimoh R O; Aransiola J A. 2019. Development of a medium scale motorized maize shelling machine. Int. J. Basic Appl. Sci., 8(3), 50-54.

Chilur R; Kumar S. 2018. Design and development of maize dehusker-cum-sheller: A technology for northern transition zone of Karnataka, India. J. Inst. Eng. India, Ser. A, 99, 231- 243. https://doi.10.1007/s40030-018-0281-z

Chitoda K R; Doshi K V; Dugad S A; Kadam N T; Paval K L. 2017. Design and development of pedal operated maize desheller- A review. Int. J. Inno. Eng. Res. Technol., 4(2), 78-83.

Dange A R; Naik R K; Dave A K; Dhurve N; Singh S. 2021. Design and development of maize cob de-husker cum sheller. Pharma Innov. J., 10(10), 54-60.

Das D; Routray R; Das P R; Singh S; Swain S. 2023. Design and development of maize sheller. Int. J. Res. Appl. Sci. Eng. Technol., 11(6), 155-163. https://doi.org/10.22214/ijraset.2023.53621

Dixit J; Bashir B. 2020. Effect of cob size and moisture content on shelling performance of lever operated maize cob sheller. Agric. Eng. Int: CIGR J., 22(3), 95- 102. http://www.cigrjournal.org

Dula M W. 2019. Review on development and performance evaluation of maize sheller. Int. J. Eng. Res. Technol., 8(5), 472-481.

Ezurike B O; Osazuwa J O; Okoronkwo C A. 2020. Performance evaluation of an electric corn shelling machine for small scale indigenous industries in Nigeria. Afr. J. Sci. Technol. Innov. Dev., 12(4), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1080/20421338.2019. 1651480

FAO. 2020. Crops and Livestock Products. FAOSTAT, Food and Agricultural organization of the United Nations. Available online at. https://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#home , accessed on January, 2023.

ISI. 1974. Indian Standard Test Code for Power Maize Shellers. 1974. Indian Standard Institution, Manak Bhavan, New Delhi, IS:7052.1973.

Khurmi R. 2005. Theory of Machines. S. Chand and Co. Ltd., New Delhi, 14th edition, pp: 1071. ISBN 9788121925242.

Kumar B A; Begum S H. 2014. Design, development and performance evaluation of a hand operated maize sheller. Int. J. Agric. Eng., 7(1), 194-197.

Kumar Naveen D B; Rajshekarappa K S. 2012. Performance evaluation of a power operated maize sheller. Int. J. Agric. Eng., 5(2), 172-177.

Madanhire I; Chinguwa S; Ntini E. 2019. Design and simulation of maize sheller for small scale farmers. In: Proc. International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management, Toronto, Canada, October 23-25.

Mogaji P B. 2016. Design and fabrication of an improved maize shelling machine. Afr. J. Sci. Technol. Innov. Dev., 8(3), 275-280. DOI: 10.1080/ 20421338.2016.1163473.

Nalado D D. 2015. Development of modeling shelling parameters and optimization of the performance of a stationary air maize dehusker sheller. Unpublished Ph. D. Thesis, Department of Agricultural Engineering, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

Nandede B M; Jadhav M L; Dhimate A S; Thorat D S; Shinde V S. 2021. Design, development and evaluation of lever type maize sheller. J. Sci. Indian Res., 80, 11-16.

Nsubuga D; Kabenge I; Zziwa A; Kiggundu A; Wanyama J; Banadda N. 2020. Performance evaluation and optimization of the maize shelling operation of the multi-purpose farm vehicle. Agric. Eng. Int: CIGR J., 22(4), 174 -183.

Nsubuga D; Kabenge I; Zziwa A; Kiggundu N; Wanyama J; Banadda N. 2021. Improving maize shelling operation using motorized mobile shellers: A Step towards Reducing Postharvest Losses in Low Developing Countries. In: Ei-Esawi M A (Ed.), Maize Genetic Resources – Breeding Strategies andRecent Advances, Intechopen, pp: 180. DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.101039.

Olaiya K A; Alab I O; Okediji A P; Ajibola K A; Kareem M O. 2021. Development of motorized corn thresher. Int. J. Sci. Eng. Res., 12(8), 1-7.

Parihar N S; Khar S; Sharma S; Shrivastava R K; Kumar S. 2022. Effect of machine and operational parameters of motorized paddy thresher suitable for hills. J. Agric. Eng., 59(4), 320-332. https://doi.org/10.5215/jae2022594.1785.

Sahu S; Dhupal G; Soren J. 2020. Design and fabrication of a hand operated small-scale maize sheller. Int. J. Curr. Microbiol. App. Sci., 9(6), 31-38. https://doi.org/10.20546/ijcmas.2020.906.004.

Sharifi S K A A; Aljibouri M A; Taher M A. 2019. Effect of threshing machines, rotational speed and grain moisture on corn shelling. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 25 (2), 243-255.

Singh B; Kumawat L; Raheman H; Patel M. 2022. Design and development of a solar energy operated maize sheller. Biol. Forum Int. J., 14(4a), 647-655.

Tunhaw M; Chuan-Udom S; Chansrakoo W; Doungpueng K. 2019. Factors affecting shelling efficiency and grain breakage of a small maize shelling unit. In: IOP Conf. Series: Earth Environ. Sci., 1243, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-315/301/1/012011