Design and optimization of sheller for ginkgo nut: A study about multifunctional ginkgo nut sheller

Abstract

At present, ginkgo nut shellers have many problems, such as low shelling rate and high damage rate. To address these problems, a multifunctional ginkgo nut sheller was designed. The equipment had functions for shell breaking, shelling, and separation of shell from the kernel. The influencing factors of the shelling process were analyzed. A three-factor two-level response surface test was conducted, and mathematical models for the response surface were established. The influence of each factor on the operation quality was analyzed, and a combination of parameters was optimized. The experimental results showed that the factors in the order of importance of their influence on shelling rate was as follows: feeding rate, chainplate speed, and shelling gap. The factors in the order of importance of their influence on damage rate was as follows: shelling gap, chainplate speed, and feeding rate. The results of the interaction analysis conducted showed that the interaction between the chainplate speed and shelling gap had the highest significant effect on the shelling rate, followed by the interaction between the feeding rate and chainplate speed. The interaction between the chainplate speed and shelling gap had a significant effect on damage rate. The interaction between the other factors had no significant effect on shelling and damage rates. The optimal combination of parameters was as follows: the feeding rate was 30.2 g/s, the chainplate speed was 0.48 m/s, and the shelling gap was 12.3 mm. The optimal combination was employed, and the validation test resulted in a shelling rate of 98.02% and damage rate of 4.45%. The relative error between the measured and theoretical values was less than 5%, indicating that the models were reliable. This study can provide a reference for subsequent research on shelling equipment of ginkgo nut.