Enhancing the Performance of Sunflower Threshing Machines through Innovative Enhancements

Abstract

Improving the performance of the threshing process is of utmost importance in enhancing the quality of sunflower seeds and minimizing power consumption in sunflower production. In this study, we developed a modified sunflower threshing machine by incorporating two types of threshing rotors, namely the angled rasp bar rotor and the tine bar rotor, as compared to the round bar rotor. The performance of these rotors was evaluated under various rotational speeds (150, 200, 250, and 300 rpm) and concave clearances (10, 15, and 20 mm). The evaluation parameters included machine throughput, the specific energy of threshing, the percentage of damaged seeds, the percentage of unthreshed seeds, and threshing efficiency. The results indicate that the specific energy decreased with an increase in rotor speed and a decrease in concave clearance, with the tine bar rotor exhibiting the lowest values. Threshing efficiency showed an increasing trend with higher rotor speeds and reduced concave clearance. The modifications made to the rotor design resulted in an enhanced threshing efficiency, with an improvement from 96.30% to 97.93% achieved at a rotor revolving speed of 300 rpm and a concave clearance of 10 mm. Moreover, the specific energy consumption reduced from 9.65 kW·h/ton to 5.09 kW·h/ton under the same operational conditions. These findings highlight the efficacy of the novel rotor design modifications in optimizing the performance of the stationary sunflower threshing machine, leading to improved efficiency and reduced energy consumption in sunflower seed threshing operations. Given its performance characteristics, this machine exhibits potential suitability for sunflower farms of small to medium scale.

Optimization and Prediction of Operational Parameters for Enhanced Efficiency of a Chickpea Peeling Machine

“…Figure 5 illustrates the relationship between the machine's throughput in (kg/h) and the rotational speed of the drum for different configurations of brush peeling rows on the drum. The obtained data showed that the increase in drum rotational speed from 100 to 400 rpm corresponded with an increase in machine throughput, in line with [24,29]. Meanwhile, an increase in the number of brush peeling rows on the drum was found to be associated with a decrease in machine throughput.…”