Abstract
A jatropha sheller was designed, fabricated, and optimized consisting of mainframe, rotary cylinder, stationary cylinder, transmission system powered by 1kW variable speed electric motor with feasibility of manual operation. Performance evaluation considered moisture content, clearance, and roller speed as independent parameters while the responses comprised of recovery, bulk density factor, shelling capacity, energy utilization of sheller, whole kernel recovery, oil recovery, and energy utilization by extruder. Moisture contents from 9.5 to 16.5%wb failed to affect the response variables. The clearance affected the response variables except energy utilization of the extruder. The roller speed affected shelling capacity, whole kernel recovery, and energy utilization of the extruder. Optimization of shelling and extrusion operations resulted in operating conditions of 9.5%wb moisture content, clearance of 6 mm, and a roller speed of 750 rpm with acceptable quality of shelled kernels.
Highlights
Jatropha curcas L. is a drought resistant perennial shrub (Figure 1) averaging 3 meters in height but can grow up to 6 meters [1]
The response variables consisted of recovery (Y1), bulk density factor (Y2), shelling capacity (Y3), energy utilization of sheller (Y4), whole kernel recovery (Y5), oil recovery (Y6), and energy utilization by extruder (Y7)
The shelling cylinder required manual emptying on clogging by disassembling the sheller that was undesirable especially during long and continuous operations
Summary
Jatropha curcas L. is a drought resistant perennial shrub (Figure 1) averaging 3 meters in height but can grow up to 6 meters [1]. Erect, and widely branched shrub, whose leaves are entire, angular, or somewhat three to fivelobed, orbicular-ovate, and 100 to 180 mm long. The flowers are greenish white at 7 to 8 mm in diameter [2]. The capsules or fruits are green and fleshy. At first they contain three valves which later split when they become dry. All or two of these valves contain black oblong seed [1]
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