MANUFACTURING AND EVALUATION OF PROTOTYPE FOR MELON SEED EXTRACTION

Abstract

Manual extraction process of melon seed is the most-used method in Egypt and requires large number of labors. In addition to high cost associated with the manual extraction. So, this research therefore developed locally manufactured prototype to mechanically extract seeds from melon with lower cost and higher productivity. The manufactured prototype consists of frame, feeding hopper, crushing and extracting unit, peels outlet, conveying auger of seeds, cleaning brushes and seeds outlet. Proposed prototype was tested and evaluated at Eletad village and Rice Mechanization Center (RMC), Agricultural Mechanization Research Institute, Ministry of Agriculture (Meet El Dyba, Kafr El-Sheikh governorate) during the year of 2015. The prototype evaluation done based on cleaning efficiency, extraction efficiency, machine productivity, power consumed, seed damaged and operational cost. Prototype evaluation was done at four different feeding rates (20, 30, 40 and 50 kg/min), five drum speeds (3.25, 5.47, 6.98, 8.52 and 10.64 m/s) and four time spans (0, 3, 6 and 9 days). The results showed that the increase in crushing drum speed, melon seed time span and decreasing feed rate tend to decrease the cleaning efficiency, where the highest value of cleaning efficiency was 88.83 % at crushing drum speed of 10.64 m/s, feed rate of 20 kg/min and melon seed time span 9 days after harvesting. Also, the decrease of crushing drum speed, melon seed feed rate and increasing melon seed time span tend to increasing extraction efficiency, where the maximum value of extraction efficiency was 98.85 % at crushing drum speed of 3.25 m/s, feed rate of 20 kg/min and melon seed time span 9 day. Machine productivity increased by increasing feed rate, melon seed time span and decreasing crushing drum speed, where maximum value of machine productivity was 152.14 kg/h at crushing drum speed of 3.25 m/s, feed rate of 50 kg/min and melon seed time span 9 day. Power consumption increased by increasing crushing drum speed, melon seed feed rate and melon seed time span, where the minimum value of power consumption was to 2.61 kW at crushing drum speed of 3.25 m/s, feed rate of 50 kg/min and melon seed time span 9 day. Total costs increased by increasing crushing drum speed and decreasing both melon feed rate and melon seed time span, where the minimum value of total cost was 0.273 LE/kg at crushing drum speed of 3.25 m/s, melon seed feed rate of 50 kg/min and melon seed time span 9 day.