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Theses

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1993 - 19963
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Subject: Agricultural Engineering × Author: KAU × End date: 1996 × Start date: 1993 × Type: Thesis × Thesis Type: M.Tech ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Development and evaluation of a low cost power operated paddy thresher-cum-winnower
    (Department of Farm Power Machinery and Energy, Kelappaji College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Tavanur, 1996) Sureshkumar, P K; KAU; Sankaranarayanan, M R
    Since threshing is labour intensive and involves considerable human drudgery and as the threshers now available are not suitable for small and marginal farmers, a Low Cost Power Operated Paddy Thresher Cum Winnower has been developed and tested. The machine consists of a threshing unit of wire loop cylinder and cover, a winnowing unit, a grain collecting tray, prime mover, power transmission system and the main frame. The power required to operate the machine is taken from a 2 hp electric motor and is transmitted to the cylinder and blower shafts by V- belt and pulley arrangement. Two labourers can hold the crop against the threshing cylinder. The optimum cylinder speed is 400 rpm. The capacity of the thresher at 16.0 per cent moisture content of the crop is 300 hg per hour. Threshing and cleaning efficiencies are 99.25 and 91.82 per cent respectively. Mechanical damage to the grain is negligible. The labour requirement of the thresher cum winnower is two. The cost of the thresher cum winnower was found out to be around Rs 8000.00 and the cost of operation for threshing and winnowing was Rs 8.50 per quintal. An empirical relation between the energy requirement of the thresher and various crop and thresher parameters is P = 931.035 + 4.683 (MC) – 0.462 (PV) – 1.169 (FR) + 8.251 (G/S ratio) The moisture content of the crop and the Feed Rate have statistically significant effect on power Requirement whereas the cylinder speed and Grain/Straw ratio do not have any statistically significant effect.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Development of a power tiller operated paddy transplanter for conventional seedlings
    (Department of Farm Power Machinery and Energy, Kelappaji College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Tavanur, 1995) Prakash, K V; KAU; Sivaswami, M
    Transplanting of paddy seedlings is a very tiresome and labour consuming operation and labour shortage is experienced during planting. As a solution to reduce the high cost of cultivation and labour shortage in paddy transplanting, a power tiller operated paddy transplanter is an essential need of hour. The APAU paddy transplanter was evaluated after rectifying the defects at KCAET instructional farm, Tavanur. Based on the field experiences and considering the all problems in APAU paddy transplanter, an improved version of power tiller operated paddy transplanter was developed and fabricated at KCAET Tavanur and tested during September-October 1994. The convensional root washed paddy seedlings ready to manual transplanting were used. When the power tiller is operated at a forward speed of 1.20 km per hr, the transplanter could transplant 2 to 4 seedlings per hill at a spacing of 100 to 120 mm. The average field capacity was found to be 0.13 ha per hr. A saving of Rs.800 per ha which is 50 per cent and reduction of 296 man-hr per ha which is 92.5 per cent was achieved for transplanting operation alone compared to manual transplanting.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Design fabrication and testing of a cashewnut decorticator
    (Department of Farm Power Machinery and Energy, Kelappaji College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Tavanur, 1993) Joby Bastian; KAU; Jippu Jacob
    A manually operated cashewnut decorticator is designed, developed and evaluated. The major parts are top blade assembly, and linkage assembly, 2-blade bottom assembly, and linkage assembly. The whole assembly is fixed on a work table. The steamed cashewnut is placed manually between the top and bottom blades. Upon pressing the pedal the top and bottom blades slit the two long sides of the nut. The two bottom blades are then opened wide with a cam splitting open the shell in to two halves. The kernel is released from the shell. The efficiency in decorticating is 88 per cent while the percentage of the number of kernels damaged is 12. The capacity of the machine is 900 nuts/h. The important physical properties of nuts were also studied. It is kidney shaped. Its mean size is 32.40 mm long, 24.60 mm wide and 17.60mm thick. The average kernel size is 26.00 mm long, 17.20 mm wide and 12 mm thick. The average thickness of the shell is 3.20 mm. The average weight of the nut is 7.0 g while that of the kernel is 2.1 g. considering its performance the mechanism is sound. It is recommended for further studies and modifications.