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Theses

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Subject: Agricultural Engineering × End date: 2009 × 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.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Evaluation of the characteristics of petti and para (axial flow pump)
    (Department of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering, Kelappaji College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Tavanur, 1988) Jose, Abraham; KAU; John Thomas, K
    ‘Petti and Para’ is the most popular pumping equipment used in Kuttanad and Kole lands of Kerala for dewatering agricultural fields. It is a local adaptation of the class of pumps called axial flow or propeller pumps. It is fabricated by local blacksmith using their practical experience and is very popular in low head high discharge requirements especially for drainage purposes. The project was undertaken to evaluate scientifically the ‘Petti and Para’ and to suggest improvement to its design. Field survey had been conducted to study the general characteristics of the existing ‘Petti and Para’ and the energy requirements for punja and additional crop. Field pumping tests were conducted on 15 hp and 20 hp ‘Petti and Para’ using standard methods, to evaluate its characteristics. A small propeller pump was developed talking into consideration the specific requirements of Kuttanad, so that the results could be utilised in bigger units through the principles of similitude. The pump was designed as a high specific speed unit (280 rpm) operating at high rotational speed (1900 rpm), so that its physical dimensions were small. The field survey showed that ‘Petti and Para’ are operating at low speed of 300 rpm. The most common type of ‘Petti and Para’ in use are 10 hp, 15 hp, 20 hp, 30 hp and 50 hp units. A 10 hp unit has an impeller diameter of 44 cm and 50 hp unit has an impeller diameter of 79 cm. The average energy consumption for dewatering during punja crop was 309.8 kwh per hectare and that for additional crop was 444.5 kwh/ha. The efficiency of a 15 hp ‘Petti and Para’ having an impeller diameter 52 cm was about 20%. It could pump water at a rate of 217.75 to 143.60 1/s against a total head of 65 cm to 100 cm. A perfectly maintained 20 hp ‘Petti and Para’ could pump water at a rate of 369.5 to 281.2 1/s under total head of 73.2 to 132.01 cm. The efficiency of the unit varied between 21.47 to 25.96 %. The newly developed propeller pump having an impeller diameter of 145 mm was tested at constant static head of 120 cm. It could pump water at a rate 39.64 to 13.34 1/s against a total head of 183.1 to 283.02 cm. The efficiency of the unit varied between 23.72 to 9.6 Input power varied between 4.076 to 5.21 hp, while utilising a 10 hp induction motor as power unit. Due to lack of time this work is inconclusive. Further elaborate studies are necessary for making specific recommendation for the improvement in the efficiency of ‘Petti and Para’.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Optimal cropping pattern for the better utilization of minor irrigation schemes
    (Department of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering, Kelappaji College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Tavanur, 2000) Bindu, J; KAU; Joby V, Paul
    A monthly irrigation planning model was formulated for determining the optimal cropping pattern in an existing lift irrigation scheme. The study deals with the use of Linear Programming technique which is a powerful tool in systems analysis for obtaining an optimal cropping pattern from various alternatives for a command area by the conjunctive use of surface water. The optimal cropping pattern was selected for two purposes, i e. to maximise the net economic benefit from the command area for an year and to maximise the net area put under cultivation in an year. Appropriate constraints were also included while formulating the model on total cropping area of each month, cropping area of each crop, surface water availability and monthly crop water requirement etc. The model is found very flexible to alter the constraints . makers decisions from time to time based on socio-economic considerations.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Performance evaluation of hydrocyclone filter
    (Department of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering, Kelappaji College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Tavanur, 2001) Damodhara Rao, M; KAU; John Thomas, K
    the final efficiencies are almost the same irrespective of the concentration of soil suspension. The particle size distribution of underflow material for different concentrations of soil suspension indicates a measure of separation efficiency of the filter. It was found that the percentage finer to coarser particles is almost the same for all the concentrations but for lower concentrations, fine particles have higher percentage of finer. This may indicate the efficient separation of fine particles in the case of lower . concentrations of soil suspensions. For the soil suspension of 300, 600, 900 and 1200mg/1 the percentage of particles finer than 0.075111111 are 0.86, 0.58, 1.96 and 4.05% respectively. The higher value of concentration for 300mg/1 indicates the better separation of finer particles.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Storage studies on preservation of banana and its production
    (Department of Farm power Machinery and Energy, Kelappaji College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Tavanur, 2000) Sindu, Bhaskar; KAU; Ganesan, V
    The primary objective of this study was to conduct shelf lite studies like vacuum packing and nitrogen packing on storage of banana and its products and to suggest optimum storage conditions. The study mainly concentrated on development of equipments for optimising the processing and storage conditions. A constant temperature frying pan was developed for optimising the frying temperature, duration and type of oil. The capacity of the constant temperature frying pan is 100 kg of raw banana per day of 8 h. A low cost set up for nitrogen packing was also developed. Vacuum packing as well as nitrogen packing can be done satisfactorily. Raw banana stored under vacuum cum refrigerated packing showed maximum shelf life up to 20 days without any quality deterioration. The chips fried in coconut oil at a temperature 115 QC for a duration 15 min stored under nitrogen packing showed best results followed by chips fried in coconut oil at a temperature 105 QC for 20 min under nitrogen packing. These results were on the basis of organoleptic evaluation. Jaggery coated chips and banana powder stored under nitrogen packing was the best among four treatments after storage of two months. The economic analysis showed the cost of entire operation for the processing of chips was Rs.57.5 per kg of chips. The moisture content of 'taw banana have significant effect on cooking duration therefore the moisture content of banana slices prepared for chips making should be standardised. The peeling and slicing operations are done manually. The speed of the labourers have considerable effect on capacity of constant temperature frying pan.