Thumbnail Image

Thesis

Browse

20201
Reset filters
Author: Bhad, Rahul × End date: 2020 × Start date: 2020 × Thesis Type: M.Tech. ×
Reset filters

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • Thumbnail Image
    ThesisItemRestricted
    Development and Evaluation of Tractor Operated Pea Pod Picker Mechanism
    (Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, 2020) Bhad, Rahul; Goyal, Rajesh
    The pea is most consistently the little spherical seed and belongs to Fabaceae family. India isn't just the biggest consumer of green peas, yet in addition it takes second place in worldwide green pea cultivation, following China. In India the area under green pea cultivation is 540.5 thousand hectares. Presently, green pea crop is cultivated on approximate 35 thousand hectares in Punjab. Out of this 90% area is cultivated under early maturing variety of green pea. Picking of green pea is labor intensive. Therefore, to lower the cost of manual labor, mechanized picking of pea pod is required. A conceptual design of tractor operated pea pod picker mechanism was conceived by keeping in view the agronomic practices and harvesting of pea pods. The developed machine consists of crop guide, picking drum, continuous belt conveyor and aspirator unit. As the machine moves in the field the rotating drum strips out the pea pods from the vines. The machine was evaluated in terms of picking efficiency, percentage of damaged pods, trash content in detached pods, fuel consumption and field capacity at different independent parameters like forward speed 1.5 km/h (F1), 2.0 km/h (F2) and 2.4 km/h (F3), drum peripheral speed 95 rpm (D1), 110 rpm (D2) and 125 rpm (D3) and curved (T1) & straight (T2) tines. Forward speed showed significant effect on picking efficiency and field capacity. The best combination of independent parameters for the pea pod picker mechanism according to maximum picking efficiency (68.27%), minimum damaged pod (8.57%), trash content in detached pods (22.45%) and fuel consumption (1.17 l/h) was found with 95 drum rpm (D1), 1.5 km/h forward speed (F1) and straight tine (T2). To maximize the picking efficiency and further minimize the damaged pea pods and trash content in detached pea pods, modifications and refinements are needed to be done in the developed pea pod picker mechanism.