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Abuteffera 20133252337 Thresher Write Up A 2005
Abuteffera 20133252337 Thresher Write Up A 2005
Abu Teffera
Bahir Dar Agricultural Mechanization and Food Science Research Center,
P.O. Box: 133, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
email abuteffera@yahoo.com
Abstract - The axial flow motorized mechanical maize Sheller was modified to thresh finger millet. This
Sheller has threshing, cleaning and grain discharge units. It was modified its threshing unit and hopper
in order to be suitable for threshing finger millet. Therefore, based on the nature of the grain two possible
variants of threshing drum bar arrangement was selected and used. The combination of spike tooth and
rasp bar arranged alternatively throughout the length with straw thrower at the end and both spike tooth
and rasp bar set within the raw in different lengths proportion, to attach spike tooth, rasp bar, and straw
thrower were the two variant used for test purpose. The box type hopper also changed to plain feed table.
Basic threshing unit parameters were calculated and determined. Then each variant of threshing unite
was tested separately using available test procedure. The first year test result indicates that the first
variant threshing unit was not able to remove the bran (thin layer) as required from the seed. But the
second one shows good threshing capability. During the test time, 117kg/hr, 4.7% and 0.773 litter/hr
threshing capacity, un-threshed grain and fuel consumption were recorded respectively. In the second
year excluding the cleaning (plain sieve and fan) unit the test was conducted using the second variant of
threshing unit. From the test results, 136kg/hr, 2.54% and 1.66 litter/hr threshing capacity, un-threshed
grain and fuel consumption were recorded respectively. The cleaning units were excluded from the system
because of poor efficiency seen during the first year test. In both cases percent of un threshed grain was
recorded from the grain out let only, from straw out let was not found. The test shows that threshing with
mechanical thresher results in timeliness of operation, reduce grain los, improve the storage quality and
hence market value.
Key words: finger mille, mechanical thresher, spike tooth, rasp bar
III. Evaluation of engineering parameter Table 1 pre-test parameters of local finger millet in
performance of thresher the year of 2012 and 2013
Threshing drum speed 700 700 700 Moreover, the output of man on threshing is very
(rpm) low and dependent on the efficiency of the animals
regarding of un threshed grain it was found as per and workers. From observation and farmer saying
objective. In other hand cleaning was found very the average output is estimated about 25kg/hr.
poor. The results are indicated in table 4. Therefore the result obtained on both years by
mechanical thresher having the combination of Karnataka” : a case study. International Journal
spike tooth and rasp bar drum within the raw in of agriculture and Food Science technology
different lengths proportion, regarding output and Volume 1, Number 1 (2010), pp. 47-53
un threshed grain is very important for increasing of 5. D.C. Baruah and Panesar B.S (2004) “energy
requirement model for a combine harvester”,
productivity and reducing of grain losses.
Part I: Development of component models.
Biosystems Engineering, AAU Jorhia, India. 9-
V. Conclusion and recommendation 25
6. Abu T, Zewdu A, T/giorges M Testing and
Major thresher parameters have been carried out evaluation of multi crop thresher (Unpublished
based on previous researches and design guides. document)
Tangential velocity and diameter of threshing 7. Snvastava, Ajit K., Carroll E. Goering, Roger P.
cylinder, power required for accomplishment of Rohrbach, and Dennis R. Buckmaste. 2006.
threshing processes and strength of materials on Grain harvesting. Chapter 12 in “Engineering
bending and shearing like shafts, key, bearings were principles of Agricultural machines”, 2 nd ed.,
403-436. St. Joseph, Michigan. ASABE.
the major and vital design parameters that was under
Copyright American Society of Agricultural and
taken. These design parameters make the thresher Biological Engineers.
technical visible and develop confidence on proper 8. Bosoi E.S, Verniaev O.V, smirov I.I, Soltan-Shakh
selection of physical parameters of materials E.G 1991 Theory, Construction and Calculation of
Agricultural Machines volume Two Russian
Translation Series 83, Great Britain
As we know threshing output of man is very low.
Under these conditions the improvement of human
power and small scale machines are of great
importance as it is one of the first steps that can be
taken to raise crop yields and the farm income. As a
result, modifying of thresher for finger millet based
on the existing technologies supports the production
of finger mille through minimizing post harvest
losses.
Reference:
1. A.S. Tatham, R. J. Fido, C. M. Moore, D. D.
Kasarda, D. D.Kuzmicky, J.N.Keen and P. R.
Shewry “Characterization of the Major
Prolamins of Tef ( Eragrostis tef) and Finger
Millet ( Eleusine coracana)”
2. African experience in the improvement of post-
harvest techniques, Based on the workshop help
in ACCRA, Ghana 4 - 8 July 1994 Agricultural
engineering service, AGSE agricultural support
systems division Food and agricultural
organization of the United Nations Rome, Italy
3. Obilana A. B Overview: importance of millets
in africa icrisat, nairobi, Kenya
4. A.sreenatha, G.P. Jayapalaah and N.Indrakumar
“Finger millet harvesting and threshing in