DEVELOPING A THRESHER MACHINE FOR OIL CROPS

Abstract

The aim of this study is to develop a thresher for oil crops such as flax crop. Stripping operation was studied under affecting factors such as drum speed, moisture content and feed rate, also threshing operation was studied under different factors such as drum speed, drum type and concave type. The main results were summarized as follows: • Unstripped capsules decreased by increasing drum speed and moisture content and increased by increasing feed rate. Increasing drum speed from 300 to 450 rpm, (4.39 to 6.19 m/s) decrease the percentage of unstripped capsules from 2.69 to zero % respectively, at feed rate of 1200 kg/hand from 4.24 to 0.39 % at feed rate 1400 kg/h and 14.15% moisture content. • Stripping efficiency capsules decreased by increasing drum speed and feed rate and increased by increasing moisture content. Increase drum speed from 300, 350, 400 to 450 rpm, (4.39, 4.81, 5.50 to 6.19 m/s) increase the stripping efficiency from 97.31, 98.48, 99.75 to 100 respectively at feed rate 1200 and moisture content 14.15 %. At feed rate 1400 and moisture content 14.15 %, by increasing drum speed from 300, 350, 400 to 450 rpm, (4.39, 4.81, 5.50,to 6.19 m/s) increase the percentage of stripping efficiency from 95.76, 96.8, 98.63 to 99.61 respectively. * Stalk losses decreased by increasing moisture content and feed rate and decreased by increasing drum speed. Increase drum speed from 300, 350, 400 to 450 rpm, (4.39, 4.81, 5.50,to 6.19 m/s) increase the percentage of stalk losses from 2.5, 3.19, 3.79 to 5.07 respectively at feed rate 1200 and 14.15% moisture content. At feed rate 1400 and 14.15 % moisture content, by increasing drum speed from 300, 350,400 to 450 rpm, (4.39, 4.81, 5.50,to 6.19 m/s) increase the percentage of stalk losses from 1.3, 1.9, 3.00 to 4.36 respectively. The same results were obtained at different crop and operation conditions. * Machine capacity increased by increasing drum speed and feed rate and decreased by increasing moisture content. Increase drum speed from 300, 350, 400 to 450 rpm, (4.39, 4.81, 5.50,to 6.19 m/s) increase the machine capacity from 93.40,107.17, 126.55 to 137.01 kg/h respectively at spike tooth drum type and perforated concave type. At rubber drum type and the same concave type, by increasing drum speed from 300, 350, 400 to 450 rpm, (4.39, 4.81, 5.50,to 6.19 m/s) increase machine capacity from 70.05, 77.16, 97.44 to 97.28 kg/h, respectively. Increasing machine capacity by increasing drum speed is due to increase the impact force. * Unthreshed seeds increased by increasing moisture content and feed rate and decreased by increasing drum speed. * Threshing efficiency decreased by increasing moisture content and feed rate and decreased by increasing drum speed. * It is recommended that the optimum conditions are: feed rate of 1400 kg/h, moisture content of 14.15 %, perforated-sheet concave, and spike-tooth drum that gave the desirable machine capacity and stripping and threshing losses. * The operating and criterion costs of developed thresher­ machine were 4.66 L. E./h and 46.75 L. E./ ton respectively. Whereas, the operating and criterion costs of threshing by traditional method was 20 L. E./h and 72.5 L. E./ton respectively.