Properties influencing cracking and separation of palm nuts in a mechanical cracker cum separator
Experimental studies of some properties influencing cracking and separation of palm kernel from the shell was conducted in a palm kernel dual processing machine. A mechanical cracking cum separating machine was developed for the study. The cracking unit consists of feed hopper, impeller shaft,...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Faculty of Food Technology Osijek
2018-01-01
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| Series: | Croatian Journal of Food Science and Technology |
| Online Access: | http://hrcak.srce.hr/file/295305 |
| Summary: | Experimental studies of some properties influencing cracking and separation
of palm kernel from the shell was conducted in a palm kernel dual processing
machine. A mechanical cracking cum separating machine was developed for
the study. The cracking unit consists of feed hopper, impeller shaft, cracking
drum and impeller blade. The nut falls by gravity through the hopper channel
into the cracking drum where the cracking process takes place through the help
of impeller blades that flip the palm nut against the walls of cylindrical
cracking drum. The mass of cracked nut flows through the separating unit that
separates the kernel from the shell. The separation is induced by high current
of air mass generated by an axial fan. A dura palm variety was selected and a
total sample of eighteen thousand (18000) palm nuts were obtained and
divided into two groups (feed rates), A and B, of eight thousand and ten
thousand palm nuts respectively. Sample groups A and B were further divided
into five sub – groups of four hundred (400) and five hundred (500) palm
kernel nuts. Each sub group (feed rate) was replicated four times at different
shaft speeds (600, 900, 1200, 1500 and 1800 rpm). Results showed that
cracking efficiencies increased with respect to speed. Un-cracked nuts
percentage ranged from 1.3 to 5.3% at 7.1% moisture content, and 1.6 to 4.5%
for 400 and 500 feed rates, respectively. Cracking time for both feed rates
decreased with shaft speed. Throughput capacity of 11.49 kg/h was observed
to be the lowest at 600 rpm and moisture content of 7.1% for both 400 feed
rates and the highest throughput capacity of 37.16 kg/h was recorded at 1800
rpm at moisture contents of 9.3% and 16.1%. The results of this study shows
that moisture content, engine speed and feed rate are significant parameters
that influence cracking of nuts and separation of palm kernel from the shell. |
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| ISSN: | 1847-3466 1848-9923 |