Browsing by Author "Sureshkumar, P K"

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Design and development of artificial pollinizer for pollinating tropical vegetables under protected cultivation
(Department of Farm Machinery and Power Engineering Kelappaji College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Tavanur, 2018) Ramya, R; Sureshkumar, P K
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; 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.
Ergonomic investigations on hand arm vibration of brush cutter for the development of a vibration reducing aid
(Department of Farm Power Machinery and Energy, Kelappaji College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Tavanur, 2016) Aswathi, K; Sureshkumar, P K
Brush cutters are widely used in Kerala for weeding and clearing fields. While operating brush cutters, certain amount of vibration is transmitted to human body.Extended exposure to mechanical vibration can induce degeneration of the vascular and sensio-neural systems in the hand called hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS).The hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) is a complex condition associated with vibration exposure and the use of hand-held vibrating machines. The vibration exposure of worker can be decreased by proper selection and maintenance of tool. To study the ergonomic aspects and hand transmitted vibrations of brush cutters, six subjects (3 male & 3 female) were selected who arehaving experience in operation of brush cutter.A suitable vibration reducing aid for brush cutters is designed and fabricated keeping the view that it should be capable of transmitting at least a part of the vibration produced at cutter head to the ground.It should be easily attached or detached from the brush cutters shaft.The material used for the vibration reduction aid should be light in weight and sturdy, so that it could be raised along with the cutter head by the operator. According to the conceptual design, a vibration reduction aid is developed and field tested. It consists of parts viz. curved arms, fixture to arms, quick fixing locks, ground rollers, rollers fixture and rubber grip. The brush cutter and vibration reducing aid is evaluated in the field with different cutter heads viz. nylon rope, 2 blade, 3 blade and circular blade. The experiment is repeated for 2-stroke and 4-stroke models of brush cutters operated by male and female subjects. The energy expenditure for brush cutter operation is calculated for two models of brush cutter for all subjects and compared. A statistical analysis is conducted using MSTAT software and found that the developed vibration reducing aid, blade and type of internal combustion engine have significant effect on vibration excitation in both right and left handles of brush cutters selected. The proposed method of evaluating occupational risk related to mechanical vibration exposure while working with brush cutter makes it possible to account the effect of attachment, cutter head and type of internal combustion engine. Subjective ratings like ODR, OER, OSR and BPDS also indicated significant effect of reducing vibration due to the vibration reducing aid.
Investigations on physico -mechanical properties of coconut palm for the design and development of a coconut palm climber
(Department of Farm Machinery and power engineering, Kelappaji College of Agricultural Engineering and Food Technology, Tavanur, 2025-06-10) Ayisha Mangat; Sureshkumar, P K
Coconut palm (Cocos nucifera L.) is a versatile tree with global cultivation spanning about 12 million hectares. India leads in production, contributing around 31.45% of the world's total coconut output. In Kerala, coconut is the second most important crop after paddy, producing 5,921 million nuts annually. Despite its widespread cultivation, harvesting remains a significant challenge due to a shortage of skilled labor, youth reluctance to pursue coconut harvesting as a career, health risks, and the lack of proper mechanical climbing devices. A study was conducted to investigate the physico-mechanical properties of the coconut palm such as height of palm, girth at different levels, inclination of palm trunk with respect to ground and hardness, with the aim of developing a climbing device. It was collected from three districts viz. Malappuram, Palakkad and Thrissur. Two instruments namely Inclinometer and Tree hardness tester were developed for measuring inclination and hardness of live palm as there are no instruments readily available for those measurements. A comparative study of some existing models of coconut palm climbers like Chemberi model, TNAU model, CPCRI model, KAU coconut palm climber, KAU Kera Suraksha, and Chachoos Maramkeri was conducted to identify their important features. Additionally, an engine-operated coconut climbing device was also studied. The height ranges from 8 to 18 m for tall varieties and for dwarf varieties it ranges from 3 to 8m. The GBH of coconut palm comes within the range of 60 to 100 cm. The maximum number of palms falls in the range of 80-85 cm GBH. The crown width comes within a range of 7-12 m, with an average value of 9-9.5 cm. The inclination was categorized into four groups and the data reveals that 92.1% of the palms fall under the "Erect" category. Hardness of palm trunk was measured using the developed Tree hardness tester with three different indenter tools of different head geometries like wedge, spherical, and square. It was measured at four different penetration depths such as 1 mm, 2 mm, 3 mm and 4 mm. All tools demonstrate a reduction in hardness as penetration depth increases. Highest hardness recorded is 6.85 N mm-2 for sphere shaped tool. The Wedge tool experiences the sharpest decline in hardness with depth, suggesting that its penetration becomes easier as it moves deeper into the palm. Based on the preliminary study of the physico-mechanical properties of coconut palms and the analysis of the features of existing climbing devices, some functional requirements were identified for designing a new coconut climber. A conceptual design was then finalized and the subsystems were developed to meet these requirements. The components of the designed climbing device were Extendable Mechanism, Hauling mechanism, Safety mechanism, Top fixture ring and Mounting fixture and transport aid. The extendable mechanism comprised a telescopic rung ladder with three sections, each measuring 4.6 meters, designed to reach a height of 12 m. The extension to its full length is facilitated by a hauling system that includes steel wire rope and pulley, a winch mechanism, and a power source. The power required to lift the ladder and climber to a height of 12 m was calculated based on the weight to be lifted and the desired lifting speed. A 1 hp electric motor was selected as the power source to efficiently operate the hauling mechanism and lift the ladder to the required height. Suitable speed reduction mechanism for the winch system with a speed reduction ratio of 60:1 was selected to get the desired climbing velocity of 0.14 ms-1 . The telescopic ladder is securely supported on the palm trunk using a top fixture ring that prevents the ladder from sliding sideways. Self-adjusting, spring-loaded rollers were incorporated within the top ring to accommodate the varying girth dimensions of the palm trunk corresponding diameters ranging from 200 mm to 320 mm, representing the minimum and maximum trunk diameters observed in the field.A sturdy, trapezoidal-shaped basket was hinged to the top of the ladder section for operator safety. A safety harness was also recommended for enhanced protection. All the components were mounted on a trolley platform with provisions for rotational control and tilt control. Finite element analysis of the ladder and mounting fixture was done. The values for ladder show that the deformation and stress reach a maximum of 76.612 mm and 70.814 MPa, respectively for an applied load of 1500 N. For mounting fixture, the deformation was 2.7766 mm and stress was 205.76 MPa. The time taken for climbing a 12 m height coconut palm including setting time was 130 seconds and that for climbing down including dismantling was 120 seconds. The climber requires an initial investment of ₹95,000, has a lifespan of 15 years, and a resale value of ₹9,500. The total operating cost of the device was ₹240 per hour, while the cost of climbing per tree was ₹40, assuming six trees were climbed per hour.
Performance and ergonomic evaluation of direct pady seeder and mechanical rice transplanter in wet lands
(Department of Farm Power Machinery and Energy, Kelappaji College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Tavanur, 2013) Rathod Sachin Ravsu; Sureshkumar, P K