Modification and testing of KAU arecanut de-husker

Abstract

An arecanut dehusker consisting of mainly a pair of fluted rollers, a pressure roller assembly, a scrapper assembly, a guide chute and a feed tray was developed in this study. The arecanut was fed between the two counter- rotating fluted rollers and was pressed against these rollers by the pressure roller. The fluted rollers gripped the husk and pulled it to the rear side of the rollers. In the process the husk was ripped open and the kernel was ejected from its shell.

The performance of the machine was studied at speeds of 60, 90,120,150 and 180 rpm and with three different surface characteristics of the rollers. The surface characteristics of the rollers were varied by having different number of teeth and pitch. From the studies the optimum setup of the machine for deriving maximum dehusking efficiency and minimum damage to the dehusked kernels and unhusked fruits was obtained. This was at a speed of 150 rpm against the roller surface having 30 teeth with pitch 3.9mm, width 2.0mm, and depth 1.0 mm. At this set-up the dehusking efficiency, percentage of the number of dehusked kernals and unhusked fruits damaged were 94.4, 5.5 and zero percent respectively. And also this set-up yielded an output of 23 kg of arecanut kernals per hour.