Performance Evaluation of Developed Power Operated Groundnut Thresher

Abstract

Groundnut is the major oilseed crop in India, and it plays a major role in bridging the Vegetable oil deficit in the country. Groundnuts in India are available throughout the year due to a two-crop cycle, harvested in March and October. This paper aims to perform an evaluation of the developed power-operated groundnut thresher. The prototype was conceived and fabricated through a collaborative effort between the S.V. College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology and Research Station, Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya (IGKV). The design process involved detailed analysis of the mechanical requirements for effective threshing, material selection for major components and dimensional optimisation to achieve efficient separation with minimal grain loss or damage. The results show that cylinder speed had the most pronounced effect on threshing efficiency, followed by concave clearance and feed rate. At the lowest cylinder speed (23.5 m/s), the threshing efficiency ranged from 97.00% to 99.10%. An increase in cylinder speed to 27.5 m/s improved threshing efficiency to a range of 98.30% to 99.40%, while the highest cylinder speed of 31.5 m/s yielded the best performance, with efficiencies ranging from 98.80% to 99.70%. Overall, the maximum threshing efficiency (99.70%) was achieved at 31.5 m/s cylinder speed, 15 mm concave clearance, and 7800 kg/h feed rate. This combination provided the optimal balance between impact intensity, contact area, and material flow. Therefore, fine-tuning airflow and drum speed parameters is essential to achieve a balance between high cleaning efficiency and minimal pod loss, ensuring efficient and economical groundnut threshing performance.