Electrical Characterization of a Mechanized Pilot Cassava Processing Unit Installed in Ouagadougou: Case of No-Load Operation

Abstract

Cassava processing is commonly performed with manual tools such as knives, machetes and mortars, making the operation laborious and time-consuming. Mechanised processing units can reduce this workload, but their electrical requirements must be characterised to support efficient operation and energy planning. This study evaluated the no-load electrical behaviour of a mechanised pilot cassava processing unit installed in Ouagadougou. The unit comprised four main items of equipment: a washer, a peeler, a grater and a spin dryer, each driven by a three-phase low-voltage asynchronous motor. Electrical measurements were conducted under no-load conditions for 60 minutes, with measurements taken at 5-minute intervals. The two-wattmeter method was used to determine voltage, current, active power, reactive power, apparent power and power factor. The results showed that the average active power values of the peeler, washer, grater and spin dryer were 328 W, 762 W, 1005 W and 4506 W, respectively. The corresponding average power factor values were 0.98, 0.98, 0.83 and 0.82. The spin dryer had the highest no-load energy demand and consumed approximately 4.5 kWh during one hour of operation, whereas the peeler consumed approximately 0.3 kWh. Reactive power was nearly zero for the washer and peeler, approximately -1000 VAr for the grater and between 2000 VAr and 4000 VAr for the spin dryer. These findings provide a baseline for understanding idle operation and identifying equipment with higher no-load energy demand.