M Nurul Amin
Scientific Officer
Farm Machinery and Post harvest Process Engineering Division
Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute
Gazipur-1701
Sultn Ahmmed
Senior Scientific Officer
Farm Machinery and Post harvest Process Engineering Division
Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute
Gazipur-1701
A power operated coconut husking machine was developed at Regional Agricultural Research Station, Rahmatpur, Barisal. The machine was tested for husking coconuts. The machine was operated by an electric motor operating speed of the rotating disc was 320 rpm. The husking capacity of the machine was 120-150 coconuts per hour. One person can operate the machine successfully. The husking efficiency was 70 percent. Husking capacity of the machine is about twice of the traditional husking. The observed breakage of nuts was 5-10 percent. About 20-30 percent husk remained with nuts.
Capacity, coconut husk, husking, efficiency, performance
Farm Mechanization
1. Design and fabrication of coconut husking machine
2. Test the performance of the machine for husking of coconut
Materials used for the fabrication of the husker were mild steel rod and sheet
cast iron, T-bar and necessary fittings. Performance test of the machine has been done at the workshop of FMPE Division, BARI in 2001-2002. During operation, power was transferred from motor pulley to rotating disc pulley by a V-belt. At the time of operation the coconut is placed by hand between the rotating disc and movable disc. The operator was to tighten by the adjusting wheel according to the shape of the coconut and to maintain the adjusting force until the husk splits from the nut. After the husk is spitted, the movable disc is released. The nut is then dropped into the basket through the tray.
Research Report
The test results Show that the performance of the machine is very encouraging. The average husking capacity is 120-150 coconuts per hour. However the capacity depends on the feed rate and moisture content of the coconut. The machine can effectively husk up to 28% moisture content, but it was noticed that about 20-30 per cent husk remain along with the nuts which need to be removed manually. This problem would be solved in future.
Report/Proceedings