Design and Fabrication of A Ripe Palmyra Fruit Pulp Separating Machine

Abstract

A ripe palmyra fruit pulp separating machine was designed and fabricated to reduce the separating time and the number of labor for the ripe palmyra fruit pulp separating. The prototype consisted of main frame, separating unit. Diameter of separating rotor was 450 mm. The power transmission unit and 1 Hp electric motor was used as a prime mover. The ripe palmyra fruit and fresh water were fed manually into feeding chute at the front of the machine. Then the pulp and other part of fruit were separated by separating unit, and the pulp fell through the chute in front of the machine. Testing results indicated that the best separating quality was obtained when the machine was operated at 280 rpm separating rotor speed. The percentage of separation was found to be 96.8±0.3% at working capacity of 37.9±0.6 kg/hour where the energy consumption was 0.72 kW-hour. Based on engineering economical analysis, the machine cost was found to be 3 Bath/kg, payback period was 40 days and the break-even point of the machine was 32 hour per year at the annual use of 1,440 hour per year.