Effect of Sorting Bin Geometry and Operational Parameters on Impurity Separation Efficiency in Jasmine Rice  Using Rotating Drum Sorter

Kanya  Kosum

doi:10.55003/ETH.430202

Authors

Kanya Kosum Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Rajamangala University of Technology Isan, Thailand

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55003/ETH.430202

Keywords:

Grain processing, Jasmine rice, Rotating drum sorter, Separation efficiency

Abstract

Small-scale rice mills in rural Thailand lack advanced sorting equipment for removing impurities from jasmine rice. This study investigated sorting bin geometry and operational parameter effects on separation efficiency using a rotating drum sorter with three-layer concentric screens (2.51 mm, 1.55 mm, 8.0 mm apertures). Three geometries (cylindrical, octagonal, hexagonal) were evaluated at three inclination angles (2°, 3°, 4°) and rotation speeds (50, 55, 60 rpm) using 3³ factorial design (n = 81). ANOVA revealed bin geometry as the dominant factor (61.2% contribution, F = 287.45, P < 0.001), with cylindrical bins achieving optimal performance at 55 rpm and 3° inclination: 82.0 ± 2.1% separation efficiency, 3.02 ± 0.15 min/kg processing time, 96.3 ± 1.1% purity, and 10.4 ± 1.2% material loss. Cylindrical geometry outperformed hexagonal (64.0%, 28% improvement) and octagonal (58.0%, 41% improvement) configurations through four mechanisms: uniform centrifugal force distribution, laminar material flow, minimal dead zones (<2% versus 8-12%), and consistent grain-screen contact dynamics. Compared to manual methods (72 ± 8% efficiency, 8.5 ± 2.1 min/kg), the cylindrical sorter offers 14% higher efficiency, 2.8× faster processing, and 6-8 month payback period, providing cost-effective mechanization for approximately 15,000 small rice mills in Thailand.

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