PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF AN ASPARA MAJOR PEARL MILLET (PENNISETUMGLAUCUM) THRESHER
Performance evaluation of a newly acquired pearl millet thresher in the department of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering was conducted in order to establish an array of database for performance parameters of the machine. Effects of two different varieties (INMV 55 and ICMN IS 88224) of pearl millet and three different speed levels (630 rpm, 730 rpm and 830 rpm) of threshing drum of the machine on the performance parameters of threshing efficiency, cleaning efficiency and the percentage grain loss were investigated. The results showed that threshing efficiency increase with threshing drum speed of the machine with threshing efficiency of 93.79%, 95.50% and 96.71% obtained at 630 rpm, 730 rpm and 830 rpm, respectively. Similarly, Cleaning efficiency increase with the speed of the machine with 74.06% at 630 rpm, 79.51% at 730 rpm, and 82.04% at 830 rpm. While percentage grain loss of the machine decreased as the speed increased with 10.78% at 630 rpm, 7.48% at 730 rpm, and 6.22% at 830 rpm. The results revealed that the two varieties of pearl millet investigated has no significant effect on threshing efficiency of the machine but showed significant effects on both the cleaning efficiency and percentage grain loss of the machine. The machine cleaned INMV 55 variety of the pearl millet better with lower grain losses when compared with the ICMN IS 88224 variety of pearl millet.
Authors : Abubakar, M. S., Attanda, M. L. and Abdullahi, B.
Category : Open Access Volume (Issue) : 4(2) Date Uploaded : 19th April 2019