Engineering parameters required for the design and development of cleaning machine for medicinal and aromatic seed crops [electronic resource].

Includes reference.

The main experiments were carried out at Department of Agricultural engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagazig University to develop and evaluate the performance of a threshing and cleaning machine to be suitable for medicinal and aromatic seeds plants (Fennel, Caraway and Coriander Plants). The performance of the developed machine was measured under the following parameters: Four different sieve speeds, four different sieve tilt angles, four different seed moisture contents and four different feed rates. The performance of the developed machine was evaluated taking into consideration: overall machine efficiency, energy requirements and Criterion cost. The experimental results reveal that seed losses as well as criterion costs were minimum while overall machine efficiency was maximum under the following conditions: Operate the developed machine at a sieve speed of about 3.17 Hz for the three crops, Operate the developed machine at a sieve tilt angle of about 2.0 deg. For the three crops, Threshing and cleaning fennel, caraway and coriander at seed moisture contents of about 11.38, 7.50 and 10.26% respectively Operate the developed machine at a feed rates of about 1.03, 1.64 and 1.20 Mg/h for fennel, caraway and coriander respectively.

Summary in Arabic.

1