Reel-separator development for olive fruits grading [electronic resource].

Includes references.

It will be helpful for farmers and market dealers to determine their prices by more accurate ways accepted to the consumer. So grading plays an active role in the marketing attractiveness. This research was intended to develop a mobile grading machine (reel-separator type) for grading the olive crops. Three machine parameters each of four levels were studied such as fruit feeding rates (350, 400, 450 and 500 kg/h), speed of reel sizer 20, 35, 50, and 65 rpm (0.419, 0.733, 1.047 and 1.361 m/s), and two types of mesh shape (square cells and parallel bars cells) on the machine grading capacity (kg/h), and efficiency (%), using two major olive varieties (picual and manzanillo). The mechanical damaged percentages of olives fruits were also determined. Results showed that this machine is quite successful for grading olives crop. The best result was obtained at 400 kglh fruit feeding rate, and 35 rpm reel speed using parallel bars cell shape. At these levels the maximum grading efficiency of 94.6 and 93.6 % were obtained with machine grading capacity of 328 and 315.7 kg/h for picual and manzanillo varieties, respectively. At the same feeding rate 400kg/h and by using square cells at rotating speed of the sieves of 50 rpm, the maximum grading efficiencies of 92.3 and 91.6 % which was coincided with machine grading capacity of 333 and 317 kg/h were obtained for picual and manzanillo varieties, respectively. The mechanical damage for the two olive varieties under study increased when grading process was carried by square cells compared with parallel bars cells. Grading picual and manzanillo olive varieties by the proposed machine at optimum grading conditions, produced olives defects (mechanical damaged) lower than the limits permitted for the market.

Summary in Arabic.

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