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Development of a Pedal Operated Sunflower Thresher

Sultan Ahmmed
Senior Scientific Officer
Farm Machinery and Postharvest Process Engineering Division, BARI, Gazipur-1701, Bangladesh.

M. A. Satter
Chief Scientific Officer
Farm Machinery and Postharvest Process Engineering Division, BARI, Gazipur-1701, Bangladesh.

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

A hold-on-type, pedal operated, light weight and low cost sunflower thresher was developed and constructed with locally available materials. Performance test of the machine as conducted with sunflower heads and threshing yield was found to be 25 kg/ hr at 12% grain moisture content. The threshing efficiency was about 97% at the same moisture content. Threshing cost is taka 0.33 per kg compared to taka 1.3 per kg for other manual methods.

Keywords: Sunflower, Threshing capacity, Development of A Pedal

Location: Workshop of Farm Machinery and Postharvest Process Engineering Division, BARl

Start Date:

End Date:

Program Area: Postharvest and Agro-processing

Commodity: Thresher

Objectives:

develop a low cost pedal-operated sunflower thresher.
devaluate the performance of the thresher relating to threshing capacity and efficiency.
demonstrate the thresher in the farmer's field.
determine the costs of the sunflower threshing.

Methodology:

A pedal-operated sunflower thresher has been developed and fabricated at the workshop of Farm Machinery and Postharvest Process Engineering Division, BARl using locally available materials. The following points were given due consideration in developing the pedal-operated sunflower thresher. 1. Ripe sunflower heads shade the petals of the ray florets. The bracts of involucre become yellow and little loose but remain attached to the head. The bracteoles covering the seeds, little separated from seeds, remain attached sufficiently rigid to the receptacles of the head. 2. The ripe seeds become dark, little hard and loose in the bracteoles. A gentle impact is adequate to detach these seeds without removal of other components of the florets. 3. The shape of the sunflower heads does change appreciably after maturity up to 10- 12% seed moisture content. Below that heads tend to take any irregular shape. 4. The average range of sunflower head diameter is 7 to 25 em. 5. Threshing immediately after maturity yields monetary benefits to the farmers. Machine description and specifications The pedal-operated hold-on-type BARI Sunflower Thresher consists of mainly three units: (a) threshing disc, (b) power transmission system, (c) angle frame. Threshing disc: This unit was made of M.S. sheet with vanes and placed horizontally at a convenient height on a main shaft. The main shaft was fitted through ball bearing inside the angle frame. Disc diameter is 200 mm.

Power transmission: Pedal power is transmitted through chain and sprocket to a horizontal shaft. A 90⁰ bevel gear assembly was mounted on the horizontal shaft to rotate the vertical main shaft and on the top of which the threshing disc was mounted. Proper matching of the bevel gear is needed for perfect and smooth operation. Seat A seat was placed behind the pedal stand at a height and distance convenient to operator for easy operation.

Operating principle of the thresher: One person is required to operate the thresher. A sunflower head is held with its seed face, gently, on the rotating disc till all the grain is detached. After completion of threshing, receptacle of the sunflower is kept aside separately and fresh head is taken for threshing.

Test procedure: The testing was carried out at the research workshop of Farm Machinery and Postharvest Process Engineering Division, BARI. Sunflower variety was used as the test crop. The performance of the thresher was evaluated in terms of capacity, broken grain and unshelled grain. The performance parameters were calculated as per RNAM test code (1983).

Source of Information: Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 22(1): 135-140, June 1997

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

1. Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council	Budget:
2. World Bank	Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

1.The threshing efficiency of the machine is 97%.

2. Breakage percentage of seed is within the acceptable limit (2%).

3. The average threshing is 25 kg of seed per hour.

4. The thresher permits threshing right after harvesting of sunflower heads without any sun-drying.

5. Cost of threshing was taka 33.00 per 100 kg of sunflower seed.

6. Construction and operating system of the pedal operated sunflower thresher is very simple and the machine can be constructed by local craftsman using locally available materials.

Knowledge Management: Journal