Abstract: Melon dehusking is often associated with lots of manual labour and stresses. In order to reduce the stress and boredom usually involved in manual dehusking of melon process, a melon dehusking and separation machine was designed, constructed and tested for operation as presented in this paper. The melon dehusking machine operates on the principle of attrition/friction as opposed to the use of an impact force in the dehusking chamber for shelling of melon seeds. This principle results in minimum seed breakage thus, reduces the amount of wastage involved in the mechanized processing of the melon seeds oil. Also, this machine architecture consists of a separation chamber which utilizes the air generated from a centrifugal blower in an attempt to separate the broken shells of melon from its whitish inner cotyledon immediately after the dehusking process. Other components of this machine include: the feed hopper, dehusking chamber and the power unit. This melon dehusking machine operates at the optimal dehusking speed of 1,400 rpm, feed rate of 11 kg/hr and a shelling efficiency of about 85%. The effect of the moisture content of melon seeds regarding the shelling performance was considered and the result showed that a soaking time of 8 minutes and a spreading time of 30 minutes yield good optimal dehusking process.
Udom, E. & B., D (2019). DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF A MELON DEHUSKING MACHINE. Afribary. Retrieved from https://afribary.com/works/design-and-construction-of-a-melon-dehusking-machine
Udom, Evans, and Dr B. "DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF A MELON DEHUSKING MACHINE" Afribary. Afribary, 30 Apr. 2019, https://afribary.com/works/design-and-construction-of-a-melon-dehusking-machine. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.
Udom, Evans, and Dr B. . "DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF A MELON DEHUSKING MACHINE". Afribary, Afribary, 30 Apr. 2019. Web. 24 Nov. 2024. < https://afribary.com/works/design-and-construction-of-a-melon-dehusking-machine >.
Udom, Evans and B., Dr . "DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF A MELON DEHUSKING MACHINE" Afribary (2019). Accessed November 24, 2024. https://afribary.com/works/design-and-construction-of-a-melon-dehusking-machine