Influence of Machine and Operational Parameters on Fenugreek Trigonella foenum graecum LThreshing

Abstract

The present study was conducted to standardize the machine and operational newlineparameters of spike tooth mechanism for fenugreek threshing using Response Surface newlineMethodology. The range of independent parameters () was selected on the basis of newlinephysical, mechanical and frictional properties of fenugreek seeds and also from the available literature data. An experimental runs were obtained from Response Surface Methodology (Design Expert 11.1.0.1). newlineThe fenugreek crop was threshed at recommended moisture content and at fixed feed rate for all the experimental runs. The performance of the fenugreek newlinethreshing was observed and recorded based on the selected dependable parameters viz. broken seed percentage, unthreshed seed percentage, threshing efficiency (percent), output (kg/h) and energy consumption (kW-h). The multiple regressions newlinecoefficients were obtained through ANOAVA which were used to develop empirical equations for predicting selected dependant parameters. The effects of independent parameters on dependant parameters were observed through response surface graphs. A numerical and graphical optimization was done and superimposed contours of all the parameters presented in overlay plots gives the optimized values of independent variables with corresponding predicted values of dependant parameters. The resulted optimum values of independent parameters viz. concave clearance, newlineconcave grate clearance and cylinder speed were 11 mm, 7 mm and 855 rpm, respectively with corresponding values of dependent parameters viz. unthreshed seed percentage, threshing efficiency (percent), output (kg/h) and energy consumption newline(kW-h) were 0.63 per cent, 99.37 per cent, 10.45 kg/h and 1.52 kWh, respectively. Contd.... newline