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Development of washing machine for horticultural fruits
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Abstract: A washing machine used for spherical and oval fruits was developed to be used in small horticultural holding, small Egyptian sorting and grading stations and small food factories. Primary testes (ranging of the water pressure, rotation speed of cylindrical brushes and sponge rolls, distance between nozzles and fruits and nozzles calibration) using Navel orange variety and Nicola potatoes variety were conducted to determine the suitable operational condition that realize the maximum washing efficiency. Machine productivity, washing and surface drying efficiency, mechanical injury of fruits, consumed power and energy requirement and financial evaluation were studied to evaluate the performance of the developed machine.
The results indicated that:
1- Increasing the nozzles water pressure from 2 to 3 bar, increasing the cylindrical brushes speed from 55 to 80 r.p.m and decreasing the distance between nozzles and fruits from 200 mm to 100 mm cause a corresponding increase in total efficiency of washing machine from 61.73 %to 93.64 % with Navel orange variety and from 69.47 % to 96.67 % with Nicola potatoes variety.
2- Increasing the sponge rolls speed from 55 to 80 r.p.m cause a corresponding increase in total Surface drying efficiency from 58.31 % to 81.69 % with Navel orange variety and from 60.17 % to 84.48 % with Nicola potatoes variety.
3- Increasing cylindrical brushes speed from 55 to 105 r.p.m. tends to increasing the total capacity of the washing machine from 1.45 to 2.72 ton / h with Navel orange variety and from 1.24 to 2.34 ton / h with Nicola potatoes variety.
4- Increasing the cylindrical brushes speed from 55 to 105 r.p.m cause a corresponding increase in damage index of washing machine from 1.87 % to 5.11 % with Navel orange variety and from 1.51 % to 4.32 % with Nicola potatoes variety.
5- The highest energy consumed was recorded using lowest speed of cylindrical brushes and sponge rolls 55 r.p.m. which was 0.634 kW .h / ton for Navel orange variety and 0.709 kW .h / ton for Nicola potatoes variety. While the lowest energy consumed was recorded using largest speed of cylindrical brushes and sponge rolls 105 r.p.m. which was 0.399 kW .h / ton for Navel orange variety and 0.451kW .h /ton for Nicola potatoes variety.
6- The net present value (NPV) is 179.9 L.E. at discount price 30 % and 12 % interest rate. The internal rate of return (IRR) is 33.9 % the developed washing machine IRR shows that the investment in this machine will be economical. The capital pay back period (CPBP) is 2.95 year. Thus, the total investment of this machine can be paid back thought the third year.
The developed fruits washing machine covered both techno-economic and social aspects, provides the small fruits produces and mega markets. Using the developed washing machine will afford more appealing and distinguished product with convenient product price.
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| Publication year |
2005
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| Pages |
532-554
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| Availability location |
(بحوث تصميم وتطوير الآلات) معهد بحوث الهندسة الزراعية
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| Availability number |
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| Organization Name |
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| serial title |
المجلة المصرية للهندسة الزراعية
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| Author(s) from ARC |
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| External authors (outside ARC) |
سامى محمد يونس
جامعة القاهرة
محمد سيد عمران
جامعة القاهرة
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| Agris Categories |
Agricultural machinery and equipment
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| Proposed Agrovoc |
غسيل الخضروات والفاكهة;
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| Publication Type |
Journal
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