#Sunshine2015 Performance Evaluation of an Auger-fer Chipping Machine Adapter for cassava and Yam by B.O Soyoye @ #Nse conference holding @ #thedome in #Akure #Ondostate

1. Performance Evaluation of an Auger-Fed Chipping Machine
Adapted for Cassava and Yam
BY
B. O. Soyoye, O. J. Olukunle, and R. F. Chinze
Agricultural and Environmental Engineering Department
Federal University of Technology, Akure Ondo State
soyoye2002@yahoo.com, 08036577499
PRESENTED AT
THE NATIONAL ENGINEERING CONFERENCE AND ANNUAL GENERAL
MEETING
“SUNSHINE 2015”“SUNSHINE 2015” 1

2. INTRODUCTION
Root and tuber crops are abundant in the rural areas of most
developing countries, and are often regarded as a cheap
food.
Presently, cassava is one of the most important and widely
grown food crops in Nigeria. Nigeria is the single largest
producer of yam, accounting for about 71% of total world
production (Ezeh, 1992) and FAO, 2005).
Increased production of root crops in Nigeria has brought
about the need for the development of appropriate
processing technology.
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3. Justification
Tuber crops, because of their high moisture content,
cannot be stored for more than 3 to 4 days to avoid the
accumulation of toxic substances that make it unfit for
consumption.
Therefore processing has been an integral part of the
utilization of tuber crops.
Intr. Cont.
Intr. Cont.
The main aim of this study is to evaluate the performance of
an auger-fed chipping machine with respect to (i) Machine
capacity, (ii) Chipping efficiency and (iii) Chip geometry
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4. Materials and MethodsMaterials and Methods
The chipping machine tested in this work consists of hopper,
chipping unit, driving unit and the frame.
The hopper forms the chipping chamber with side inclined at
600
for easy sliding of the tubers into the chipping unit that
bears the screw conveyor.
With the exception of the frame, shaft and pulley which are
made of mild steel, the machine parts are made of stainless
steel to avert acid corrosion and contamination.
Description of the ChipperDescription of the Chipper
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5. Machine TestingMachine Testing
The machine was tested in the Agricultural and
Environmental Engineering Departmental workshop of the
Federal University of Technology Akure Ondo State Nigeria.
It was tested using a variety of cassava (Manihot esculenta)
and yam (Dioscoreae rotundata) respectively with varying
machine speeds (Plate 1).
Mats & Mtds Cont.
Mats & Mtds Cont.
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6. Plate 1: Tuber chipping machine at testing stages
Mats & Mtds Cont.
Mats & Mtds Cont.
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7. Mats & Mtds Cont.
Mats & Mtds Cont.
Performance EvaluationPerformance Evaluation
The machine was tested with an electric motor at speeds of
318, 368, 418, 468, and 518 rpm in order to evaluate the
chipping capacity and efficiency, and the adequacy of the chip
geometry.
At each speed, tubers with a total weight of 4 kg were fed
into the machine through the feeding hopper. The time taken
for the chipping and the weight of the output chips were
noted.
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8. Plate 2: Measurement of the chip
geometry
Mats & Mtds Cont.
Mats & Mtds Cont.
Plate 3: Well chipped tubers being
weighed
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9. )(timechippingtheis
)(tuberchippedofmasstotalis
)(tubertheofmassinitialtheis
)(tuberchippedwellofmasstheis
)(capacitymachinetheis
(%)efficiencychippingtheis
%100
hrT
kgM
kgM
kgM
hrkgC
C
hrkg
T
M
C
M
M
C
c
tc
i
wc
m
e
c
tc
m
i
wc
e
=
×=
The efficiency of the machine was found in accordance with
the following definitions (Adejumo et al, 2011)
Performance EvaluationPerformance Evaluation
Mats & Mtds Cont.
Mats & Mtds Cont.
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10. Figure 1: Chipping capacity and chipping time of cassava against motor speed
Motor speed (rpm)
Chippingcapacity(kgh-1
)
Chippingtime(h)
Results and DiscussionResults and Discussion
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11. Chippingcapacity(kgh-1
)
Chippingtime(h)
Motor speed (rpm)
Figure 2: Chipping capacity and chipping time of yam against motor speed
Results and Discussion Cont.Results and Discussion Cont.
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12. Chippingefficiency(%)
Motor speed (rpm)
Figure 3: Chipping efficiency against motor speed
Results and Discussion Cont.Results and Discussion Cont.
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13. Chipgeometry(mm)
Figure 4: Cassava chip geometry against speed
Motor speed (rpm)
Results and Discussion Cont.Results and Discussion Cont.
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14. Chipgeometry(mm)
Motor speed (rpm)
Figure 5: Yam chip geometry against speed
Results and Discussion Cont.Results and Discussion Cont.
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15. ConclusionConclusion
The test results showed that an increase in motor speeds results in a
decrease in chipping time and an increase in chipping capacity.
The results also revealed a parabolic curve which indicates that as the
motor speeds increase, the chipping efficiency increase and later
decrease. Therefore, the choice of motor speed for the machine will be
a compromise between chipping capacity and chipping efficiency.
Motor speed also has significant effect on the length of chips, especially
at high speeds. The best chips geometry was obtained for both tubers at
moderate motor speeds.
The machine has maximum capacities of 153.85 kg h–1
and 148.15 kg h–1
for cassava and yam respectively at a speed of 518 rpm. It also has
maximum chipping efficiencies of 67.5% and 73.3% for cassava and yam
respectively at a speed of 418 rpm. 15
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