Optimisation of Feed Trough Angle and Separating Trough Angle for best grading efficiency of Zero energy Multi Fruit Grader

Abstract

The Guava grader was converted into multiple fruit grader and tested on five levels of inclination angle of feed trough (18.06, 19.42, 20.82, 22.17 and 23.50degree ) and separating trough (11.83, 12.65, 13.45, 14.27 and 15.08degree ). Variation of grading efficiency with different separating trough angle at fixed feed trough angles was studied. Over all grading efficiency was 93 % for mosambi, 95.70 % for guava and 90 % for orange. Optimum feed trough angle was found as 20.82 degree and separating trough angle as 14.27degree for guava and mosambi. For orange, the optimum feed trough and separating trough angles were found as 19.45 and 13.40, respectively, at which the efficiency was found as 90 %. The fruit grader was modified as an adjustable fruit grader that can be adjusted to grade as low as 50 (mm.) to 80 (mm.) diameter fruits and as high as 100 (mm.) to 150 (mm.) diameter fruits. The capacity of modified multi-fruit grader was found as 1200 kg/hr for guava and mosambi and 1125 kg/hr for orange at optimum efficiency.