Effects of the major machine and operational parameters on the performance of a maize dehusker - sheller

Abstract

A lot of drudgery is involved in the manual dehusking and shelling of maize. Therefore, a medium-scale maize dehusker-sheller was developed. The three major machine and operational parameters for the mechanised dehusking and shelling of maize are the clearance between the cylinder spikes (pegs) and the concave, speed of the cylinder and the rate of feeding maize cobs into the machine. The machine was tested based on the effects of the three parameters on the machine to ensure an efficient performance. The effects of the three parameters on the performance of the machine were investigated. The optimum values of the parameters were determined. 

Keywords: Maize Dehusker-Sheller, Operational Parameters.