Design and Manufacture of a Groundnut Sheller
Jean-Louis Comlan Fannou
Laboratory of Applied Energy and Mechanics (LEMA), Polytechnic School of Abomey-Calavi, 01 BP 2009 Cotonou, Benin and National Higher School of Energy and Processes Engineering (ENSGEP)/UNSTIM BP 2282 GOHO Abomey, Benin.
Guy Clarence Semassou *
Laboratory of Applied Energy and Mechanics (LEMA), Polytechnic School of Abomey-Calavi, 01 BP 2009 Cotonou, Benin.
Kouamy Victorin Chegnimonhan
Thermics and Energy Laboratory of Nantes, (LTEN) - CNRS, UMR 6607, BP 50609, 44306 Nantes, France.
Gbodja Sonoudouto
Laboratory of Applied Energy and Mechanics (LEMA), Polytechnic School of Abomey-Calavi, 01 BP 2009 Cotonou, Benin.
Gérard Degan
Laboratory of Applied Energy and Mechanics (LEMA), Polytechnic School of Abomey-Calavi, 01 BP 2009 Cotonou, Benin and National Higher School of Energy and Processes Engineering (ENSGEP)/UNSTIM BP 2282 GOHO Abomey, Benin.
Emile Adjibadé Sanya
Laboratory of Applied Energy and Mechanics (LEMA), Polytechnic School of Abomey-Calavi, 01 BP 2009 Cotonou, Benin and National Higher School of Energy and Processes Engineering (ENSGEP)/UNSTIM BP 2282 GOHO Abomey, Benin.
André Fanou
Laboratory of Applied Energy and Mechanics (LEMA), Polytechnic School of Abomey-Calavi, 01 BP 2009 Cotonou, Benin.
Germain Houndekpondji
Laboratory of Applied Energy and Mechanics (LEMA), Polytechnic School of Abomey-Calavi, 01 BP 2009 Cotonou, Benin.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Groundnut shelling is one of the important operations in the peanut harvesting process. Indeed, one of the major constraints in the groundnut production process in developing countries is the tedious task of shelling. It is with the aim of removing this constraint that a prototype groundnut sheller was produced including the dimensioning and design of all the constituent parts. The main components of the stripper are: The frame, the threshing machine, the concave, the fan and the motor. The nominal production capacity of the machine is 378 tons per year and per season with an electric power of 1.6 HP. The cost of the machine is US$ 475, affordable for small local producers. Finally, an economic profitability study of the machine was carried out and presented. It reveals a minimum production of 2.2 tons per year and per season to pay back the initial investment cost of the acquisition.
Keywords: Groundnut, shelling, husker, economic return.