Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Department of Agricultural Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.
2
Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, College of Agriculture and Food, Qassim University, P.O.Box 6622, Buraydah, Department of Agricultural Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.
3
Department of Water Relations and Field Irrigation, Agricultural and Biological Research Institute, National Research Centre, Egypt.
4
Department of Water Relations and Field Irrigation, Agricultural and Biological Research Institute, National Research Centre, Egypt
Abstract
This research focuses on the design, construction, and assessment of a garlic trimming machine aimed at reducing manual labor and enhancing processing efficiency for small and medium-scale garlic producers. The primary objective was to develop a machine capable of effectively cutting the roots and stems of garlic bulbs while minimizing physical damage and operational costs. Key shearing and frictional characteristics of garlic stems were determined and integrated into the machine's design.
The evaluation was conducted under varying operational conditions, specifically at three different knife speeds (8.5, 12.1, and 20.5 m•s-1) with three different moisture content levels (47.4, 61.5 and 70.3% wet basis). Performance metrics assessed included machine productivity, damage of garlic bulb, energy consumption, and operating cost. Results indicated that operating the trimming machine at 20.5 m•s-1 knife speeds with 61.5% moisture content maximized processing productivity while minimizing bulb damage. The machine demonstrated a processing productivity increase of approximately 1.5 times compared to manual methods and achieved a cost reduction of about 29.2%.
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