Development of Cassava Digger and Conveyor Units
Danuwat Thangdee *
Department of Agricultural Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand.
Seree Wongpichet
Department of Agricultural Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Aims: To design and develop the cassava digging and preparing unit and the conveying unit for the Cassava Harvester Machine.
Study Design: Efficiency data.
Place and Duration of Study: Department of Agricultural Engineering, Faculty of Engineering Khon Kaen University, between September 2011 and February 2012.
Methodology: The Cassava Digging and Preparing Unit, and the Cassava Conveyor Unit were constructed. The Cassava Digging and Preparing Unit were functional tested on three digging angles of 20, 25 and 30 degrees on the three randomized soil moisture. The Cassava Conveying Unit was functional tested on six scooping speeds of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5 and 3.0 m/s. After adapted the two units to the results from above. The field performance test of the prototype machine was evaluated.
Results: The Digging and Preparing Unit found to be working on the angle of 20 degrees. The Conveyor Unit found to be scooping with less than 1.5 m/s of speed. The field performance test were showed that: filed capacity, field efficiency, and conveying losses were, 0.05 ha/hr., 59.10%, and 3.23% respectively without any losses caused by digging and preparing process.
Conclusion: From the functional test of Cassava Digging and Preparing Unit and Conveyor Unit that were designed and developed in this research, it has been found to have the ability to solve the problem in collecting and conveying cassavas from the ground. This data will pave the way for a prototype of Cassava Harvesting Machine to be fabricated.
Keywords: Digger, conveyor units, cassava harvesting machine, cassava.