Desenvolvimento e avaliação de uma máquina descascadora de amendoim.

Abstract

Aiming to offer technological alternatives to magnify the work capacity and to reduce costs of production of the small and medium peanut agriculturist of the Northeast region, in particular, of the agriculturist in the Semi-Arid region of the Paraíba State, a peeling machine of peanut has been developed, starting up from the principles of functioning of a machine for manual drive developed by Embrapa (a national company for agriculture research) in Campina Grande, PB. The idealized archetype has a mechanical drive and is composed basically, of the following components: Chassis made of angle-irons, for sustentation of the others mechanisms; electric engine (3 cv) for peanut peeling and for the cleaning devices of the machine; a peeling system composed of a feeding tank, a feeding cylinder, a peeling semi-cylinder endowed with galvanized cramps and a semi-cylindrical concave screen; system of cleanness with fan and locks for air regulation, conduits for air stream and for rind transportation, grain carrier (composed of a downhill gutter); transmission system composed of pulleys of different sizes, trapezoidal belts and a rod for driving the peeling semi-cylinder. In evaluation tests, using samples of peanut with 9.67% of humidity d.b., considering 11, 16 and 21 mm of aperture of the concave screen, in relation to the peeling semi-cylinder and with a set of rotations of 60, 80 and 100 rpm, the equipment presented an operational average capacity of 257 to 384 kg/h of effective work, peeling efficiency of 97% and break of seeds below 1%.