DESIGN AND FABRICATION OF A PALM KERNEL CRACKING MACHINE

BY

DIKEOCHA NKIRUKA OLIVE

2006124481EM

;.

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY

FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, MINNA, NIGERIA

NOVEMBER 2010

DESIGN AND FABRICATION OF A PALM KERNEL­CRACKING MACHINE

BY

DIKEOCHA NKIRUKA OLIVE

2006/24481EM

" .

A PROJECT REPORT SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF

BACHELOR OF ENGINEERING (B.Eng) DEGREE IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING,

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, MINNA, NIGERIA

NOVEMBER 2010

'"

DECLARATION

I hereby declare (or affIrm) that this research work, titled "Design and Fabrication of a

Palm Kernel Cracking Machine" has not been presented wholly or in part for the award

of any degree elsewhere. Information derived from personal communication, published

and unpublished works of other persons have been duly acknowledged in this thesis .

Dikeocka Nkiruka Olive ~ .... ~ ...... . 2006/24481 EM Signature Date

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CERTIFICATION

This research project title ,"Design and Fabrication of a Palm Kernel Cracking Machine",

carried out by "Dikeocha Nkiruka Olive" has been read and approved having met the

requirement for the award of Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng) Degree in Mechanical

Engineering, of the Federal University of Technology, Minna.

0 1-.. ............ ~ l'l-

Project Supervisor Signature and D"Jr

Head of department Signature and Date

External Examiner Signature and Date

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DEDICATION

This project is dedicated to God Almighty, the creator and giver of wisdom and

knowledge who has been extremely wonderful and good to me and has taken me thus far

in life. I am also dedicating this project to my uncle Mr. Ogbenna Ndubueze who helped

me through my project, financially and otherwise, may Almighty God meet his every

needs.

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I·

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ..

My profound gratitude goes to the Almighty God, the creator of the universe, for his love,

provision and protection through the period of my study.

I am greatly indebted to my beloved supervisor, Engr. Onuoha, for his endless support and

assistance during the course of this work.

My sincere appreciation goes to the Dean of Engineering, Professor Abolarin, Head of

Department, Professor R. Khan, my Level Adviser, Dr. Ogwuoke Ikechukwu Celestine, and all

the lecturers and staffs of Mechanical Engineering Department for the effective training given

to me right from the start of my study.

Special thanks goes to my one in a zillion, loving parents, Mr and Mrs Joseph Dikeocha,

and my beloved younger,sister, Dikeocha Esther and loving elder brothers, Augustus and '.

Richard Dikeocha for their countless support in every areas of my life. They are the best ever.

Lastly, I cannot but acknowledge my course mates, friends and those that have made great

impacts in my life, and have been there through thick and thin, Sofuwa Olasunkanmi, Adeyole

Mobolaji, Miss Lami Ahmed, Mr Yakubu Ahmed, Ibrahim Idowu, Sokodam Pankshin,Oladeji

Ajuwon, Ubi Pascal and others too numerous too much but never forgotten . May God bless them

abundantly.

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ABSTRACT

This work entails the construction of a better model of palm kernel cracking machine. Studying

the existing crackers and their limitations as stated in the literature review it was observed that

the existing crackers have so many setbacks, some of the crackers cannot crack all the varieties

of palm kernel nut at the same time (the crackers are selective), this could be due to their various

shapes and sizes but this new machine can effectively crack varieties of kernel nut no matter the

sizes or shapes. The palm kernel cracking machine is power driven and it is constructed so as to

increase efficiency of cracking the nuts, reduce accidents during operation and minimize the

expending of time during the process. From the design, it was concluded that this project would

considerably improve the productivity of palm kernel nut cracking not only in Nigeria but also in

other countries where palm kernel nuts are being produced. It has an efficiency of 75.5 % .

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

COVER PAGE

TITLE PAGE

DECLARATION

CERTIFICATION

DEDICATION

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

ABSTRACT

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF TABLES

LIST OF FIGURES

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF STUDY

1.2 ORIGIN OF THE OIL PALM

1.3 PROCESSING OF PALM KERNEL

1.3.1 Traditional Method of Palm Kernel Extraction

1..3.2 Harvesting Technique and Handling Effects

1.3.3 Bunch Reception

1.3.4 Threshing (Removal of Fruit from the Bunches)

1.3.5 Sterilization of Bunches

1.3.6 Digestion of the Fruit

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11

III

IV

v

VI

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XlI

Xlll

9 '

11

11

12

13

1.3.7 Pressing (Extracting the Palm Oil) 14

1.3.7.1 Batch Presses 14

l.3.7.2 Continuous System 15

l.3 .8 Nut/Fibre Recovery 16

l.3.9 Nut Drying 16

1.4 NUT CRACKING 16

1.4.1 Kernel Separation 16

1.4.2 Kernel Storage 17

1.5 USES OF PALM KERNELS 17

l.6 RESEARCH PROBLEM 19

1.7 JUSTIFICATION OF THE STUDY 19

1.8 SIGNIFICANT OF THE STUDY 20

1.9 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY 20

1.10 SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY 20

CHAPTER TWO

2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 TRADITIONAL METHODS 21

2.l.1 Stone Arrangement Method 21'

2.1.2 Mortar and Pestle Method 22

2.2 MODERN METHODS 22

2.2.1 Manual Nut Cracking Machine 23

2.2.2 Hammer Mill Method 24

2.2.3 Air Operated Nut Cracker 24

2.2.4 The Rotary Decorticator 24

2.2.5 Semi- Rotary Decorticator 25

2.2.6 Roller Cracker 25

CHAPTER THREE

3.0 MATERIALS AND METHOD 27

3.1 DESCRIPTION OF THE MACHINE 27 ,

3.1.1 The Hopper 27

3.1.2 Cracking Chamber 27

3.1.3 Shaft 27

3.1.4 Bearing 28

3.1.5 Bearing Housing 28

3.1.6 Pulley 28

3.1.7 The Belt 28

3.1.8 The Cracking Mechanism 28

3.2 DESIGN CONSIDERATION 28

3.3 DESIGN ANALYSIS 29

3.3.1 Power Transmission and Shaft Design Analysis 31

3.3.2 Selection of Belt ~nsion 33'

3.3.3 Bearing Selection Analysis 37

3.3.4 Shaft Design Analysis 38

3.3.5 Key Design Analysis 40

3.3.5.1 Design of a Rectangular Key 41

3.4 DESIGN CALCULATIONS 42

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3.4.1 Determination of the Velocity at which The Nut Enters The Cracking Mechanism 42

3.4.2 Determination of the Velocity of the Palm Kernel Nut 42

3.4.3 Determination of the Cracking Force, F 42

3.4.4 Determination of Speed of Shaft 42

3.4.5 Determination of the Power Transmitted by the Shaft to the Cracking Mechanism 43

3.4.6 Determination of Power Loss due to Friction 43

3.4.7 Determination of the Efficiency of Drive 44

3.4.8 Determination of the Torque Transmitted by the Drive 44

3.4.9 Determination of Centrifugal Velocity due to Belt 45

3.4.10 Determination of Centrifugal Force due to Belt 45

3.4 .11 Determination of Centre Distance Between Pulleys 46

3.4.12 Determination of the Effect of Belt Tensions 47

3.4.13 Determination of Shaft Reactions 47

3.4.14 Determination of Shaft Shearing Forces 48

3.4.15 Determination of Shaft Bending Moment 49

3.4.16 Determination of the Torsional Shear Stress of Key 52

3.4.17 Determination of the Angle of Twist of Shaft 53

3.4.18 Determination of the Number of Belts • 53

3.4.19 Determination of the Dynamic Load Rating for the Bearing 54

3.5 MATERIAL SELECTION 54

3.6 COST ANALYSIS 55

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CHAPTER FOUR

4.0 FABRICATION AND TESTING

4.1 FABRICATION

4.1.1 Marking Out

4.1.2 Cutting

4.1.3 Welding

4.1.4 Grinding

4.1.5 Surface Finishing

4.1.6 Painting

4.2 MOISTURE CONTENT DETERMINATION

4.3 TESTING

4.4 DISCUSSION OF RESULTS

CHAPTER FIVE

5.0 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 CONCLUSION

5.2 RECOMMENDATIONS

REFERENCES

APPENDICES

APPENDIX I:

APPENDIX II:

Truncated Square Base Pyramid of Hopper

Table 1: Dimensions for the Standard V -Grooved Pulley

57

57

57

58

58

58

, 58

58

59

61

62

62

64

65 •

65

66

Table 2: Life of Bearings for Various Types of Machines 66

Table 4: Recommended values for Kb and Kt 67

Table 5: Keys Dimensions Based on the Required Diameter

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LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1.1: Structure of a fresh palm fruit

Figure 1.2: Fresh palm kernel fruit (bunch) 2

Figure 1.3: Section of a fresh palm kernel fruit 3

Figure 1.4: Whole palm kernel expeller (CAMEMEC, Benin) ' 7

Figure 1.5: Palm kernel expeller (O.P.C., Cameroon) 7

Figure 1.6: Palm oil processing unit operations 9

Figure 3.1: Schematic diagram of palm kernel cracking machine 31

• Figure 3.2: Belt cross-section 35

Figure 3.3: Belt Diagram 35

Figure 3.4: Loading of Shaft 47

Figure 3.5: Loading of Shaft 48

Figure 3.6: Shear Force and Bending Moment Diagrams 51

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LIST OF TABLES

Table 3.1: Material, Quantity and Total Cost 55

Table 4.1: Results from the Test Carried Out 59

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