Quantitative Losses of Multi Crop Thresher for Millet as Affected by Different Operating Speeds and Feeding Rates

Abstract

An experiment carried out in private farm during the harvesting season 2021/2022. The objective of the study was to investigate the effect of different speeds (650 rpm, 550 rpm and 300 rpm) and feeding quantities (13 kg, 11 kg and 6.5 kg) on the different losses of multi crop thresher for millet. Evaluated performance parameters were cleaning efficiency, threshing efficiency, cracked grains losses, unthreshed grains losses and blown grains losses. The results indicated that speed of 650 rpm and feeding quantity of 11 kg resulted in a significant increase in cleaning efficiency (99.94% and 98.43%, respectively) and percentage of cracked grains losses (6.29% and 3.65%, respectively). While the speed of 300 rpm and quantity of 6.5 kg showed increase in the percentage of unthreshed grains losses (0.09% and 0.06%, respectively) and the percentage of blown grains losses (0.023% for both). Threshing efficiency was not significantly affected by different speeds and feeding quantities. It can be concluded from the obtained results, optimum combination of different speeds and feeding quantities for attaining better thresher performance in terms of increasing efficiencies and minimizing grains losses is the speed of 550 rpm and feeding rate of 11kg.