Conducted by BatStateU
, Started on 2017 -
Completed on 2017
Completed
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Separation is one of the basic processes common in the food and beverage industry. In the Philippines, one of the known food industries using the separation process is the cacao industry that utilizes bean cracking and winnowing. Although advances in the food industry and processing are evident in the country, most of the local cacao manufacturers are still using the traditional way of cracking and winnowing. In this regard, the proponents came up to design and develop a roasted cacao bean cracker with winnower. The study consisted of the equipment components, material specifications and energy consumption. Furthermore, the operating time, shelling rate, and proper operation were also considered. The major parts of the prototype were the hopper, cracker assembly, blower assembly, and electric motor. The machine dimensions were 50”x55”x115”. The motor delivers 1.1 kilowatts of power to drive the roller cracker and blower impeller at the same time at speeds of 279.72 and 1653 rpm respectively. The tangential force exerted by the cracker with respect to the cacao beans is 0.49 kilonewtons. In terms of operating time and shelling rate, using three trials of minimum, average, and maximum load respectively, the results were 1.08, 2.07, and 3.57 minute and 1861.62, 1982.01, and 2380.63 grams per minute. The analysis of the manual and automated cracking and winnowing of roasted cacao beans was determined using two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). In terms of operating time and shelling rate, the machine had a significant difference in the performance of the manual and automated operation as revealed by the computed f-value of 79.48 and p-value of 1.20E-07 and; computed f-value of 105.82 and p-value of 2.39E-08 respectively. Thus, the roasted cacao bean cracker with winnower was more efficient compared to the manual cracking and winnowing process.