Design and fabrication of a modified fish feed pelletizing machine
1 Department of Agricultural and Food Engineering, University of Uyo, Nigeria.
2 Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Uyo, Nigeria.
Research Article
Global Journal of Engineering and Technology Advances, 2021, 07(02), 001-011.
Article DOI: 10.30574/gjeta.2021.7.2.0063
Publication history:
Received on 17 March 2021; revised on 28 April 2021; accepted on 01 May 2021
Abstract:
Fish feed pelletizing machine was designed and fabricated with the aim to improve on existing local pelletizers; encourage local technology and local fish farmers who may be faced with no power supply. It mainly consists of the hopper, pelletizing chamber, frame, bolts and nuts, screw conveyor, cutting mechanism, pelletizing die plate and power transmission unit with dual operation mode. Performance evaluations of the improved pelletizing machine as well as existing machine were carried out and the results showed that both machines were able to produce pellets with 8 mm average diameter and 10 mm average length. The overall mean values of pelleting capacity, specific energy consumption and efficiency of improved and the existing pelletizing machines were 1.20 kg/min, 0.010 kWh/kg and 97.09%; 0.89 kg/min, 0.014 kWh/kg and 75%, respectively. These imply that the improved pelletizing machine could produce a ton of feeds for a 14-hour daily operation and consume approximately 10 kWh of energy as compared to the existing pelletizing machine that would consume 14 kWh. The capacity of the improved pelletizing machine is quite better than the existing pelletizing machine. The improved pelletizing machine efficiency obtained is quite impressive as only about 2.91% of the feed mix might be lost as compared to 25% lost by the existing pelletizing machine. Therefore, the improved fish feed pelletizing machine is recommended for use by small-scale fish feed mill as the existing pelletizers have comparable higher losses couple with lower efficiency.
Keywords:
Design; Fabrication; Fish; Cylindrical Pellets; Pelletizing
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