Performance Evaluation of a Centrifugal Peeling System for Pistachio Nuts

In this paper, performance evaluation of the centrifugal peeling system for pistachio nuts was studied as a function of moisture content (in five levels: 4.10, 10.50, 28.50 and 36.10 % d.b) and peripheral speed of separate rotating circular base plate (in four levels: 35, 40, 45 and 50 m/s) in a factorial design based on completely randomized block. The overall performance was expressed in terms of peeling efficiency and breakage percent. Peeling efficiency and breakage increased with (i) increase in peripheral speed (ii) decrease in the pistachio moisture content. The results of an optimization technique revealed that the best peeling performance could be obtained if the machine is operated at peripheral speed of 50 m/s and moisture content of 4.10 % d.b. Under these conditions, the values of peeling efficiency and breakage percent were 96.5 and 8.7 %, respectively.

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Development and Performance Evaluation of a Spring-Loaded Hand Operated Maize Sheller with Variable Mechanisms

International Journal of Engineering and Technologies ◽

10.18052/www.scipress.com/ijet.15.44 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 15 ◽

pp. 44-52 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

R. Segun Bello ◽

C. Fabian

Keyword(s):

Performance Evaluation ◽

Moisture Content ◽

Production Cost ◽

Output Capacity ◽

Corn Cobs ◽

Machine Performance ◽

Overall Performance ◽

The Mean ◽

And Performance ◽

Mean Kernel

A spring-press, variable mechanism hand operated maize sheller was developed, constructed and tested with corn cobs at 12.6% moisture content, wet basis (w.b) and its shelling performances compared. The machine is lever operated with a spring load-return mechanism and a cob constrictor with changeable shelling mechanisms (spike tooth, rasp bar and star tooth), and a tilted tray for grain collection. The overall dimension of the machine is 520mm x 520mm x 400mm. The machine overall performance is 20.62kg/hr shelling capacity, 85.13% shelling efficiency and 2.13% kernel damage. Comparing the performance of the three shelling mechanisms; rasp bar, spike tooth and star tooth, shelling capacity (16.2, 26.0, 19.67) kg/hr.; shelling efficiency (82.22%, 87.19%, 85.97%); and % kernel damage (0.00, 0.74, 0.51) respectively, the star mechanism has a higher capacity of 26.0kg/hr. The mean kernel damage is higher for star tooth, whereas it is zero for rasp bar. In comparison with conventional hand-palm shelling method (100% shelling efficiency, 13.83kg/hr shelling capacity and 0% kernel damage), the hand operated sheller has a better output capacity, reasonable shelling efficiency but slightly higher kernel damage. By implication, machine performance efficiency does not give a true reflection of how effective a system work until the machine capacity is determined. The sheller ease household shelling maize for consumption with initial low production cost of N13, 100.00 (~$30).

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Performance Evaluation of Vietnamese Apparel Enterprises: An Application of DEA Approach

WSEAS TRANSACTIONS ON BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS ◽

10.37394/23207.2021.18.1 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 ◽

pp. 1-9

Author(s):

Tran Van Trang ◽

Quang Hung Do ◽

Minh Huan Luong

Keyword(s):

Performance Evaluation ◽

Cost Management ◽

Apparel Industry ◽

Labor Cost ◽

Efficiency Analysis ◽

Main Role ◽

Dea Efficiency ◽

Overall Performance ◽

Dea Approach ◽

National Industry

A continued robust growth of Vietnamese apparel enterprises has showed that they do notplay the auxiliary but the main role in the national industry. However, in general, the apparel industryin Vietnam has not met the practical requirements. In order to provide overall performance evaluationand how to achieve efficiency systematically, this study utilizes DEA approach to determine theperformance levels of 15 Vietnamese apparel industry enterprises and assess their efficiency.Specifically, we have applied output oriented model, which aims to maximize outputs while the inputsproportions remain unchanged to realize DEA efficiency analysis. CCR-based and BCC-based modelsare utilized to get overall technical and pure technical efficiencies. The findings show that havingbusiness transactions with foreign partners, good labor cost management and effective inventorymanagement are the most prominent factors in distinguishing between efficient and inefficiententerprises in Vietnam's apparel industry. The study may be a useful tool for managers to improvetheir performances and effectively allocate resources.

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Factorial design study of total petroleum contaminated soil treatment using land farming technique

Sustainable Environment Research ◽

10.1186/s42834-021-00079-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 31 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Ehizonomhen S. Okonofua ◽

Kayode H. Lasisi ◽

Eguakhide Atikpo

Keyword(s):

Moisture Content ◽

Factorial Design ◽

Contaminated Soil ◽

Soil Samples ◽

Optimization Techniques ◽

Cow Dung ◽

Optimum Point ◽

Input Parameters ◽

Substrate Moisture ◽

Land Farming

AbstractLand farming technique was used to treat hydrocarbon contaminated soil collected from a crude oil spill sites in Edo State, Nigeria. Calibrated standard auger was used to collect soil samples from the site at depth below 30 cm. The samples were characterized and classified. Cow dung and NPK fertilizer were added as additives to complement the nutriments of the soil samples before total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) quantification and remediation procedures. Factorial design was applied to vary the input parameters such as pH, mass of substrate, moisture content and turning times of land farming so to ascertain the optimal conditions for the procedure. The result revealed that the in-situ TPH value was 5000 mg kg− 1 on the average and after 90 d of treatment, TPH reduced to 646 mg kg− 1. The turning rate, pH, moisture content and mass of substrate hade 83, 4.36, 0.48 and 0.046% contribution, respectively, for the degradation process using land farming treatment. Numerical optimization techniques applied in the optimum point for land farming input parameters to achieve predicted maximum removal of 99% were evaluated as pH, mass of substrate, moisture content and turning rate to be 6.01, 1 kg, 10% and 5 times in a week, respectively. TPH removed at this optimum point was 98% reducing from 5000 to 636 mg kg− 1. The high coefficient of determination (r2 = 0.9865) as observed in the closeness of predicted and experimental values reflects the reliability of the model and hence, land farming practice with close attention on turning rate as revealed by this study, is recommended for TPH contaminated soil remediation.

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