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FABRICATION OF PNEUMATIC COCONUT HUSK REMOVER

WITH SHELL CUTTER
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 CHAPTER 1
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ABSTRACT
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CHAPTER-1
 ABSTRACT

Our project deals with the fabrication of the coconut husk remover using the

pneumatic system. The pneumatic system has gained a large amount of importance

in last few decades. This importance is due to its accuracy and cost. This

convenience in operating the pneumatic system has made us to design and

fabricate this unit as our project. This unit, as we hope that it can be operated easily

with semi skilled operators.

The manual coconut husk removing is a difficult process and also time

consuming. Doing it manually also involves the risk of the operator getting injured.

Hence this project is very useful in removing the coconut husks which is semi

automated. This semi automated process involves both automated and manual

work for the coconut husk removing operation. The automated pat involves the

initiation of the cracks in the husk with the pneumatic system and the manual work

involves the feeding the coconut into the machine. The operation of this machine is

very simple such that placing the coconut and the operating the hand lever valve

results in the husk removing process.

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 CHAPTER 2
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INTRODUCTION
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 CHAPTER-2

INTRODUCTION

Coconut, the fruit of the coconut palm tree which has the scientific name as

Cocos nucifera, belongs to the family arecaceae. The coconut is smooth on the

outside, yellowish or greenish in color. Within the outer shell is a fibrous husk one

to two inches (2.5 to 5cm) thick. The inner shell is brown and hard, surrounding

the white coconut meat. Coconut husks are the rough exterior shells of the coconut.

This outer shell or husk has to be removed for the usage of coconut. The coconut is

known for its great versatility as seen in many domestic, commercial, and

industrial uses of its different part. They are part of the daily diet for many people.

Coconuts are different from any other fruits because they contain large quantity of

water and when immature they are known as tender-nuts or jelly-nuts and may be

harvested for drinking. When they mature they still contain some water and can be

used as seed nuts or processed to give oil from the kernel, charcoal from hard shell

and coir from fibrous husk.

The current traditional methods employed for dehusking the coconut leaves

much to be desired. One of the traditional methods of dehusking coconut is using a

machete. This is done by using human energy. This method is risky and tedious

and yet requires skills. The use of the machete poses a great danger to the worker.

Hence an alternative is suggested in out project which reduces the dehusking time
and the human effort. Also the risks involved in manual dehusking process are

reduced greatly.
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CHAPTER 3
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PNEUMATIC SYSTEMS
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 CHAPTER-3

PNEUMATIC SYSTEMS

The word ‘pneuma’ comes from Greek and means breather wind. The word

pneumatics is the study of air movement and its phenomena is derived from the

word pneuma. Today pneumatics is mainly understood to means the application of

air as a working medium in industry especially the driving and controlling of

machines and equipment.

Pneumatics has for some considerable time between used for carrying out

the simplest mechanical tasks in more recent times has played a more important

role in the development of pneumatic technology for automation.

Pneumatic systems operate on a supply of compressed air which must be

made available in sufficient quantity and at a pressure to suit the capacity of the

system. When the pneumatic system is being adopted for the first time, however it

wills indeed the necessary to deal with the question of compressed air supply.

The key part of any facility for supply of compressed air is by means using

reciprocating compressor. A compressor is a machine that takes in air, gas at a

certain pressure and delivered the air at a high pressure.

 Compressor capacity is the actual quantity of air compressed and delivered

and the volume expressed is that of the air at intake conditions namely at

atmosphere pressure and normal ambient temperature.

The compressibility of the air was first investigated by Robert Boyle in 1962

and that found that the product of pressure and volume of a particular quantity of

gas.

PV = C (or) PıVı = P2V2

In this equation the pressure is the absolute pressured which for free is about

14.7 Psi and is of courage capable of maintaining a column of mercury, nearly 30

inches high in an ordinary barometer. Any gas can be used in pneumatic system

but air is the mostly used system now a days.

SELECTION OF PNEUMATICS

Mechanization is broadly defined as the replacement of manual effort by

mechanical power. Pneumatics is an attractive medium for low cost mechanization

particularly for sequential or repetitive operations. Many factories and plants

already have a compressed air system, which is capable of providing both the

power or energy requirements and the control system (although equally pneumatic
control systems may be economic and can be advantageously applied to other

forms of power).

The main advantages of an all-pneumatic system are usually economy and

simplicity, the latter reducing maintenance to a low level. It can also have

outstanding advantages in terms of safety.

PRODUCTION OF COMPRESSED AIR

Pneumatic systems operate on a supply of compressed air, which must be

made available, in sufficient quantity and at a pressure to suit the capacity of the

system. When pneumatic system is being adopted for the first time, however it

wills indeed the necessary to deal with the question of compressed air supply.

The key part of any facility for supply of compressed air is by means using

reciprocating compressor. A compressor is a machine that takes in air, gas at a

certain pressure and delivered the air at a high pressure.

Compressor capacity is the actual quantity of air compressed and delivered

and the volume expressed is that of the air at intake conditions namely at

atmosphere pressure and normal ambient temperature.

Clean condition of the suction air is one of the factors, which decides the life

of a compressor. Warm and moist suction air will result in increased precipitation
of condense from the compressed air. Compressor may be classified in two general

types.

1. Positive displacement compressor.

2. Turbo compressor

Positive displacement compressors are most frequently employed for

compressed air plant and have proved highly successful and supply air for

pneumatic control application.

The types of positive compressor

1. Reciprocating type compressor

2. Rotary type compressor

Turbo compressors are employed where large capacity of air required at low

discharge pressures. They cannot attain pressure necessary for pneumatic control

application unless built in multistage designs and are seldom encountered in

pneumatic service.

RECIPROCATING COMPRESSORS

Built for either stationary (or) portable service the reciprocating compressor

is by far the most common type. Reciprocating compressors lap be had is sizes
from the smallest capacities to deliver more than 500 m³/min. In single stage

compressor, the air pressure may be of 6 bar machines discharge of pressure is up

to 15 bars. Discharge pressure in the range of 250 bars can be obtained with high

pressure reciprocating compressors that of three & four stages.

Single stage and 1200 stage models are particularly suitable for pneumatic

applications , with preference going to the two stage design as soon as the

discharge pressure exceeds 6 bar , because it in capable of matching the

performance of single stage machine at lower costs per driving powers in the

range.

ULTIMATE AIM

The pneumatic Paper cup making Machine can be widely used in low cost in

manufacturing industries. The manpower requirement is reduced also reducing the

machining time.
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CHAPTER 4
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COMPONENTS AND DESCRIPTION
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 CHAPTER-4

COMPONENTS AND DESCRIPTION

The major components that are involved in the fabrication of the pneumatic

coconut husk remover are as follows.

 Pneumatic cylinder,

 Flow control valve,

 Hand lever valve,

 Tool,

 Vice.

PNEUMATIC CYLINDER

Mechanization is broadly defined as the replacement of manual effort by

mechanical power. Pneumatics is an attractive medium for low cost mechanization

particularly for sequential or repetitive operations. Many factories and plants

already have a compressed air system, which is capable of providing both the

power or energy requirements and the control system (although equally pneumatic

control systems may be economic and can be advantageously applied to other

forms of power).
 The main advantages of an all-pneumatic system are usually economy and

simplicity, the latter reducing maintenance to a low level. It can also have

outstanding advantages in terms of safety.

DOUBLE ACTING PNEUMATIC CYLINDER

The cylinder is a double acting cylinder one, which means that the air

pressure operates alternatively (forward and backward). The air from the

compressor is passed through the regulator which controls the pressure to required

amount by adjusting its knob. A pressure gauge is attached to the regulator for

showing the line pressure.

Then the compressed air is passed through the directional control valve for

supplying the air alternatively to either sides of the cylinder. Two hoses take the

output of the directional control valve and they are attached to two ends of the
cylinder by means of connectors. One of the outputs from the directional control

valve is taken to the flow control valve from taken to the cylinder.

An air cylinder is an operative device in which the state input energy of

compressed air i.e. pneumatic power is converted in to mechanical output power,

by reducing the pressure of the air to that of the atmosphere.

A double acting cylinder is employed in control systems with the full

pneumatic cushioning and it is essential when the cylinder itself is required to

retard heavy messes. This can only be done at the end positions of the piston stock.

In all intermediate position a separate externally mounted cushioning derive most

be provided with the damping feature.

The normal escape of air is out off by a cushioning piston before the end of

the stock is required. As a result the sit in the cushioning chamber is again

compressed since it cannot escape but slowly according to the setting made on

reverses. The air freely enters the cylinder and the piston stokes in the other

direction at full force and velocity.

SINGLE ACTING PNEUMATIC CYLINDER

A single-acting cylinder in a reciprocating engine is a cylinder in which

the working fluid acts on one side of the piston only. A single-acting cylinder relies

on the load, springs, other cylinders, or the momentum of a flywheel, to push the

piston back in the other direction. Single-acting cylinders are found in most kinds

of reciprocating engine. They are almost universal in internal combustion

engines (e.g. petrol and diesel engines) and are also used in many external

combustion engines such as Stirling engines and some steam engines. They are

also found in pumps and hydraulic rams.

FLOW CONTROL VALVE

A flow control valve regulates the flow or pressure of a fluid. Control valves

normally respond to signals generated by independent devices such as flow

meters or temperature gauges. Control valves are normally fitted

with actuators and positioners. Pneumatically-actuated globe

valves and Diaphragm Valves are widely used for control purposes in many

industries, although quarter-turn types such as (modified) ball, gate and butterfly

valves are also used.

Control valves can also work with hydraulic actuators (also known as

hydraulic pilots). These types of valves are also known as Automatic Control

Valves. The hydraulic actuators will respond to changes of pressure or flow and

will open/close the valve. Automatic Control Valves do not require an external

power source, meaning that the fluid pressure is enough to open and close the
valve. Automatic control valves include: pressure reducing valves, flow control

valves, back-pressure sustaining valves, altitude valves, and relief valves. An

altitude valve controls the level of a tank. The altitude valve will remain open

while the tank is not full and it will close when the tanks reaches its maximum

level. The opening and closing of the valve requires no external power source

(electric, pneumatic, or man power), it is done automatically, hence its name.

Process plants consist of hundreds, or even thousands, of control loops all

networked together to produce a product to be offered for sale. Each of these

control loops is designed to keep some important process variable such as pressure,

flow, level, temperature, etc. within a required operating range to ensure the

quality of the end product. Each of these loops receives and internally creates

disturbances that detrimentally affect the process variable, and interaction from

other loops in the network provides disturbances that influence the process

variable.
HAND LEVER VALVE

Hand lever valves are one of the most fundamental parts in pneumatic

machinery as well as hydraulic machinery. They allow the fluid flow into different

paths from one or more sources. They usually consist of a spool inside a cylinder

which is mechanically or electrically controlled. The movement of the spool

restricts or permits the flow, thus controlling the fluid flow.

The spool (sliding type) consists of lands and grooves. The lands block oil

flow through the valve body. The grooves allow oil or gas to flow around the spool

and through the valve body. There are two fundamental positions of directional

control valve namely normal position where valve returns on removal of actuating

force and other is working position which is position of a valve when actuating
force is applied. There is another class of valves with 3 or more position that can

be spring centered with 2 working position and a normal position.

TOOL

A tool is a hard metal rod with a shaped tip at one end and a blunt butt end at

the other, which is usually struck by a hammer. Most woodworkers prefer to use

a ball-peen hammer for using punches. Punches are used to drive objects, such

as nails, or to form an impression of the tip on a workpiece. Decorative punches

may also be used to create a pattern or even form an image. We use a tool with a

sharp edge on one end and the blunt end on the other end which is usually

connected to the pneumatic cylinder. The tool is operated with the help of the

compressed air. When the pneumatic cylinder is actuated, the tool with a great

force strikes the coconut thus creating a crack. Thus repeating the same process at

various locations results in the coconut dehusking.

VICE

A vice is a mechanical apparatus used to secure an object to allow work to

be performed on it. Vises have two parallel jaws, one fixed and the other movable,

threaded in and out by a screw and lever. Machine vices are mounted on drill

presses, grinding machines and milling machines. Abrasive chop saws have a

special type of machine vise built in to the saw. Some hobbyists use a machine vise

as a bench vise because of the low cost and small size.

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CHAPTER 5
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WORKING PRINCIPLE
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 CHAPTER-5

WORKING PRINCIPLE
The principle of working of the pneumatic coconut husk remover is same as

that of the pneumatic punching machine. This machine consists of a pneumatic

double acting cylinder, a hand lever valve, a flow control valve, a vice and the tool.

The compressed air with high pressure is let inside the pneumatic cylinder with the

help of a flow control valve and a hand lever valve. The coconut that is to be

dehusked is placed in the machine vice and is fixed firmly. Then the compressed

air is let in with the help of a hand lever valve. The compressed air pushes the

piston of the cylinder forward thereby striking the coconut with a great force. This

impact creates a crack in the coconut. The coconut is then loosened and then fixed

such the tool faces the nearest point of the crack of the coconut. Then the process is

repeated. Doing the above process two or three times, the husk is loosened a lot

which can be simple taken by hand. Thus the dehusking process is carried out

using the pneumatic systems.

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CHAPTER 6
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2D DRAWING
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CHAPTER-6

2D DRAWING
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CHAPTER 7
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ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
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 CHAPTER-7

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES

ADVANTAGES

 Cheaper and easily available materials are used.

 The pneumatic arm is more efficient in the technical field.

 Quick response is achieved.

 Simple in construction.

 Cost of the unit is less.

 It reduces the manual work.

 Occupies less floor space.

 Less skilled operator is sufficient.

DISADVANTAGES

 Maintenance will be more due to the number of moving parts.

 This is a semi automated process.

 the process must be repeated in two or three times in order to dehusk the

coconut.
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CHAPTER 8
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APPLICATIONS
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 CHAPTER-8

APPLICATIONS
These types of pneumatic coconut husk remover with shell cutter can be

extensively used in the fields like,

 For industrial canteens,

 For agricultural purposes.

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CHAPTER 9
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CONCLUSION
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 CHAPTER-9

CONCLUSION

This project work has provided us an excellent opportunity and experience,

to use our limited knowledge. We gained a lot of practical knowledge regarding,

planning, purchasing, assembling and machining while doing this project work.

We feel that the project work is a good solution to bridge the gates between the

institution and the industries.

We are proud that we have completed the work with the limited time

successfully. The “FABRICATION OF PNEUMATIC COCONUT HUSK

REMOVER WITH SHELL CUTTER” system is working with satisfactory

conditions. We can able to understand the difficulties in maintaining the tolerances

and also the quality. We have done to our ability and skill making maximum use of

available facilities.

Thus we have developed a “PNEUMATIC COCONUT HUSK

REMOVER WITH SHELL CUTTER” which helps to dehusk the coconuts in a

short period of time with the help of the pneumatic systems. By using more

techniques, they can be modified and developed according to the applications.