DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF A COWPEATHRESHER

BY

EGBE, OLUWASEUN BOLUWATIFE

FPA/AB/21/3-0050

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL AND

BIO-ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
THE FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC, ADO EKITI
EKITI STATE, NIGERIA

NOVEMBER, 2023
 DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF A COWPEA THRESHER

BY

EGBE, OLUWASEUN BOLUWATIFE

FPA/AB/21/3-0050

A PROJECT REPORT SUBMITTED

TO

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL AND BIO-ENVIRONMENTAL

ENGINEERING
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
THE FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC, ADO EKITI
EKITI STATE, NIGERIA

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF

HIGHER NATIONAL DIPLOMA (HND) IN THE DEPARTMENT OF
AGRICULTURAL AND BIO-ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
POSTHARVEST TECHNOLOGY

NOVEMBER, 2023.

THE FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC, ADO -EKITI

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 DIGITAL LIBRARY
HND PROJECT REPORT

AUTHORISATION TO COPY

AUTHOR: EGBE, OLUWASEUN BOLUWATIFE

TITLE: DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF A COWPEA THRESHER

DIPLOMA: HND

YEAR: 2023

I, EGBE, OLUWASEUN BOLUWARTIFE, hereby authorize the Digital Library of The

Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti to copy my project report in whole or in part in response to

request from individuals and organizations for the purpose of study or research.

Signature: …………………… Date: ………….

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 CERTIFICATION

This is to certify that this project report on Design and Construction of a Cowpea Thresher

was carried out, written, arranged and compiled by EGBE, Oluwaseun Boluwatife, with the

matric number (FPA/AB/21/3-0050) to the Department of Agricultural and Bio-

Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering, The Federal Polytechnic Ado Ekiti, Ekiti

State, Nigeria in partial Fulfillment of the requirements for the award of Higher National

Diploma (HND) in Agricultural and Bio-Environmental Engineering Technology.

SUPERVISED BY: ______________________

ENGR. T. A. AYELEGUN

_________________________

ENGR. DR. A. F.OGUNNAIKE

______________________

MR .T .T. IKUSIKA

PROJECT COORDINATOR ______________________

ENGR. O. D. ISINKAYE

APPROVED BY; __________________________

ENGR. DR. K. E.ELEGBELEYE

(Head of Department)

DEDICATION

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This work is dedicated to the Almighty God who in His infinite mercies endowed me with

wisdom, knowledge and understanding and by His grace protected me throughout my studies.

Also to those who has been supporting me morally, spiritually and financially throughout.

ACKNOWLEDEMENTS

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I thank the Almighty God for His guidance, protection, wisdom, knowledge and

understanding throughout the course of my study.

My profound gratitude goes to my supervisors, Engr. Ayelegun, T. A., Engr. Dr. A .F.

Ogunnaike and Mr .T. T. Ikusika for their unalloyed assistance painstakingly guiding me

throughout the period. In spite of their tight schedule and engagements, they satisfied my

demand on time, thanks for your diligence, dexterity and parental care.

My special thanks goes to my daddy and mummy, Mr. and Mrs. Egbe for their love, parental

care, financial support, understanding and prayers, may God almighty reward you

bountifully. May you live to reap the fruits of your labor (AMEN).

I wanted to take a moment to express my sincere appreciation to Engr. O.D Isinkaye, my

amazing and hardworking coordinator, His guidance and support throughout the project have

been truly invaluable .he has been the best, and I’m really grateful for his dedication and

expertise. Thank you, Engr. O.D Isinkaye, for being an incredible leader and making this

project a success.

To all the incredible staff members in the Department of Agricultural and Bio-Environmental

Engineering, I want to express my deepest appreciation and gratitude for your dedication,

expertise, and hard work. You have made a significant impact on the department, and each of

you brings unique skills and perspectives, contributing to the success of our projects and

initiatives. Thank you for your unwavering commitment and for being an essential part of our

team. Together, we are making a difference in the field of agricultural and bio-environmental

engineering. Keep up the fantastic work.

To all my incredible friends and well-wishers, I want to express my deepest gratitude for your

support and encouragement throughout my project. Your belief in me and your words of

encouragement have motivated me to push forward and give my best. Your unwavering

support has been a constant source of inspiration, and I couldn't have done it without you.

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Thank you for being there every step of the way, cheering me on. Your friendship means the

world to me, and I'm truly grateful to have you by my side. Let's continue to create amazing

memories together.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Title Page

TITLE PAGE ii

AUTHORIZATION TO COPY iii

CERTIFICATION iv

DEDICATION v

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT vi

TABLE OF CONTENTS viii

LIST OF TABLES xii

LIST OF FIGURES xiii

LIST PLATES xiv

LIST OF EQUATIONS xv

ABSTRACT xvi

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study 1

1.2 Statement of the Problem 2

1.3 Aim and Objective of the Study 3

1.4 Significance of the Study 3

1.5 Scope of the Study 3

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Historical Background of Cowpea 4

2.2 The Different Model of Cowpea Threshers 5

2.2.1 Hand-cranked cowpea thresher 5

2.2.2 Engine-powered cowpea thresher 5

2.2.3 Multifunctional cowpea thresher 5

2.2.4 Mobile cowpea thresher 5

2.2.5 Small-scale cowpea thresher for women farmers 5

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2.3 Different Factors Affecting Threshing of Cowpea 6

2.3.1 Variety of cowpea 6

2.3.2 Moisture content 6

2.3.3 Threshing method 6

2.3.4 Pod maturity 6

2.3.5 Seed size and shape 6

2.3.6 Thresher settings 6

2.4 post-harvest operation on cowpea 7

2.4.1 Threshing 7

2.4.2 Sorting 7

2.4.2.1 Advantages and disadvantages of sorting method 7

2.4.3 Cleaning 8

2.4.4 Drying and storage of cowpea 8

2.4.4.1 Advantages and disadvantages of storage 8

CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY

3.1 Materials Selection and Design Consideration 16

3.1.1 Materials for construction 16

3.2 Design Calculation 17

3.3 Machine Fabrication Procedure 21

3.4 Machine Testing Procedure 22

3.4.1 Material sourcing 22

3.4.2 Test without load 22

3.4.3 Test with load 22

3.5 Determination of Machine Efficiencies 23

3.6 Determination of machine percentage damage 23

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3.7 Determination of Machine Throughput 24

CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

4.1 Results 25

4.1.1 General machine description and operation principle 25

4.1.2 Working principle of the machine 27

4.1.3 Results related to objective two 28

4.1.4 Testing parameters 31

4.2 Discussion 32

CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSION(S) AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.0 Conclusion 33

5.1 Recommendations 33

REFERENCES 34

APPENDICES 39

LIST OF TABLES

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Table Title Page

4.1 Weight of Product Obtained after threshing 31

4.2 Different Machine Testing Efficiencies 31

LIST OF FIGURES

xi
Figure Title Page

3.1 Detailed Drawing of the Machine 26

LIST OF PLATES

xii
Plate Title Page

4.1 Front View of the Fabricated Cowpea Thresher 28

4.2 Side View of the Fabricated Cowpea Thresher 29

4.3 Arial View of the Fabricated Cowpea Thresher 30

LIST OF EQUATIONS

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Equation Title Page

3.2.1 volume of the hopper 17

3.2.2 speed of the blower 17

3.2.3 speed for the threshing drum 18

3.2.4 velocity of the belt (for the blower) 18

3.2.5 velocity of the belt (for the threshing drum) 19

3.2.6 pulley centre distance (for the blower) 19

3.2.7 pulley centre distance (for the threshing drum) 19

3.2.8 length of belt required for power transmission(threshing) 20

3.2.9 length of belt required for power transmission(blower) 20

3.2.10 volume of the threshing chamber 21

3.5.1 threshing efficiency 23

3.5.2 cleaning efficiency 23

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 ABSTRACT

This project focused on the design, fabrication and testing of a cowpea thresher using locally
available materials.
The thresher was designed to be simple, cost-effective and easy to operate. The design
process involved the selection of suitable materials, the dimensions of the machine
components, fabrication and the assembly of the components.
The thresher was tested for its performance in terms of capacity, threshing efficiency and
losses. The result showed that the thresher had a capacity of 16.40 kg/hr with threshing speed
830.67rpm and 97% cleaning efficiency, 5.1% losses, 99.1% threshing efficiency .the project
concluded that the fabricated cowpea thresher was efficient and cost-effective and that it
affordable for rural dwellers.

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