Design of a Flour Mill Based on Engineering Properties of Green Gram Using SOLIDWORKS
Rangineni Manasa Lakshmi Durga *
Department of Agricultural Engineering, Aditya University, Surampalem, Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh – 533 437, India.
Shanmukha Rangeneni
Department of Computer Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon- 97333, USA.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Green gram (mung bean) is among the most vital pulse crops in India, both nutritionally and economically. As the world’s largest producer of green gram, India contributes over 70% of the global production. To ensure the efficient processing of green gram in flour mills, it is essential to understand its physical properties, such as sphericity, bulk density, coefficient of friction, angle of repose, terminal velocity, moisture content and thousand grain weight. These properties impact various aspects of the milling process, machinery design and overall milling efficiency. In this investigation the physical properties of green gram were studied. As per the physical properties, a flour mill was designed in SOLIDWORKS software. The role of SOLIDWORKS in design process are crucial for accurately modeling material flow, optimizing the design of hoppers, conveyors, and processing equipment for efficient performance and structural integrity. The calculated average bulk density of green gram grains is 834.66 kg m-³ was reported. The calculated average sphericity for green gram grains was 0.84 reported. For green gram grains, the coefficient of friction was recorded as 0.43 on mild steel, 0.65 on galvanized iron, 0.59 on aluminium and 0.76 on belt material. The computed mean angle of repose for green gram was 34.73º. The average terminal velocity for green gram is 11.7 m s-1 was reported. The average moisture content of green gram grains reported as 23.33%. The average thousand grain weight for green gram is 49.33 g.
Keywords: SOLIDWORKS, floor mill, engineering properties, green gram