Development of battery-operated groundnut decorticator for female workers

Groundnut pod decortication is the process of separating the kernels from pods by breaking the outer layers. The traditional decortication practices are striking pods on stone, pressing pods with fingers and clearing pods with a sickle. Manual-operated batch-type groundnut decorticators were developed to reduce drudgery and enhance the productivity. Based on the constraints in the designs of manual groundnut decorticators, a battery-assisted continuous type groundnut decorticator was developed considering ergonomic and mechanical design features. The developed decorticator consisted of a 250W DC motor, 24V 12Ah battery pack, hopper, feeding chute, detachable sieves, power transmission unit and a trapezium-shaped frame. The physical characteristics of groundnut pods indicated the variation in pod sizes that require different sieves as per available groundnut pods. Compared to the traditional method and manual standing type decorticator, the ergonomically compliant battery-assisted continuous type groundnut decorticator had the highest output capacity (37.69 kg/h). The worker's heart rate was lower with battery-operated groundnut decorticator than the other methods. The developed battery-assisted groundnut decorticator was also found economical as compared to other decortication methods developed earlier.