Optimized Design and Experiment of the Jatropha-Nut Huller

The authors designed an efficient and reliable Jatropha-nut huller. And the orthogonal experiments of 3 factors and 3 levels had been accomplished with hulling rate and the smashed nut rate as the test measurement indexes, which related to the initial moisture content rate of the Jatropha-nut, the speed of the squeeze-wheel and the interstice between the squeeze-wheel and crusher plate. The result shows that, moisture content rate and extrusion interstice affected obviously the comprehensive evaluation value at 1% levels of significance, and roller speed affected obviously the comprehensive evaluation value at 5% levels of significance, the order of impact factors were as follows: extrusion interstice, Jatropha-nut moisture content rate, the roller speed. The best level is: the Jatropha-nut initial fruit moisture content is 20%, speed roller 300r.min-1, extrusion interstice 5mm. After the parameters optimized, hulling rate is more than 85%, and the smashed nut rate is less than 10%.