Development of a Motorized Groundnut Decorticator for Small-Scale Farmers

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Manual groundnut decortication is tedious and limits throughput. This project developed a motorized decorticator for small-scale farmers. The machine used rubber-studded rollers for gentle decortication, powered by a 3HP petrol engine. Design features included adjustable roller clearance (8-15mm), feed hopper with flow regulator, and aspiration cleaning system. Performance testing with three groundnut varieties showed decortication efficiency of 94%, whole kernel recovery of 88%, and cleaning efficiency of 90%. Throughput was 180 kg/hour with 0.5% kernel damage. Fuel consumption was 0.8 liters per hour. Fabrication cost was N220,000 with payback period of 1.5 seasons for commercial operation. The machine significantly reduces labor requirement and processing time compared to manual methods.