Design of a compact grain collection device for non-industrial use

摘要

Grain collection devices currently available on the market are limited in terms of structure, performance and versatility. Existing designs are inappropriate for various small-scale processes due to their bulky size, high initial and ongoing costs, power inefficiency and complicated operation. These issues provide motive for the design and realisation of a novel grain collection device for rural, household use, as detailed in this work. The devised solution utilises a DC power pack that drives a conventional screw conveyor and inclined conveyor belt to collect grain. Testing demonstrated that the performance of the device met basic technical requirements in terms of acceptable failure rate. Moreover, by comparison with a conventional device, the new design was shown to improve on noise, emissions, maintenance costs and ease-of-use.