09-08-2012, 03:40 PM
DESIGN OF ANIMAL DRIVEN FERTILIZER DISTRIBUTOR MACHINE
DESIGN OF ANIMAL DRIVEN FERTILIZER DISTRIBUTOR MACHINE.docx (Size: 360.8 KB / Downloads: 31)
ABSTRACT
Agriculture plays great role in Ethiopia’s economy. To increase the growth rate and productivity of the country, we need to mechanize and industrialize the agricultural system. Animal driven fertilizer applicator is one method of mechanizing the agricultural system. In designing this machine we use animal power as a power source.
Introduction
Agriculture is the mainstay of the Ethiopian economy with its hefty contribution of about half of the GDP. Yet its growth rate over the past four decades had been quite low. This is because of poor use of fertilizer and no use of agricultural mechanization.
Fertilizer is mandatory to increase crop yields. Inorganic fertilizer constitutes nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium and other elements. Organic sources are not sufficient to replace these nutrients. Increasing inorganic fertilizer use, consistent with agronomic recommendations, will have few environmental impacts, and many positive impacts. Increased fertilizer use would also benefit the environment by reducing the pressure to convert forests and other fragile lands to agricultural uses and, by increasing biomass production, help increase the organic matter content of soils. This organic material supplies and helps retain soil nutrients.
Agricultural mechanization is the application of mechanical technology and increased power to agriculture, largely as a means to enhance the productivity of human labour and often to achieve results well beyond the capacity of human labour.
Agricultural mechanization includes the use of tractors of various types as well as animal-powered and human-powered implements and tools, and internal combustion engines, electric motors, solar power and other methods of energy conversion. Animal driven fertilizer distributor machine is a broadcast machine which applies material over considerably greater distances than its own width. It is a spinning disc machine in which the fertilizer is allowed to fall from the hopper onto a spinning horizontal disc which spreads it. Distribution is assisted by the centrifugal force of a rotating disc. The disc is driven by a land wheel from animal power.
Problem statement
Yet Ethiopia uses traditional methods of sowing both the fertilizer and the seed. This practice uses high human labour which reduces the productivity of the country.so agricultural mechanization technology should have to be used to increase the human labour productivity. Therefore there is a need to replace the traditional method of sowing fertilizer. Animal driven fertilizer distributor machine is one that satisfies this need. The distribution process is accomplished by the centrifugal force of a rotating disc. The rotating disc obtains power from the land wheel through gearing mechanism. The land wheel is also driven by an animal, may be a horse, mule or any other tame animal.
. Design specification
The power source for the machine is an animal. This animal can be a horse, mule, donkey or an ox. But ox is the preferred animal since it is convenient to order. The average speed of an ox is 0.65 m/s. It can also carry one and half of its weight. The weight of an ox ranges from 800 to 1200 pound. We have taken 1000 pound as average weight of an ox and so that it carry 1500 pound of cart weight. So the power of an ox can be calculated as