Motorized Food Waste Pelletizer Machine

Project Thesis

• The project is titled "The Design and Fabrication of a Motorized Dry Food Waste Grinder, Mixer, and Modified Pelletizer Machine"

Project Proponents

• The research project was undertaken by Denzo Raoul J. Diaz, Neihiro M. Discipulo, Reggie Kayl A. Ege, and Eugene Jr. C. Salamanca

Project Supervision

• Engr. Louie Pierre O. Equio served as the project adviser

Machine Conversion

• The machine converts dry food waste into fertilizer tablets

Weight Variants

• The study uses 1kg, 2kg, and 3kg weight variants

Study Focus

• The study focuses on the machine's tableting efficiency, production rate, and ability to convert dry food waste into fertilizer tablets

1kg Variant

• The 1kg variant has an efficiency of 85.65% and a production rate of 6.67534886 kg/h

Hopper Improvement

• The addition of a hopper significantly improves machine performance due to the increase in volume flow rate of feed towards the modified pelletizer

2kg Variant

• The 2kg variant has an efficiency of 82.4% and a production rate of 6.33298229 kg/h

3kg Variant

• The 3kg variant has an efficiency of 78.77% and a production rate of 3.38556244 kg/h
• The 3kg variant differs from the others possibly due to chamber capacity limitations

Friability Testing

• The average weight loss from the Friability testing for produced tablets is 24.33%

Sustainable Agriculture

• The study promotes sustainable agriculture by repurposing food waste into fertilizer tablets

Crop Improvement

• Farmers use fertilizer to increase crop production and plant yield

Fertilizer Definition

• Fertilizer is defined as agrochemicals, organic or inorganically produced, that supply necessary nutrients and chemical elements that plants need for growth

Common Dry Food Waste

• Common household and food industry dry food waste by-products include coffee grounds, eggshells, and bones from cuttlefish, chickens, fish, pigs, and seafood

Study Hypothesis

• The motorized grinder, mixer, and modified pelletizer machine could efficiently produce tablet fertilizers from 1.0 kg, 2.0 kg, and 3.0 kg of dry food wastes.

Study Objective

• The general objective is to design and fabricate a motorized dry food waste grinder, mixer, and modified pelletizer machine that turns dry food wastes into fertilizer tablets

Study Significance

• The study is significant because it tackles the environmental, economic, and societal challenges of food waste

Fertilizer Tablet Ingredients

• Eggshells, animal bones, and coffee grounds are the dry food wastes used to make the fertilizer tablet

Waste Issues Addressed

• The issues of waste the research addresses include foul odors and insect infestations

Pelletizer Production Rate

• The maximum production rate of the pelletizer machine is set at 13.16 kg/hr

1kg Sample Variants

• Variants with and without a hopper are used for a 1kg sample

Binder Definition

• A binder is a material or substance that holds materials together

Compost Definition

• Compost is organic material, such as food scraps, leaves, and plant waste, that has been decomposed and recycled as a fertilizer and soil amendment

Die Definition

• A die is a component in pelletizing machines, shaping materials into small cylindrical pellets

Dry Food Waste Definition

• Dry food waste is discarded food waste such as animal bones and eggshells that lacks high moisture content

Friability Definition

• Friability is the tendency of a solid, like a tablet, to crumble under pressure

Gear Reducer Definition

• A gear reducer is a mechanical system of gears in an arrangement such that input speed can be lowered to a slower output speed but have the same or more output torque

Machine Definition

• A machine is a mechanical or electrical device that performs tasks, often automating or simplifying processes that would otherwise be done manually

Mixer Definition

• A mixer is a kitchen appliance or industrial machine used for blending, combining, or stirring different ingredients together

Agriculture Percentage of GDP

• Agriculture accounts for 20% of the GDP (gross domestic product) of the Philippines

Soil Enhancement

• Chemicals enhance the fertility of the soil by replacing and nourishing it with the chemical elements that previous crops have taken out

Plant Growth Needs

• Plants need chemicals and minerals such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and sulfur for growth

Fertilizer History

• The concept of using fertilizers dates back as early as 8,000 years ago

NEDA Definition

• NEDA stands for National Economic and Development Authority

Metro Manila Food Waste

• 2,175 tons of food waste are discarded daily in Metro Manila, contributing to 52% of solid waste in the Philippines

Global Food Waste

• On a global scale, 1.3 billion tons of food are lost and wasted annually, which could feed 3 billion people

Literature Review Terms

• Significant terms used in the review of related literature include fertilizer, grinder, and food waste

Motor Definition

• A motor is a mechanical or electrical device that generates rotational and linear force to power a machine

Motor Function

• A motor converts electrical energy into mechanical power

Motor Components

• The two main components of a motor are the stator and rotor

Motor Specifications

• The motor specifications used in the study are a 1 HP motor and 1420 rpm

Shaft Utilisation

• Two shafts are utilized in the study

Blades per shaft

• There are 25 thick blades attached to each shaft of the machine

Shaft Rotation

• The shaft must be rotated in opposite directions

Grinder Definition

• A grinder is a device used to pulverize a relatively larger raw material into smaller pieces such as powders or granules

Grinder power

• What power requirement of the grinder is enough to grind materials on a day-to-day basis?
• 1 HP

RPM for Grinders

• Bone grinding for low impact requires 75 rpm

Mixer Wattage

• The typical wattage of a mixer is 500-750 watts (1 HP)

Milling Machine Screen Size

• As per the Philippine Agricultural Engineering Standard, milling machines should have a screen size of at least mesh 6 or 0.157 inches

Pelletizer Production Rate

• The estimated maximum production rate of a pelletizer with a modified die is 13.16 kg/hr

Bearing Definition

• A bearing is a machine element that eliminates friction between two moving components

Grinding Mixing Shaft Speed

• The speed of the grinding mixing shaft using a 1:30 gear reducer is 58 rpm

Ratio of Bone Meal

• The ideal ratio of bone meal, eggshell, and coffee ground is 1:1:2

Fertilizer Tablet Dimensions

• The fertilizer tablet is 5mm thick and 12.5mm in diameter

Fertilizer Tablet Volume

• The volume of the fertilizer tablet is 1227.1846 mm^3

Fertilizer Tablet Mass

• The approximate mass of one fertilizer tablet is 1.41 grams

Research Design

• The research design used in the study is experimental research design

Independent Variable

• The independent variable of the study is moving machine elements

Independent Variable

• The efficiency of the machine, production rate, and time it takes to convert dry food to fertilizer tablets is a varied independent variable

Mesh Sieve Size

• The size of the mesh sieve is ⅛”

Waste Eggshell Retrieval

• The proponents retrieve waste eggshells from Sans rival and Silliman cafeteria

Bones Used

• Chicken and cuttle bones are used in this study

Waste Chicken Bone Acquisition

• Proponents acquire waste chicken bones from food establishments serving unlimited wings in Dumaguete City

Waste Cuttle Bone Acquisition

• Proponents acquire waste cuttle bones from a seller in Liloan, Cebu

Coffee Ground Retrieval

• The proponents retrieve waste coffee grounds from different coffee shops in Dumaguete City

1kg Variant Weight Ratios

• The weight ratios of the 3 dry food wastes and cornstarch in the 1kg variant are 450 g of coffee grounds, 225 g of eggshells, 225 g of chicken bone meals, and 100 g of cornstarch

Cornstarch Activation

• For cornstarch activation in the 1kg mixture, use 80 sprays or 10ml of water
• For cornstarch activation in the 2kg mixture, use 160 sprays or 20ml of water
• For cornstarch activation in the 3kg mixture, use 240 sprays or 30ml of water

Survey Forms

• Three sets of survey forms were created to support this project concept: Commercial Food Industry, Horticulture Industry, and Poultry Industry

Survey Questions

• The survey contains 7 questions

Survey Note

• The proponents surveyed 3 businesses under each industry for a total of 9 business respondents

Project cost

• The project's estimated total cost 104, 084 pesos

1KG variant

• For the 1kg variant of dry food waste, the average weight of fertilizer produced is 0.8565 kg
• The machine processing time for the 1kg variant is 7 minutes and 47.29 seconds
• The 1kg variant has an overall tableting efficiency of 85.65%

Production Rate

• The average production rate 6.675 kg/hr

2KG variant

• For the 2kg variant of dry food waste, the average weight of fertilizer produced is 1.648 kg
• The machine processing time for the 2kg variant is 15 minutes and 58.30 seconds
• The 2kg variant has an overall tableting efficiency of 82.4%
• The average production rate is 6.33 kg/hr

2KG variant (3kg typo)

• For the 2kg variant of dry food waste, the average weight of fertilizer produced is 2.363 kg
• The machine processing time for the 2kg variant is 41 minutes and 55.58 seconds
• The 2kg variant has an overall tableting efficiency of 78.767%

Production Rate

• The average production rate is 3.385 kg/hr

Statistical Method

• One-way ANOVA is the statistical method used in comparing the 3 variants

Project Sum

• The total ammount spent on the project totaled 133, 609.50

Focus of Study

• The study focuses on the design, fabrication, and testing of a motorized grinder, mixer, and modified pelletizer machine for converting dry food waste into fertilizer tablets

Hopper Improvement

• This shows that with the addition of the hopper, the tableting efficiency and the production rate have significantly improved

Standards Test

• Tumbling box test as per ISO 17831-1 measures the friability of tablets produced by the machine

Project Fabriction

• The project was fabricated in Mindanao Sibulan Machine Shop

Components

• There are 7 research questions
• 1 general objectives
• 8 specific objectives
• 14 definitions of terms
• 15 theoretical framework