STUDIES AND RESEARCHES CONCERNING THE DESIGN AND

ACHIEVEMENT OF SELECTORS FOR SEEDS USED IN THE

SMALL FARMS

ŢENU IOAN1, BERCOVICI CĂTĂLIN2 ,

1
Technical University ”Gh. Asachi” Iaşi, Faculty of Mechanics Iaşi, B-dul Mangeron
nr.63-65, Romania; 2SC IMA SA, str. Pavlov nr.14, Iaşi, Romania.

Abstract: The cleaning and the sorting of seeds is a technological operation where by
it follows the cleaning of impurities in such way that the seed material has to be
brought to provided purities in the legal norms.For the achievement of one universal
selector of middle capacity used on small farms it was carried out studies and
researches concerning the finding of optimum constructive solutions. Consequently
of these studies it has been designed and achieved an universal selector of the
operating capacity of 500,1000 kg/h for seed material (wheat, barley, maize, lucerne,
trefoil, sun flower)but for human consumption of operating capacity of 2000-
3000kg/h. The tests have been achieved on laboratory conditions and they showed
that the universal selector is a machinary which carries out a good cleaning of the
seeds material or for consumption.

Keywords: selector,seed,machinary,cereal.

Generalities

The grains, the vegetable seeds ,the grass seeds are subjected to the cleaning
and the sorting after harvesting for bringing them at quality required on standard. The
purity provided in standard is in function of the seed species and if these ones are
destined for human consumption or for sowing.
As generally, the seeds subjected to the cleaning are unhomogeneous and they
contain different components such as: easy impurities (dust, chaff) impurities bigger
then grains ( parts of straw, parts of wood, roops, paper, stones, parts of earth ) and
impurities smaller than seeds (sand, weed seeds, small parts of land, breaked grains).
This unhomogenity of seeds makes that the technological cleaning operation to be
complex and for the its achievement it has to use the complicate installations.
In these conditions the theoretical process of separating of seed mixing is
expresed by the relation:
t
− ∫ Ps •dt
(1)
η = 1− e 0

where η-the extraction grade of the components formed from foreign bodies
 PS=f(t) –the function of time which is determinated by separating
process intensity and it depends on the operating regime of the separator and of
mechano-physical properties of the mixings.

If it has in account that the mechano-pneumatic separators for cleaning and

sorting of the seeds are feeded by a constant flows, then the time function it is
represented by a constant measure and Ps=k but the (1) equation becomes

η=1-e-kt (2)
Analysing this equation, it results that the theoretical separating process has an
asymtotic evolution which means that the whole separating of the components from
a mixing by means of the one simple separator it is possible only for t=
Thus, the separation it is achieved in the very short time, which makes that the
fractioning operation of the mixing is carried out incompletly.
Having in view the purity requirements which must have the cleaned seeds
and on another hand the needs of the agricultural farmers for the providing with
small capacity machinary used at separating and mixing, at SC IMA IASI it has
been taken in study the designing and the achievement of one universal selector

The construction and operating of the universal selector

The universal selector is a mechano-pneumatic installation for the cleaning

and the sorting after size and specific wheight of the cereal grains, technical plants
and seed of grass. The machinary can assure the separating and the cleaning of the
seeds destined for sowing when it is used in coupling with the trieur and for grains
destined of the human consumption or industrialising.
The universal selector is made up from the following subassemlies: the feeding
modulus, pneumatic modulus, sorting modulus with sieves, trieur , the driving
mechanism and the chassis.
The feeding modulus (fig.1) is made up from a (1) bin of 100dm3 capacity and
(2) a dosemeter with shutter and (3) driven rifled drum.
The pneumatic modulus (fig1) assures the transport of seeds subjected of the
cleaning and in the same time it extracts the easy impurities from mixing (dust,
chaff, etc.) and from the grains with small specific weight.
The pneumatic modulus is made up from the following elements: the feeding
and dust extraction room which includes (4) a admission chanal, (6) dust removel
room, (5) shutters for the regulating of air flow and (10) colecting chute for dust
extracted seeds (7) the ventilator and two pneumatic spaces located on one side and
on another side of the ventilator. On the inferior part, the spaces continuous by (11) a
colecting chute provided with two oscillanting flaps hand operated, regarding to the
periodic evacuation of the impurities which have not been aspirated by ventilator (8)
the pneumatic room for the sedimentation of the grains with small specific weight
which have been extracted from cleaned grains mass.
This subassembly includes an aspiration chanal, the proper pneumatic room,
(9) shutters for the regulating of the air flow and (12) the colecting chute for
evacuation of grains with small specific weight (breaked seeds). 13-The sorting
modulus with sieves carries out the separating of the mixing components after size of
seeds and it comprises: 24-superior sieve for the separating after length and width of
the seeds (the oversizes product is made up from impurities with bigger dimensions
than of the seeds from the base culture); 23-the inferior sieve achieves the separation
after thickness (the sifting includes impurities by smaller dimensions then of the
seeds from the base culture); 15-the cleaning mechanism by brushes, 21-the driving
mechanism of the cassette with sieves and 14- the conducting mechanism of the
brushes; 17-the trieur achieves the separating of the mixing after length and it extracts
the breaked parts and weed seeds.

Fig 1. The constructive and functional scheme of the universal selector

1-feeding bin, 2-shutter, 3-dosemeter with trommel, 4-pneumatic tube for
transport, 5,9-flaps for the regulating of air flow, 6-pneumatic room for dust
extraction, 7-ventilator, 8-pneumatic room for sedimentation of the grain with small
specific weight, 10-the colecting and evacuation chute for dust extracted seeds, 11-
the colecting and evacuation chute for easy impurities, 12-the colecting chute for
sistavite grains, 13-the cassette of the cleaning sieves, 14-cranck mechanism for the
driving of the cleaning brushes, 15-the sieve cleaning brushes, 16-electomotor, 17-
trieur, 18-chute for the evacuation of the cleaned grains,19 chute for the evacuation of
the impurities extracted by trieur, 20-eccentric mechanism for the vibrating of the
colecting chute of the trieur, 2-off-centre mechanism for the driving of the sieves
cassette, 22-the selector frame, 23-inferior sieve, 24-superior sieve.

As an assembly,the trieur is compounded principaly from:the trieur cylinder

with cells; the oscillanting mechanism for driving by vibration of the collecting chute
of seed weeds and impurities and the driving mechanism of cells cylinder. The sheet
of the trieur cylinder is achieved from two segments whom orifices are of different
dimensions: D=5.25 and D=7. Due to rotating of the cylinder for first phase, the
spherical impurities and seed weeds are extracted and for second parts, are extracted
the impurieties which have the length smaller than of the base culture seeds, breaked
and undeveloped grains.
The universal selector operates in tandem by trieur only in case of seeds
destinated for sowing.
Fig.3 - The driving mechanism allows the motion of the compounded
subassemblies of the selector by belt transmissions and cranck mechanism.
The kinematic scheme is thought in such way that the selector is equipped by a
single motor of 3KWx1500rpm and it allows the optaining of the different working
regimes, depending on physico-mechanical properties of seeds for cleaning.

Fig 2 The kinematic scheme of universal selector

Regulations and technical tests

For determinating of the operating optimum regimes, it has been achieved tests
using different types of crops, such as:
-wheat (Ariesan variety)- 14.5% humidity, 3.6% foreign bodies, 1.8 breaked grains;
-barley(Miraj variety)- 13.8% humidity, 4.2% foreign bodies, 1.2 breaked grains;
-oat (Solidar-variety )- 13.5 humidity, 3.8% foreign bodies, 1.0% seeds;
-sun-flower (Favorit variety)- 12.8% humidity, 4.8% foreign bodies, 2.1% breaked
grains;
-maize (Fundulea 270 variety)- 14.3% humidity, 1.2% foreign bodies, 1.6 breaked
seeds;
-soya-bean (Precoce 90 variety)- 12.8% humidity, 2.8% foreign bodies, 0.8% breaked
grains;
-rape (Triumf variety)- 13.6% humidity, 3.2%foreign bodies, 1.6% breaked seeds;
-trefoil (Select variety)- 14.2%humidity, 3.6% foreign bodies, 1.9% defected and
breaked grains;
-lucerne (Gloria variety)- 13.7% humidity, 3.3%foreign bodies, 1.2% defected and
breaked grains.
 The tests has been achieved for each species of seed and in the different
conditions of operating of the subassemblies, but after machining and interpretation
of the results it was stated the optimum regulations for the operating of the selector
(tab.1).
For determination of the technical performances by the optimum regulations
specified in tab.1, it was efected tests and it has been obtained the results from tab.2.
The selector without trieur has been used for the cleaning of seeds for
preservation.
Analysing the results, it can conclude that the designed selector satisfies the
requirements of the small agricultural farms both for the cleaning of seeds
consumption and for sowing seeds.

References

1.Ioancea L. – Condiţionarea şi valorificarea superioară a materiilor prime

vegetale în scopuri alimentare, Ed. Ceres, Bucueşti, 1983;
2.Oancea I. – Agricultura generală, Ed. Ceres, Bucueşti, 1994;
3.Scupnic V. – Maşini agricole, Ed. Ceres, Bucueşti, 1994;
4.Ţenu I. – Tehnologii, maşini şi instalaţii pentru industrializarea produselor
vegetale, Ed. Junimea, Iaşi, 1999.
 Table 1. The optimum regulations for the universal selector
Crops Position of the Rotation Rotation of the Rotation Rotation The rotation of the Type of sieves depending on destination of the seeds
shutters for of the dosimeter for seeds (rot/min) of the eccentric shaft for
regulation ventilator destined: (rot/min) trieur seed destined
ofthe air flow (rot/min) for for (rot/min) (rot/min)
(feeding./clean preservation sowing preservation sowing
ing)
for for superior inferior superior inferioară
preserva sowing
tion
Wheat M/m 1425 85 65 30 33 448 350 Φ5 □2,5x25 □4x25 □2,5x25
Barley M/m 1100 85 65 30 32 448 350 Φ5 Φ2,5 □3,6x25 □2x25
Oat M/m 1100 85 65 30 25 448 350 Φ4 Φ2,5 □3,6x25 □2x25
Sun- M/m 1100 85 85 30 - 448 350 Φ8 Φ4 □1,5x25 □3,6x25
flower
Maize M/M 1840 85 85 24 - 448 350 Φ10 Φ5 □10x25 □4x25
Soya- M/m 1840 85 65 24 - 350 350 Φ10 Φ5 □10x25 Φ6
bean
Rape M/c 1100 85 65 30 - 350 350 Φ3 Φ1,5 Φ3 □1,6x25
Trefoil M/c 1100 85 65 30 25 350 350 □2x25 Φ1,3 □2x25 □1x15
Lucerne M/c 1100 85 65 30 25 350 350 □2x25 Φ1,3 □1,6x25 □0,8x15
Notes: it was written down M,m,c the position of the shutters for the regulation of the air flow from the pneumatic and feeding
rooms and properly from the sedimentation foreign bodies room; M-maximum,m-medium,c-closed

Table 2. Tehnical parameters of the selector for cleaning of seeds for preservation and sowing
Crops Initial parameters Seeds for preservation-consumption Sowing seeds

Foreign Breaked seeds Foreign Breaked seeds Productivity (kg/h) Foreign Breaked seeds Productivity(kg/h)
bodies (%) (%) bodies (%) (%) bodies (%) (%)
Wheat 3,6 1,8 1,9 0,6 1220 0,72 0,06 568
Barley 4,2 1,2 2,0 0,7 1080 0,32 0,01 546
Oat 3,8 1,0 1,3 0,2 960 0,36 0,01 488
Sun-flower 4,8 2,1 1,7 0,9 1010 0,69 0,08 496
Maize 1,2 1,6 0,8 0,6 1320 0,23 0,023 680
Soya-bean 2,8 0,8 1,1 0,3 1360 0,16 0,032 720
Rape 3,2 1,6 1,2 0,7 980 0,26 0,07 430
Trefoil 3,6 1,9 1,4 0,8 920 0,32 0,06 425
Lucerne 3,3 1,2 1,3 0,7 880 0,36 0,55 435