FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL MECHANIZATION AND IRRIGATION

ENGINEERING

PROJECT

DESIGN AND FABRICATION OF A MECHANIZED IRISH POTATO PEELER

BY

MUGERWA DENIS
REGSTRATION NUMBER: BU/UG/2009/11

SUPERVISORS

DR. WANDERA CATHERINE

MR. ETUNGANAN JACOB

A PROJECT PROPOSAL SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE

REQUIREMENT FOR THE AWARD OF A BACHELOR’S DEGREE IN
AGRICULTURAL MECHANIZATION AND IRRIGATION ENGINEERING

MAY 2013
 DECLARATION

I MUGERWA DENIS declare to the best of my knowledge that the piece of this project
proposal is as a result of my research and effort and it has never been presented or submitted to
any institution or university for an academic award.

DATE …………………………………………..

SIGNATURE …………………………………..

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 APPROVAL
This proposal has been submitted for examination with approval from the following supervisors:

DR. WANDERA CATHERINE

SIGNATURE ……………………………………

DATE ……………………………………………

Mr. ETUNGANAN JACOB

SIGNATURE ……………………………………

DATE ……………………………………………

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 ACKNOWLEDGMENT

My sincere thanks go to the Almighty God for the wisdom, knowledge, grace, mercy, and
protection He has given to me.
I am indebted to my parents, brothers, sisters, relatives, classmates and friends who have assisted
me through guidance and support.

I extend my thanks to all my lecturers of Busitema University at the Faculty of Engineering,

Agricultural Mechanization and Irrigation Engineering Department who have equipped me with
academic knowledge that has enabled me to succeed in my studies. I sincerely thank Dr.
Wandera Catherine for the support rendered to me in preparation of my project proposal.

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 ABSTRACT

Irish potatoes are widely grown in various districts in Uganda including: Kabale, Kisoro,
Rukungiri, Mbarara, Kasese, Kabarole, Masaka, Mubende, Mbale, Kapchorwa and Nebbi
districts. Kabale and Kisoro districts are considered to be the major producers of Irish potatoes
in Uganda and produce the best quality potatoes mainly referred to as Victoria for chips and
Rutuku for crisps. Peeling of potatoes is done when potatoes are required for consumption or
processing into products like chips and crisps. In Uganda potato peeling is often done manually
using a hand knife; manual peeling using a hand knife is a highly tedious, labour intensive and
time consuming process that is also accompanied by high quantitative and qualitative losses.
There are a number of different mechanical peelers on the market which are manual or hand
operated and others are automatic or electric but these are expensive and cannot be afforded by
most people in Uganda. The main objective of this project was to design and fabricate a low cost
mechanized potato peeler to be used to peel Irish potatoes. The mechanized potato peeler
designed and fabricated in this project consisted of the machine frame, the peeling drum with
brushes inside for peeling, and the power unit. Design and selection of the various components
of the potato peeler were carried out by analyzing forces acting on the components, sizing of the
components, and selection of proper materials to be used to fabricate the components. The
selected materials were those which would withstand the applied forces in order to avoid failure
of the components during operation of the potato peeler. The designed and fabricated
components of the potato peeler were assembled together to make the prototype. The rate of
peeling efficiency of the prototype was tested to determine the amount of potatoes the machine
can peel within a specific period of time. The cost evaluation of the designed and fabricated
potato peeler was carried to determine the cost incurred during fabrication to find out if the
machine is more economical and affordable compared to the available potato peelers on market.

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Table of Contents
DECLARATION..............................................................................................................................i
APPROVAL....................................................................................................................................ii
ACKNOWLEDGMENT................................................................................................................iii
CHAPTER ONE..............................................................................................................................1
1.0 Background.......................................................................................................................1
1.1 Problem statement.............................................................................................................2
1.2 Justification.......................................................................................................................3
1.3 Main objectives.................................................................................................................3
CHAPTER TWO.............................................................................................................................5
2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW......................................................................................................5
2.1 Properties of potatoes.............................................................................................................5
2.2 Peeling methods.....................................................................................................................6
2.2.1 Manual peeling................................................................................................................6
2.2.2 Mechanical peeling..........................................................................................................6
2.2.3 Thermal peeling...............................................................................................................9
2.2.4 Chemical peeling...........................................................................................................10
2.3 Peeling efficiency.............................................................................................................10
2.4 Design of machine components..........................................................................................11
2.4.1 Shaft...............................................................................................................................11
2.4.2 Machine frame...............................................................................................................12
2.4.3 Key................................................................................................................................13
2.4.4 Bearing selection...........................................................................................................13
CHAPTER THREE.......................................................................................................................15
3.0 METHODOLOGY...............................................................................................................15
3.1 Data collection methods.......................................................................................................15
3.2 Design consideration............................................................................................................15
3.3 Machine description.............................................................................................................15
3.3.1 Machine Frame..............................................................................................................16
3.3.2 Peeling Drum.................................................................................................................16

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 3.3.3 Power unit......................................................................................................................16
3.4 Design of machine components...........................................................................................16
3.4.1 Design of the Peeling drum...........................................................................................17
3.4.4 Design of the pulley system..........................................................................................18
3.4.5 Determination of Shaft Diameter..................................................................................22
3.6 Fabrication of the prototype.................................................................................................23
3.6.1 Selection of materials....................................................................................................23
3.6.2 Cost analysis.....................................................................................................................23
3.7 Testing the prototype...........................................................................................................23
PROPOSED TIME FRAME.........................................................................................................25
PROPOSED BUDGET..................................................................................................................26
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................27

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 CHAPTER ONE

1.0 Background

In Uganda, 80-90% of the population depend on farming as source of income and agriculture is
the most important economic activity accounting for 43% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP),
(FAO, AGAL, (2005)). In Uganda potatoes are grown in many households as food crop for food
security and as cash crop for income generation. Potato is a high yielding crop, has a short
growing period and also potatoes can be stored for a long time under good storage conditions.
Potatoes are mainly grown in the cool highland areas of Uganda, at about 1500 –3000m altitude.
Currently the major Irish potato growing districts of Uganda include; Kabale, Kisoro, Rukungiri,
Mbarara, Kasese, Kabarole, Masaka, Mubende, Mbale, Kapchorwa and Nebbi
(http://www.foodnet.cgiar.org/market/Uganda/Reports/Irishpotato.pdf). Irish potato varieties
grown in Uganda include; Rutuku, Victoria, Kisoro, NAKPOT 1, NAKPOT 2, NAKPOT 3,
Kruzer and Sangema. Victoria is the most commercially grown variety because it yields high
produce, matures earlier and it’s tolerant to bacterial wilt. In the districts where Potatoes are
grown, it’s both a staple food and main source of income. Kabale and Kisoro districts are
considered to be the major producers of Irish potatoes in Uganda and they produce the best
quality potatoes mainly referred to as Victoria for chips and Rutuku for crisps. Potato production
in Uganda is entirely for the domestic market. Due to increased demand of potatoes, particularly
in the urban areas, potato production in Uganda is increasing and it’s spreading into central
Uganda. There are approximately 200,000 households across the country producing potatoes on
plots of less than one hectare.

Processing of potatoes is gaining potential and the local market is available and growing due to
increase in rate of urbanization and growth of fast food restaurants and takeaways where potatoes
are mainly consumed. According to Ferris el. al (Ferris el. al, 2000), nearly 50% of urban potato
consumption is processed and it is projected that by 2015 approximately 250,000 metric tonnes
of Irish potato will be consumed as processed products such as chips and crisps. For potatoes to
be eaten in any form they need to be peeled; therefore, peeling is one of the most important steps
in potato processing and optimum yield greatly relies on the efficiency and effectiveness of the

1
method of peeling. The quality and quantity of processed potatoes are influenced by the quality
of the peeling stage; low quality of peeling leads to high loss and low quality of final product.
The methods normally used in potato peeling include mechanical, thermal and chemical peeling
methods which apply mechanical tools, heat or cold, and lye respectively to peel off the potato
skin. 

In Uganda potato peeling is often done manually using hand knives. During manual peeling of
potatoes using hand knives, the operator holds the potato in one hand and uses the knife held in
the other hand to remove the potato skin. Potato peeling using hand knives is not efficient in
that its time consuming, leads to a lot of loss of food value in peels, can cause some injuries to
those involved in peeling using the hand knives, and results in fatigue during peeling of a large
amount of potatoes. The available potato peelers on market are expensive, some peel one potato
at a time and some also affect the freshness of the potatoes. Therefore, there is need for a
properly designed low cost mechanized potato peeler which is the focus of this project.

1.1 Problem statement

Many potato consumers - both in homes and in commercial food outlets such as restaurants - are
faced with the problem of peeling large quantities of potatoes in a short period of time. Potato
peeling in Uganda is often accomplished manually using hand knives. Manual peeling using
hand knives is an inefficient and time consuming method that is characterized by low quality
products, low production, waste of food quantity in the peels, losses of food value due to
improper removal of the outer skin of the potatoes, risk of injuries during peeling and fatigue
when large amounts of potatoes have to be peeled. Many potato peelers on market are very
expensive and cannot be afforded by most of the local potato processors in Uganda while some
low cost potato peelers on the market affect the quality, i.e. freshness, of the peeled potatoes.
There is need for high productivity peeling process to supply enough fresh peeled potatoes to be
eaten as food in homes and for making high value potato products such as chips and crisps that
are sold in food outlets like restaurants, hotels and supermarkets.

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1.2 Justification
The mechanized potato peeling machine designed and constructed in this project will enable
efficient mechanical peeling of potatoes and enhance freshness of the peeled potato. Emphasis
will be put on ensuring affordability of the designed potato peeler by utilizing readily available
materials for its fabrication and using locally available fabrication methods so as to minimize the
cost of manufacture of the machine and ensure its affordability to the local users.
The mechanized potato peeler will peel off the outer skin of the potatoes using brushes inside the
potato peeler. This potato peeler will be able to peel large quantities of potatoes at once without
affecting freshness of potatoes, will save a lot of time spent during peeling and will have high
peeling efficiency and lower peeling losses.

The use of the potato peeler to be designed in this project will enhance high productivity of the
peeling process and reduce fatigue for the people involved in the peeling operation compared to
the manual peeling using hand knives. The improvement of the peeling operation by use the
potato peeling machine will subsequently enhance increased value addition to potato products
and increase appreciation of the potato as a higher value food product for food security and
income generation. The other benefit of using the potato peeling machine will include;
minimization of the energy needed for peeling operations, minimization of the quantitative and
qualitative losses incurred during the peeling process as well as elimination of chemical
contamination of the potatoes during peeling.

1.3 Main objectives

To design and fabricate a mechanized Irish potato peeler.

1.4 Specific objectives

(i) To design the mechanism of peeling and the different components of a potato peeler.
(ii) To fabricate the different components of the potato peeler and assemble the components to
form the prototype.
(iii) To test the fabricated potato peeler prototype to determine its performance and output.
(iv) To carry out economic evaluation of the designed potato peeler.

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1.5 Scope of the project
The project is limited to the design, fabrication, testing and economic evaluation of the potato
peeler prototype. The potato peeler is limited to peeling Irish potatoes harvested from gardens or
fields.

4
 CHAPTER TWO

2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW

This chapter reviews the relevant literature related to the research study. It reviews the existing
potato peeling methods and the developed models in the area of potato peeling.

2.1 Properties of potatoes

The physical and mechanical of the potatoes influence the potato peeling process and affect
efficiency of the potato peeler; therefore knowledge of these properties assist the designer of the
potato peeler to improve the peeling efficiency. During the process of mechanical peeling of
potatoes, potatoes are usually loaded with wanted mechanical loads that are also accompanied by
un wanted loads such as compression, impact, and vibration, which are responsible for the
bruising of potatoes during the peeling operations (Brusewitz et al., 1991). Therefore reduction
in the unwanted loads and improvement of the effectiveness of wanted loads during the potato
peeling process can be achieved by application of knowledge of mechanical properties of
potatoes such as toughness and shear strength- in the design of the mechanical potato peeler.
Additionally, knowledge of the chemical properties of potatoes is essential in minimizing the
deterioration of the quality of potatoes during the peeling process.

The mechanical properties of the potato can be studied for different states including skin, flesh,
and unpeeled state. Researchers such as Grotte et al. (2000), Jackman and Stanley (1994), and
Voisey et al. (1970) used the unpeeled potatoes and peeled flesh potatoes to indirectly obtain the
result of the force deformation of the skin of the potatoes. However the experimental procedure
was reportedly not accepted by researchers due to the likelihood of some errors in the result.
According to Thompson et al. (1992), contribution of the skin to the external puncture force can
be identified by making puncture force measurements before and after skin removal on the
potatoes. In addition Jackman and Stanley (1992) reported that the difference of puncture load
displacement between unpeeled and fresh potatoes without skin cannot provide the load of the
skin itself as proved by an increase in effective area of compression during puncture of the skin.

5
2.2 Peeling methods.

2.2.1 Manual peeling

In Uganda manual peeling of potatoes using hand knives is often used. During manual peeling of
potatoes using hand knives, the operator holds the potato in one hand and use the knife held in
the other hand to remove the potato skin. The manual peeling method using hand knives is a
highly tedious, labour intensive and time consuming process that is also accompanied by high
quantitative and qualitative losses. The main problem with the manual peeling of potatoes using
hand knives is the inability to peel large amounts of potatoes at once in a short period of time and
it also involves a lot of wastage of food content in the peels during the peeling operation.

2.2.2 Mechanical peeling

Mechanical peeling of potatoes involves use of mechanical tools to peel off the skin of potatoes.
This is a mechanized means of peeling that is suitable for peeling of large number of potatoes at
a time. There are a variety of mechanical peelers designed to suit the peeling of potatoes and
these are classified on the basis of the type of mechanism that is incorporated into the peeling
system. Mechanical peelers are manual or hand operated while others are automatic or electric
and these include: abrasive devices, devices with drums, devices with rollers, knifes or blades,
milling cutters, rotato potato peeler, and electric potato peeler. The methods of operation of these
different mechanical peelers are described below.

(i) Abrasive devices

The abrasive method can be implemented in a very simple way by using gloves with abrasive
outside layer and potatoes are rubbed by the gloves to remove the skin on the potatoes. Somsen
et al. (2004) proved that manual peeling of potatoes using sandpaper results in the lowest
possible peel losses. Handy peel gloves always rub, peel, and scrub potatoes all in one step and
it’s easy to use, saves time, and wastage of food content in the peels is less. The downside of the
abrasive method is that it produces a lower quality product compared to hand peeling and it
bruises the underlying tissue of the potatoes. Jasper et al. (2001) made a peeler equipped with a
rough exterior surface that abrades the outside surface of potatoes. An example of abrasive
devices is the Combi peeler (see Figure 1) with a combination of an abrasive peeling element and
a knife peeling element.

6
Figure 1. Combi potato peeler

(ii) Devices using drums

In this type of mechanical peeling, the peeling drum with protrusions on the inside surface
removes the skin from the potatoes by means of abrasion when the peeling drum is rotated
(Singh, 1998). The shortcoming of this method is the large amount of waste water that is
required during peeling.

(iii) Devices using rollers

Suter (2002) developed a peeling machine consisting of a set of abrasive rollers which come
together in longitudinal direction and the distance between rollers can be adjustable. The roller
potato peeler is shown in Figure 2. The feeder feeds the rollers controllably on the basis of the
sensed load inside the rollers by a related sensor. This type of peeling machine consists of a
frame with a pair of end plates that carry the longitudinal rollers. Each roller is powered by an
individual motor which is coupled to that roller. This peeling machine however neither achieved
higher efficiency nor peeling losses.

7
Figure 2. Carborundum roller potato peeler

(iv) Knives or blades

Tardif and He (1999) released a peeling machine equipped with blades to peel potatoes. The
potato which is located at the hollow base of the machine is rotated by the threaded rod on top, it
is then rotated by the handle manually and the blade which is coupled to the supporting rod and
urged by the spring moves towards the potato to be peeled and in the process the blade removes
the peel on the potato as the potato rotates.

(v) Milling cutter

In this method, one or more fixed or rotary peeling tools like a knife with at least one cutting
edge take the peel off the product. In the first stage of this method, a fixed knife or blade is used
to peel a rotary spherical potato. Boyce et al. (1961) used a milling cutter in the form of a very
flat milling cutter having a large number of cutting teeth distributed over a considerable large
diameter in order to produce large chips of peel. The big diameter of the cutter and shape of teeth
were the reasons that could not allow the cutter to properly follow the shape of the potato. This
machine solved the problem of clogging but the peeling production was not sufficient.

(vi) Rotato potato peeler

The rotato potato peeler shown in Figure 3 has special storage compartments for the spare blades
and a thumb knife for removing stains and eyes on potatoes. During operation the potato is
skewed on the rotato potato peeler bottom spike and the top spike is lowered to hold the potato
firmly, then the rotato potato peeler handle is rotated to skin peels off from the potato.

8
Figure 3. Rotato potato peeler

(vii) Electric potato peeler

An electric peeler is capable of peeling and producing clean peeled potatoes within a very short
time. An electric potato peeler is easy to be operated, requires little effort to be operated, and can
easily be cleaned after peeling.

2.2.3 Thermal peeling

This method can be performed by wet heat (stream) or dry heat (flame, hot gases). Floros and
Chinnan (1988a) reported that the wide spread of stream peeling is due to its high level of
automation, precise control of time, minimize peeling losses, and reduce environmental pollution
as compared to chemical peeling. This method especially dry heat causes burning of the potato
surface and the small pieces of the potato skin which are not removed give a poor appearance to
the potatoes (Weaver et al., 1980). The different types of thermal peeling include: flame (dry
heat) peeling, steam (wet heat) peeling. These different types of thermal peeling are described
below.

(i) Flame (dry heat) peeling

For this method the potatoes are exposed to direct flame for about one minute or hot gases in the
rotary tube flame peelers. The heat that is exposed to the potatoes causes the steam to develop

9
under the skin of the potatoes and this causes the skin to burst and moves up that can be washed
away with water. Weaver et al. reported that flame peeling can efficiently remove the skin over
the surface area of the skin of the potato.

(ii) Steam (wet heat) peeling

For this method superheated steam is used. The steam pressure that is used in this method is
about 10atm and it leads to the softening of the skin and underlying tissues of the potato. So
when the pressure is suddenly released, steam under the skin of the potato expands and causes
the skin to burst and crack. The skin is then removed by washing it away with water jets at high
pressure of about 12atm. The disadvantage of this method is that potatoes could be subjected
beyond the time required which may lead to cooking of potatoes.

2.2.4 Chemical peeling

In this peeling method, the skin of the potato is softened from the underlying tissues by
submerging the potatoes in a hot alkali solution of dilute sodium hydroxide (lye solution) of
concentration 0.8-3%. The loosened skins of the potatoes are then washed away by high velocity
water sprays. The disadvantages of chemical peeling of potatoes include:
(i) High costs of acquiring caustic lye.
(ii) The difficulty in controlling the penetration of chemical into the potato tuber.
(iii) The difficulty in the removal of chemical traces as it may be poisonous.
(iv)Chemical peeling causes changes in the color of potatoes

2.3 Peeling efficiency

Peeling efficiency is the percentage peel that is removed from the potato per unit time (minutes).
According to Singh and Shukla (1995), peeling efficiency is given by:

A 1−A 2
η= ×100 (2.1)
A1× t

Where: η - peeling efficiency in %/min;

t - Peeling time in minutes

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 AI - fraction of potatoes inside the peeling drum before peeling and it’s
assumed to be 100
A2 - fraction of the peeled potatoes inside the peeling drum after peeling

2.4 Design of machine components

2.4.1 Shaft
Shaft design consists of determination of correct diameter to ensure satisfactory strength and
rigidity when the shaft is transmitting power under various operating and loading conditions. The
shaft is subjected to two types of directional loadings (vertical and horizontal loading): vertical
loading is due to weight of the pulley on it acting down wards, torque or radial force, load due to
weight of the peeling drum, and reactions at the bearings. Horizontal loading is due to tangential
force and reactions at the bearings due to tangential force. Shafts are designed according to the
maximum shear stress (equation 2.2) and the principal stress theories (equation 2.3). But the
maximum shear stress the theory is more applicable to ductile materials rather than designing
basing on the principal stress theory.

16
τ max=
πd
3 √( ( M ) + ( M ) )
b
2
t
2
(2.2)

σ 1=
16
πd
3[ √
M b+ ( ( M b ) + ( M t ) )
2 2
] (2.3)

Where: τ max - allowable design shear stress for bending and torsion
Mb - bending moment
Mt - torsional moment
d - Diameter of the shaft
σ1 - Stress
Maximum bending moment is obtained from a bending moment diagram for the loadings on the
shaft.

Torsional moment in the shaft is given as:

11
 P
Mt= (2.4)
2 πn

Where: P - Power given by the motor

n - Number of revolutions per minute

2.4.2 Machine frame

In designing a machine frame weight of the peeling drum, power transmission shaft, and potatoes
to be feed into the peeling drum for peeling are considered. The compressive stress on each
machine frame leg is given as:

F
DC= (2.5)
nA

Where: F - force on the machine frame

A - Cross section area of the frame leg
n - Number of frame legs

According to Hearn (1997), the supports are designed according to critical loads and the end
conditions of the struts.
According to Budynas−Nisbett (2006), Columns can be categorized as below:
(i) Long columns with central loading
(ii) Intermediate-length columns with central loading
(iii) Columns with eccentric loading
(iv)Struts or short columns with eccentric loading

Classifying columns as above makes it possible to develop methods of analysis and design
specific to each category.
From Euler’s theory:
K π 2 EI
Buckling Load , P= (2.6)
L2

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Where: I - least second moment of area
K - Factor dependent on the end conditions
L - Length
E - Young’s modulus

2.4.3 Key
According to Budynas−Nisbett (2006), Square keys, are also available in rectangular sizes. The
shaft diameter determines standard size for the key. The maximum length of a key is limited by
the hub length of the attached element, and should generally not exceed about 1.5 times the shaft
diameter to avoid excessive twisting with the angular deflection of the shaft.

Maximum Length of the key=1.5 d (2.7)

Where: d - the diameter of the shaft.

2.4.4 Bearing selection

Bearings are selected from the manufactures catalogue according to purpose and diameter of the
shaft. In selecting bearings, life requirements, static and dynamic conditions are considered.
For combined radial and axial load, equipment load of the bearing is given as:
The relationship between rating life of bearings in million revolutions and life in working hours
is given as:

60 n L10 h
L10= 6 (2.8)
10

Where: L10h – Rated bearing life (hours)

n – Speed of rotation of shaft (rpm)

Dynamic load capacity is given as:

C=P ( L10) 0.3 (2.9)

13
Where: P - constant and its value depends on whether the bearing is a roller or
a ball bearing

2.5 DRAWING FOR THE PROPOSED DESIGN

A - Peeling drum
B - Pulley
C - Manual handle
D - Frame

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 CHAPTER THREE

3.0 METHODOLOGY
The main aim of this project is to design and fabricate a peeling machine that can peels large
amounts of potatoes at once, reduces amount of food content that is lost in peels, saves time and
reduces drudgery during peeling. This chapter provides the step-by-step procedure of how the
proposed study will be conducted following the stated specific objectives.

3.1 Data collection methods

Data will be collected by visiting the appropriate manufacturing company of agriculture
machines (TONNET AGRO ENGINEERING COMPANY LIMITED) to consult on an
appropriate design which will suit people’s interests and visiting different websites on internet to
review the literatures of the existing peeling methods and existing potato peeling machines.

3.2 Design consideration

The following considerations will be made in the design of the potato peeler:
1) The machine shall be relatively cheap and affordable by most local people.
2) The equipment shall be made with readily available materials.
3) The capacity of peeling and production of peeled potatoes within a short time shall be
higher compared to manual operation of peeling.

3.3 Machine description

The machine will be used to peel potatoes by scratching off the outer skin using the brushes
inside the peeling drum. Operation of the machine is either to be done by a human hand or
powered by a motor. During operation fresh potatoes will be put in the peeling drum slightly half
way and then water will be poured whose level will remain below the potatoes. When the handle
is rotated or when the motor is started, both the peeling drum and the shaft rotate. During
operation the brushes inside the peeling drum peel off the outer skin of the potatoes. After some
time the rotation is stopped and the peeled potatoes removed from the peeling drum. The dirty
water in the peeling drum after the peeling operation is removed using the drain outlet hole on

15
the peeling drum. The essential components of the proposed potato peeling machine include; the
machine frame, peeling drum, and the power unit.

3.3.1 Machine Frame

This supports the other components of the potato peeling machine and providing balance to the
machine during operation and shall have four stands made of the same material. It is subjected to
the direct weight or load of other members of the machine and also to torque and vibration from
the peeling drum and motor. The desired material for the frame therefore should be of high
rigidity, hardness, adequate toughness. For this purpose high carbon steel rods were chosen.

3.3.2 Peeling Drum

The drum shall rotate when powered hence will generate torque, therefore the drum is affected
by torsional stress. The desired material for the drum shall be of high hardness and ductility to
retain a rigid shape which is cylindrical when in use. The gate on the peeling drum will be
provided to enable feeding of potatoes into the drum and removal of peeled potatoes from the
drum after peeling. A hole will be provided on the peeling drum to enable dirty water and peels
to be drained out from the peeling drum after the peeling operation.

3.3.3 Power unit

This unit shall consist of an electrical motor, belt, bearing, shaft and a pulley. The belt shall be
used to transmit power from the electrical motor to the pulley on the driving shaft which in turn
rotates the peeling drum. Manufactured vulcanized belt with adequate tension shall be used. The
pulley shall be attached to the shaft that passes through the peeling drum. The pulley since it
will be subjected to tension forces from the belt as well as torque and speed variations from the
motor should be rigid, hard and machinable. The wooden handle on the pulley is to enable
manual operation of the machine using a human hand.

3.4 Design of machine components

The following design criteria are identified as needed for the specific design of the different
component parts of the machine:
(i) Determination of the weight of the peeling drum.

16
 (ii) Dynamic resistance; the dynamic effect to the system will include all forces that will
be acting on the machine.
(iii) Estimation of power required by the machine.
(iv) Determination of approximate length of the belt.
(v) Determination of load on shaft pulley and belt tensions.
(vi) Determination of load on the peeling drum.
(vii) Determination of minimum shaft diameter.

3.4.1 Design of the Peeling drum

According to Eugene and Theodore (1996), mass of the drum m is given by:

m=ρV
(3.1)

Where: ρ density of the material used to make the drum

-
V - Volume of the drum.
But; V = (Length x width x thickness) + (2 x circumference x thickness)

Weight of the drum therefore will be given as:

W = mg (3.2)

Where: m - mass of the drum

g - Acceleration due to gravity

3.4.2 Determination of the Forces acting on the Machine

The forces that develop in machine during operation include:
i. Peeling force: average force to part the outer potato skin from the potatoes.
ii. Gravitational force: this is due to the heavy components on the machine like the peeling
drum.

17
 iii. Inertia force due to acceleration and deceleration at the end points of sliding and
reciprocating motions.
iv. Centrifugal force: force directed outward relative to some origin due to high speed
rotation of eccentric masses

3.4.3 Determination of the Power required by the Machine

The output for the peeling machine will vary according to the capacity of the motor when an
electric motor is used and human force when the machine is operated manually during absence
of electricity. Power from motor for peeling potatoes will be determined by:

P=VI (3.3)

Where: V - Voltage
I - Current

The torque which is transmitted by the motor will be determined from:

power , P=torque ,T ×angular velocity , ω (3.4)

Torque , T =force , F ×radius of rotation , r=mgr (3.5)

Torque , T =Fr=mgr (3.6)

2 πn
Angular velocity , ω= (3.7)
60

Where: n Number of revolution per second

-

3.4.4 Design of the pulley system

The machine will consist of two pulleys: the motor pulley and rotor pulley. The diameter of the
rotor pulley will be obtained from:

18
 ( N m × Dm )
Dr = (3.8)
Nr

Where: Nm - Motor pulley speed in rpm

Nr - Rotor pulley speed in rpm
Dm - Diameter of motor pulley
Dr - Diameter of rotor pulley
The load carrying capacity for both the pulleys is given as:

( ( ))
μθ
sin
∝
2
(3.9)
C=e

Where: μ - coefficient of friction

θ - Contact angle
∝ - groove angle

Key for the rotor pulley

The dimensions of the key will be determined as:
d
b=h= (3.10)
4
l=1.5 d (3.11)

Where: b - width of key

h - Height or thickness of key
d - Diameter of the shaft
l Length of the key
-
Selection of the transmission belt
Here either a V-belt or flat belt will be chosen to transfer drive from the motor to the power
transmission shaft with the aid of the pulley.
The factors that will be considered during selections of belts include:

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 (i) Speed of the driving and the driven shaft.
(ii) Speed reduction ratio.
(iii) Power to be transmitted by the belt.
(iv)Centre distance between the shafts.

The length of the belt (L) will be determined from:

2
( Dr + Dm ) ( Dr−D m ) (3.12)
L=2 c +1.57 +
2 4C

Where: c - Centre distance between the two pulleys

Centre distance between the two pulleys is given as:

c= A + √ ( A2−B) (3.13)

L ( Dr− D m)
Where: A= −π (3.14)
4 8

2
And
( D r −Dm ) (3.15)
B=
8

Where: L - Pitch length of the belt selected from the table

Angle of contact the belt makes with the pulleys is given as:

( R r−R m )
cosβ = (3.16)
C

Where: Rr - radius of the rotor pulley

Rm - radius of the motor pulley

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 β - wrap angle

Angle of contact of the belt with the motor pulley is given as:
θm =1800−2 β (3.17)

Angle of contact of the belt with the rotor pulley is given as:
0
θr =180 +2 β (3.18)

Determining the number of belts

The number of belts will be determined as:

transmitted power ∈kW × fa

N= (3.19)
fc× fd × Pr

Where: fc - correction factor for belt length

fd - Correction factor for arc of contact
fa - Correction factor for industrial service
Pr - Power rating of single v-belt.

Power transmitted by the belt

The power transmitted by the belt is given as:
P=(T 1−T 2 )V (3.20)

Where: T1 - Tension in the tight side of the belt

T2 - Tension in the slack side of the belt
V - Speed of the belt

V =ωr (3.21)

Where: ω - angular velocity of the motor pulley

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 r - Radius of the motor pulley

The ratio of the tension in the tight side to tension in slack side of the belt is given as:

T 1 μθ /( sinα / 2)
=e (3.22)
T2

3.4.5 Determination of Shaft Diameter

The shaft diameter that will withstand the loads is determined from the maximum shear stress
theory.

16
τ max=
πd
3 √( ( M ) + ( M ) )
b
2
t
2
(3.23)

Where: τ max - allowable design shear stress for bending and torsion
Mb - bending moment
Mt - torsional moment
d - Diameter of the shaft

Design of the machine frame

In designing a machine frame weight of the peeling drum, power transmission shaft, and potatoes
to be feed into the peeling drum for peeling are considered. The compressive stress on each
machine frame leg is given as:
F
DC= (3.24)
nA

Where: F - force on the machine frame

A - Cross section area of the frame leg
n - Number of frame legs

If the calculated compressive stress is less than the young’s modulus of the material, there will
no bending of the frame.

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Design of the manual handle
The handle design was based on torsional moments.

The distance from the shaft to the hand grip part of the handle is given as:
M t =P × Lh (3.24)

Where: Mt – Torsional moment on the handle.

Lh – distance from the shaft to the hand grip part of the handle.

3.6 Fabrication of the prototype

3.6.1 Selection of materials

The following aspects will be considered when selecting the material for fabrication of the
designed potato peeler:

(i) Material strength

Material strength is important for efficient a potato peeling machine and it helps to show
the toughness and durability of the potato peeler.

(ii) Availability of material

The material that is readily available on market is considered depending on their purpose.

(iii) Material Cost

Fabrication Methods
Available fabrication methods will be used for fabrication and include:
 Joining methods: Welding, screws, Bolts and Nuts.
 Sheet metal bending.

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3.6.2 Cost analysis
The cost of the design will be considered by developing a budget accounting for all cost incurred
during the design plus the profit margin in order to find out whether the cost can easily be
affordable by the people.

3.7 Testing the prototype

The parameters for testing the effectiveness and efficiency of the potato peeler to be designed in
this project will include:

(i) Thickness of peel

This refers to the size of removed peels from the potatoes; this is proportional to the
amount of food quantity lost in the peels.
(ii) Level of removal of the potato skin
This refers to peel losses; the substantial amount of potato flesh that is being removed
from the potato because of peeling.
(iii) Feed in the peeling drum
This refers to the quantity of potatoes to be peeled in the peeling drum.

(iv) Relative speed of rotation of the peeling drum

This refers to speed at which the peeling drum will be rotating during the peeling process.
(v) Rate of peeling of potatoes in kg/min
This refers to the weight of the peeled potatoes divided by peeling time.

The potato peeler to be designed in this project will be expected to produce large amounts of
quality fresh peeled potatoes in a short period of time and reduce labour costs for peeling. The
machine will be easily operated by one person and the following benefits are expected:

a) The equipment will be made from the readily available materials.

b) It’s expected to reduce the labor input during peeling of large amounts of potatoes.

24
25
PROPOSED TIME FRAME
S/N Activities Period; 2012 – 2013

2012 2013
Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May

1 Title identification

2 Problem identification

3 Project proposal writing

4 Proposal presentation

5 Potato peeler design and fabrication

6 Testing of fabricated prototype of the

potato peeler
7 Presentation of final project

8 Consultations

26
PROPOSED BUDGET

27
 REFERENCES

Bhandari V.B., (2007), Design of Machine Elements, Second Edition, ISBN 0-07-061141-6,978-
0-07-061141-2, Published by McGraw-Hill Companies.
Budynas−Nisbett., (2006), Shigley’s Mechanical Engineering Design, Eighth Edition, ISBN:
0−390−76487−6, published by McGraw – Hill.
M.F.SPOTTS, T.E.SHOUP, L.E.HORNBERGER., (2004), Design of Machine Elements, Eighth
Edition, ISBN: 0-13-048989-1, published by Upper Saddle River.
Marcel D., (2003), Bearing design in machinery, ISBN: 0-8247-0703-6, published by Marcel
Dekker, Inc. Available: http://www.dekker.com
Singh K.K and Shukla B.D., (1995), Abrasive peeling of potatoes, Journal of Food Engineering,
26, 431-442.
Uganda’sIrishPotatoSector.Available:http://www.foodnet.cgiar.org/market/Uganda/Reports/
Irishpotato.pdf, Retrieved 11/11/2012

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