Performance Evaluation and Modification of an Existing Rice Destoner

Abstract

Destoning is a processing technique for removing stones and broken grains from a batch of milled rice. This research was carried out to modify an existing rice destoner for the purpose of increasing its capacity and efficiency. The modification introduced addressed challenges associated with the existing machine, such as lower stone removal efficiency and lower air flow channel, which affects the aerodynamic lifting of the rice grains. The performance was evaluated for 3 kg of locally milled rice samples based on the design capacity of the machine, cleaning efficiency and degree of grain flow. The result showed that the design capacity (1800 kg/h) of the modified destoner was higher than that of the existing (864 kg/h). Also, the machine has 40.8% destoning efficiency which is relatively higher than the existing machine.