Design and Efficiency Assessment of Horizontal Fertilizer Mixing Machine

Abstract

This research aimed to design and evaluate the performance of a horizontal fertilizer mixing machine. The machine was designed with dimensions of 700 mm in width, 1,360 mm in length, and 1,220 mm in height. The mixing tank has a capacity of 50 liters and is powered by a 3-Hp electric motor. The power transmission system consists of a 1:20 gear reducer, a driving gear with 12 teeth, a driven gear with 29 teeth, and a mixing shaft. The ribbon-type agitator, which is attached to the arms of the mixing shaft, operates in a horizontal motion. The outer ribbon blade has a diameter of 570 mm with a pitch of 344 mm, while the inner ribbon blade has a diameter of 370 mm with the same pitch. The mixer was tested with 40 kg of compost and 1,000 plastic beads with a diameter of 5 mm. The agitator rotated at a speed of 30 revolutions per minute. The average moisture content of the compost was 56.98%. Samples were collected at 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 minutes, and the number of beads in each sample was recorded. The coefficient of variation (CV) was then calculated to assess the mixing uniformity. The results showed that the horizontal fertilizer mixing machine exhibited good mixing uniformity, as indicated by a coefficient of variation of less than 5%. Specifically, the coefficient of variation at 3 minutes was 1.74%, and at 4 minutes was 3.5%