Author(s): SN Singh, SG Patel, VA Patel and MG Varma

Abstract: Experiment was conducted to evaluate grinding characteristics of wheat milled. The treatments of the experiment include three moisture contents of wheat (12.20, 10.90, 9.70%) and three shaft pulley speeds (4000, 3000, 2400 rpm). After milling and sieve analysis the study indicated that the value of fineness modulus was increased with decreasing speed whereas decreased with decreasing moisture content. The maximum fineness modulus 4.650 was found at 2400 rpm speed and 12.20% moisture content whereas minimum fineness modulus 3.383 at 4000 rpm speed and 9.70% moisture content for wheat flour. The average particle size of ground wheat was increased with the increasing moisture content of wheat but decreased with increased speed. The maximum throughput capacity 9.16 kg h^-1 was observed for treatment T₇ and minimum 6.57 kg h^-1 for treatment T₃. The maximum and minimum values of size reduction ratio were 10.133, 6.807 value for treatment T₇, and T₃ respectively. The specific energy consumption (23.50 kJ kg^-1) was higher for treatment T₁ and the lower (13.50 kJ kg^-1) for T₉. The milling yield (88.23%) during wheat milling was higher at 4000 rpm speed and 12.20% moisture content for treatment T₁. Milling loss was found to be higher at lower moisture level and decreased with the increase of moisture content as well as speed. It was observed that the energy requirement for grinding, Rittinger’s constant, Kick’s constant, Bond’s work index and Bond’s constant which are the measures of energy uptake got increased with the increased moisture level and pulley shaft speed.

DOI: 10.33545/26174693.2024.v8.i3g.775