Dual-Powered Foliage Chopper for Organic Materials

Abstract

The dual powered foliage chopper (DPFC) was designed and fabricated using G1 pipe, angle bars, solid rotor and shaft. It is designed with a rotating shaft mounted with four (4) rotary chopping blades wrapped around the 16" long cylinder on its surface. It contains also eight (8) fixed chopping board plates mounted in the inner surface of the assembly. It is powered by footpedal and an electric motor. The pedal is equipped with two sprockets- 4.5" and 8" diameters having an 18.5" long chain. The pedal sprocket is connected to the rotary shaft by a 16" long chain. The electric motor is connected to the rotary shaft by a 38" V belt via a 6" diameter pulley chopper assembly. The machine chopped 1 kg of kakawate leaves (Gliricidia sepium) by foot and electric motor in 8 min and 5.55 min, respectively, while seaweeds (Sargassum sp.) by foot and electric motor in 10 min and 8 min, respectively. The choppedmaterials can pass through a .02 cm mesh. Comparing fresh and dried materials, dried kakawate leaves were chopped more easily than fresh leaves by 0.55 min. using the electric motor. It was 2 min. easier for dried leaves when using the foot mechanism. One unit of the newly designed dual powered foliage chopper (DPFC) costs P 30,465.00.