Determination of the influence of the number of profile holes on the efficiency indicators of hemp seed crusher impellers

The object of the research is technological processes, seeds and kernels of industrial hemp, centrifugal dehullers, dehuller impellers. The research is aimed at increasing the efficiency of centrifugal dehulling of industrial hemp seeds by determining the influence of the number of profile holes in the impellers. Two variants of the impeller design were developed and tested: with four and six profile holes. The research was conducted on seeds of the “Glesia” variety under stable processing conditions, including optimal humidity (8.4 %) and standardized wheel rotation parameters (6000±200 rpm). According to the research results, it was established: – an impeller with four profile holes in five dehulling cycles enabled a total kernel yield of 34.81 %. Under such conditions, the bulk of the seeds were dehulled in the first three cycles; – the impeller with six profile holes made it possible to ensure a total kernel yield of 34.48 % in three dehulling cycles. Under these conditions, a significant part of the kernels was separated in the first two cycles. According to the results of the analysis of the dehulling indicators, it was noted: – in the first two cycles, the wheel with six holes separated up to 29.71 % of the kernels, and the wheel with four holes - up to 22.02 %; – the use of the design of the wheel with six holes reduced the remains of undehulled seeds after the third cycle to 4.24 % of the initial mass, while the wheel with four holes – up to 16.23 %. The advantages of the centrifugal dehulling method, which is based on the principle of converting kinetic energy into impact, were noted. This made it possible to separate the shells from the kernels without prior calibration of industrial hemp seeds. The research results demonstrated the advantages of the improved design, which includes an impeller with six profile holes, and the prospects of its use to increase the productivity of industrial hemp seed dehulling.