Development of Dual Powered Groundnut Roaster for Small Scale Agro-Processing

This study presents the design, construction, and testing of a dual-powered groundnut roaster, addressing poor access to electrical energy and processing efficiency challenges in rural areas. The roaster utilizes both electricity and biomass energy sources, providing a flexible and sustainable solution for groundnut processing. The device consists of a roasting chamber, heating elements, and a control system, with the electric heating element powered by an electrical energy and the biomass heating element using agricultural waste as fuel. Experiments were conducted using 100kg of raw groundnuts, evaluating the roaster's performance with three groundnut cultivars (Runne, Spanish, and Virginia). Results showed a significant reduction in roasting time (40% electricity, 30% biomass) and energy consumption (25% electricity, 20% biomass) compared to traditional methods. The roaster achieved high roasting efficiency (95.00%-96.41%) and produced high-quality roasted groundnuts. With a roasting capacity of 0.76 kg/minute (electricity) and 0.53 kg/minute (biomass), the dual-powered roaster can effectively roast 10 kg of groundnuts in 6.13 minutes (electricity) and 20.0 minutes (biomass). This innovative technology offers a reliable, energy-efficient, and environmentally friendly solution for small-scale groundnut processing, enhancing rural livelihoods and promoting sustainable agro-processing practices.