Due to irregular power supply common in developing countries, as well as growing high cost of hydrocarbon, the need arises for the development of a triple energy source that uses electricity, gas and charcoal for heating oven chambers for animal feed. The triplex-powered feed dryer is a combination of components that make possible the use of alternative heat sources. The upper chamber is powered by electricity, the middle chamber is powered charcoal whilst the lower chamber works for the supply of gas located outside the chamber as a heat source. In the upper chamber is a heating element that generates and dissipates heat within the enclosure. The element is connected to a thermostat that regulates the rate of heat generation in the system. Cooking gas is supplied to the burner located in the lower chamber of the dryer via a pipe connection to the gas cylinder while the heat required from the charcoal dryer is supplied by the coal. Perforations allow for heat dissipation within the lower chamber. The performance test gave oven efficiency of 95.2 per cent. The oven can be adapted for both domestic and industrial purposes and have been found very useful in agricultural sector.

CHAPTER ONE

1.0                                                        INTRODUCTION

Feeding livestock such as pig with dry cassava waste is advantageous to the livestock and the farmer as it is economical and also supplies the required nutrients to the livestock. However, the feed industrial machines are not favorable to the local farmers due to its high cost. Cassava waste drying machine is the machine used in the production of the dry feed for pigs. Cassava waste drying machine is an equipment used for making mainly powdery materials and some solid of variable size into dry form [1]. It is used usually for mass or batch production and is applied in industries like ceramics industry, agro industries, iron and steel industry, chemical industry, pharmaceutical industry, cement industry, it is equally used in metallurgical workshops and some related industries..

Considering need for farming business in our nation, researchers has swamped into action to design a cost effective machine capable of converting wet cassava waste feed material into dry one. Such machine is expected to be of high efficiency in order to minimize the cost of farming and improve economy through income generation. The machine, when applied in agriculture will make animal rearing attractive. And create job for the workforce.

An animal or pig feed drying machine is a thermally insulated chamber used for the heating, baking or drying of a substance and most commonly used for cooking.

This project is as a result of increasing interest. Essentially, the idea, as demonstrated in an existing design, arises in the project students a feeling of motivation, and hence the search for a way to bring it to reality in a simple, yet intelligent design, like this. This project is designed to make the students utilize as many theoretical and practical concept as have been instructed in Alston to mechanical engineering workshop technology. Students are expected to learn and apply concepts, principles about energy specially the conversions of  electrical energy to thermal energy, conduction and conventional heat transfer etc.

Also the determination of the properties of various ferrous and non-ferrous materials, electrical installation occults. The application of engineering measurement and quality control. Also to build an intellectual ability in interpretation of working drawing in designing and development before and after working process.  Students will get an opportunity to appreciate safety, and the use of both machine and hand tools in the course of working.

This machines comprises of an dryer, and this oven is a combination of units and components that make possible the use of three alternative heat sources, namely electric and gas. The body is made of well coated mild steel while the internal surface is made of galvanized sheet owing to its resistance to rust or corrosion. Fibre glass (rock wool) is stuffed in-between the mild steel and galvanized sheet and which acts to prevent loss of heat (insulation). Fibre glass is known to have light weight, high strength and high thermal shock resistance characteristics. The oven or dryer supports have rollers for easy movement and to absorb shock as well as sustain weight of the oven. At the upper chamber is a voltage indicator consisting of green and red bulbs. The former indicates the presence of electricity and the latter indicates when the oven is in operation. The oven/ dryer has three door chambers. The upper chamber uses Electricity, the middle chamber uses charcoal while the lower chamber uses cooking gas as heat source, respectively. Inside the upper chamber is a heating element incorporated with a thermostat to regulate the rate of heat generation in the system. Wire mesh is welded to provide the required base or support for the baking trays. In the lower chamber of the dryer is a gas burner connected by means of suitable hose to the gas cylinder located outside the oven.

Perforations created just below the burner allow for heat dissipation.

Electric dryers are the direct fired dryer, which effectively distribute heat while being powered by electricity, although this can often result in a higher heating cost for the consumer. Electric dryer also feature a thermostat that controls the oven’s temperature electronically, and many have top, bottom, or rear grill elements.

Electric dryer can take longer to heat, but they are relatively inexpensive in cost compared to other types of ovens.

Charcoal dryers are indirectly fired ovens that use wood fuel for cooking. While the traditional wood-fired dryer is like a masonry oven (mud oven), such dryer can also be built out of cobor iron. Wood-fired dryers are distinct from wood-fired stoves that have a hot cooking surface for pots and pans like electric stove. A wood stove may also have an oven separate from the fire chamber. Regardless of material they all have an oven chamber consisting of a floor (or hearth), a dome and an entry (dryer opening). The wood fired dryer has an advantage of the less capital requirement, ease of construction and similarly the wood fired has the disadvantage of longer baking time, the product has not baked uniformly and has the problem of the changing the original flavor of the product.

Gas dryer one of the first recorded uses of a gas stove and oven referenced a dinner party in 1802 hosted by Zachaus Winzler, where all the food was prepared either on a gas stove or in its oven compartment. In 1834, British inventor James Sharp began to commercially produce gas ovens after installing one in his own house. In 1851, the Bower’s Registered Gas Stove was displayed at the Great Exhibition. This stove would set the standard and basis for the modern gas oven. Notable improvements to the gas stove since include the addition of the thermostat which assisted in temperature regulation; also an enamel coating was added to the production of gas stoves and ovens in order to help with easier cleaning.

Gas dryer is one which works by the liquefied petroleum gas for the baking of the bread, cake and biscuit.

The major operational principle of the gas dryer is the process of heat transfer. Heat transfer tends to occur whenever there is a temperature difference, and the ways in which heat may be transferred in the gas dryer that is convection. Convection is the transfer of energy from one place to another by the motion of a mass of materials between the two points. In a natural convection, the motion of the fluid is entirely as a result of differences in density resulting from temperature differences. Naturally, convection occurs when a solid surface is in contact with a fluid of different temperature from a surface. Density differences provide the force required to move the fluid (moisture) in the food. In the dryer, the fluid involved is the enclosed air and the burner surface, which provides the solid surface, while the dryer walls serve as the solid surfaces. The rate at which heat is transferred across an enclosed dryer is calculated from a coefficient based upon the temperature differences of the surfaces.

1.1                                                AIM OF THE PROJECT

The aim of this work is to design a pig feed drying machine that will be capable of producing 500 bags of 50kg of pig feed per day.

1.2                                            OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT

This project is undertaken to:

(1)    To fabricate the said machine with a locally sourced materials.

(2)   To evaluate the operating performance of the machine in terms of drying time, drying capacity, moisture loss of dryer produced and total solids, and physical parameters of dryer like particle size, shape and bulk density; and

(3). To boost fish farming and create job.

(4). Compare the various ways used in the production of an electric, charcoal and gas oven.

(5)    Disclose the different types of process in the manufacturing of the machine using an electric oven, charcoal and also a gas oven in the past in comparison to the modern days method.

(6)    Exploit the local facilities available in the construction of the machine as against imported ones.

(7)    To exhibit the usefulness of a multi- power source purpose drying machine in the economy and technology growth of the nation.

(8)    To know the convenience in the use of alternate power source for operation of ovens.

(9)    Discover the basic principle involved in the design and maintenance of a triplex purpose pig drying machine.

1.3                                              IMPORTANCE OF PROJECT

In actual analytical enunciation an dryer is an enclosed chamber in which animal feeds are heated with various sources of power. Its importance borders around its function, which are as follows;

(i)    It is used to meet the everyday basic need of drying of different animal feeding materials for animal consumption.

(ii)    it can also be used for heat treatment of substance in laboratories and industries.

(iii)    Also as a means of preservation by heat application to perishable materials (organic and inorganic) in general.

(iv)    Sterilization of instruments and equipment for industrial use is done by heat application using device.

(v)    Expelling of moisture content to a required measure in some substance is also done using dryer.

(vi)    Early manufactured dryer where used as a source of room heaters during cold weathers in cold climates.

Other importance boarding around its energy source is that the use an alternative source of energy when either fossil fuel or electricity is not available.  This can be relatively save cost when necessary.

1.4                                                LIMITATIONS OF DRYER

Disadvantages in the use of the machine:

(i)    Cleaning and repair is a difficult and time- consuming endeavor.

(ii)    Expect for mass production singular construction is relatively expensive to produce.

(iii)    If precautions are not well carried out, it can result in fire hazard, which is dangerous to life and properties.

(iv)    Because dryers provide heat for one or more areas, the temperature may vary in different areas of the dryer.

(v)    Oils and moisture collected on metal surface can end up trying to rust the metal coating if not clean regularly.

(vi)    It is expensive to operate in high volume operations.

(vii)    Speed seem to be the key factor and time taken to get to required constant temperature can be wastage of time.

(viii)    Access to internal component n case of adjustment and maintenance is tasking as it requires an entire disassembling.

(ix)    In case of mechanical faults resulting from shut down, an entire disassembling and requires is required.

(x)    Due to its function by heating, there is always a premature wear or mechanical failure of some of the internal component.

1.5                                              PURPOSE OF THIS PROJECT

This study is to devise a means of producing an oven with three different power source (that is, electric, gas and charcoal) to address the following:

(1)             Economically, this equipment is designed for cost reduction and easy to maintain.

(2)        To meet up with inadequate availability of fire wood through deforestation.

1.6                                       SIGNIFICANCE OF PROJECT

This project work is intended to serve as a catalogue and manual for the construction, installation, maintenance and repair of different possible faults in electric dryer, it is also of a great benefit to the department and society as it will serve as medium of knowing the principle of operating the model work.

1.7                                         DELIMITATION OF THE PROJECT

1. There is freedom of location and general adaptability.
2. It entails good drying condition, cleanliness, quietness and ambient temperature.
3. Uniform of temperature within narrow limit with the electrical chamber.
4. Capital cost, running and maintenance cost of dryer are low.

1.8                           PROBLEM STATEMENT / JUSTIFICATION

The interest of the government towards agriculture has drawn the attention of many youths towards farming, with a great number of them engaging in fish farming. For this reason, the demand for feeds has greatly increased, therefore, mounting serous pressure on the fish feed production companies, thereby increasing the cost of the feed. This has therefore called for an urgent intervention of the researchers to come up with an improved system of the pelletizing machine to salvage this situation and rescue the nation (Nigeria) from recession and create more jobs for the workforce.

1.9                                              DEFINITION OF TERMS

THERMOSTAT: This is an electrical device design to heat up bend and open the circuit when excessive current flows and close the circuit when the heat reduces. It can also be defined as an automatic regulator that control the amount of current that heat up the circuit.

HEATING ELEMENT: This is a conductor material that is designed to heat up when connected to current flow. It converts electric energy into heat energy.

OUTLET PLUG: This is an electrical device design with two or three metal pins that fit into holes in a socket to make an electrical connection.

SWITCH: This is a device used to connect or break the flow of electric current in a circuit.

INDICATOR (LAMP): This is a device which glows like a bulb indicating the working status of a connection.

CABLE: A cable is a material or conductor use in conveying electric current from one point to another.