Volume 05 Issue 03-2025
79
International Journal of Advance Scientific Research
(ISSN
–
2750-1396)
VOLUME
05
ISSUE
03
Pages:
79-88
OCLC
–
1368736135
A
BSTRACT
The article presents the designs of hopper dispensers for bulk materials, including screw-type hopper
dispensers, which are widely used. Some shortcomings of the screw dispensers used in seed preparation
and treatment workshops have been identified. A new design of the hopper dispenser has been developed,
which enables the improvement of its structure, reduction of energy consumption, and minimizes
mechanical damage to the seeds.
K
EYWORDS
Hopper dispenser, bulk material, accuracy, density, productivity, efficiency, accumulation, arch formation,
slide valve.
I
NTRODUCTION
Journal
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Research Article
ANALYSIS OF DISPENSER DESIGN AND IMPROVEMENT OF
THE DISPENSER DESIGN FOR FUZZY COTTON SEEDS
Submission Date:
January 29,
2025,
Accepted Date:
February 28, 2025,
Published Date:
March 31, 2025
Crossref doi:
https://doi.org/10.37547/ijasr-05-03-12
N.T. Gofurov
Namangan Institute of Textile Industry, Uzbekistan
A.A. Akramov
Scientific Center of the Cotton Industry, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Q. Jumaniyozov
Scientific Center of the Cotton Industry, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
J.Yuldashev
Namangan Institute of Textile Industry, Uzbekistan
Scientific Center of the Cotton Industry, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Volume 05 Issue 03-2025
80
International Journal of Advance Scientific Research
(ISSN
–
2750-1396)
VOLUME
05
ISSUE
03
Pages:
79-88
OCLC
–
1368736135
Increasing the yield of agricultural crops and preserving the harvested products has been and remains one
of the primary tasks of the country's agro-industrial sector. Among the measures to achieve these goals,
plant protection methods play a significant role, one of which is seed treatment in specialized workshops
for preparing fuzzy and naked seeds.
Screw-type dispensers are widely used as volumetric dispensers in these workshops. These dispensers are
reliable, simple in design, and versatile. They function well when dispensing both fuzzy and naked cotton
seeds. However, they have certain drawbacks that have not yet been resolved.
Literature review on subject
The maximum throughput capacity of the hopper dispenser should be greater than the maximum
processing capacity of the seed treatment machine. The seed flow rate during free discharge mainly
depends on the dispenser opening area and the material discharge speed.
To date, numerous designs of dosing devices have been developed. This is due to the fact that material flow
exhibits a wide range of physical, mechanical, and technological characteristics. Additionally, specific
requirements are often imposed on the equipment depending on the process characteristics.
There are three main types of dosing:
•
Volumetric dosing
•
Gravimetric dosing
•
Mass dosing
Volumetric dispensers
Devices of this type are designed to work with liquid (and sometimes gaseous) substances. This type of
dispenser is convenient to use, durable, and reliable. However, it lacks sufficient measurement accuracy
when working with certain types of products [1].
Gravimetric dispensers
These are the optimal solution for dosing bulk materials of any particle size, as well as liquids. Their
popularity is due to their versatility, optimal accuracy, and high productivity. Load cell-based weighing
devices equipped with this type of dispenser are highly convenient in operation
—
both the weighing and
dosing processes are fully automated, and control is reduced to managing the loading device. The only
drawback of gravimetric dispensers is their relatively low operating speed [1].
Volume 05 Issue 03-2025
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International Journal of Advance Scientific Research
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VOLUME
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1368736135
Mass dispensers
. These dispensers can be effectively used for handling solid, bulk, and viscous materials.
They are widely applied across various industries. Mass dispensers combine reliability, measurement
accuracy, and relatively high operational speed [1].
Screw dispensers
. In general, such dispensers consist of a screw enclosed in a casing and are used for
feeding materials such as powders and granular substances that are not subject to grinding (see Fig. 1).
The working unit of this type can be positioned vertically, horizontally, or at an angle. In practice,
dispensers with multiple screws are also found. To maintain uniform flow, screws with a variable pitch are
used, decreasing toward the discharge end. In cases where there is a risk of material compression inside
the dispenser, screws with an increasing pitch in the direction of movement are applied.
Figure 1. Schematic Diagram of a Screw Weighing Dispenser
Operating Principle of the Screw Weighing Dispenser (Fig. 1). The screw feeder (1) collects bulk material
from the hopper and directs it to the flow meter (2). The rotation speed of the screws can be smoothly
adjusted using a controlled drive, which consists of an asynchronous motor-reducer (3) and a frequency
converter (4).The material flow enters the flow meter and slides down the chute (5), which is attached to
the load cell (6). An electrical signal from the load cell, proportional to the weight of the material on the
chute, is transmitted to the microcontroller (7), which calculates the flow rate.
Measured Performance and Theoretical Research,The measured performance of the dispenser is
continuously compared with the preset value according to the recipe. If discrepancies are detected, the
frequency converter adjusts the screw rotation speed in real time. Typically, the dosing error does not
exceed 0.5% of the total material mass passed through the dispenser [3].
Volume 05 Issue 03-2025
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International Journal of Advance Scientific Research
(ISSN
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VOLUME
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Pages:
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OCLC
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1368736135
Theoretical Research
. The classification of dosing equipment based on structural features is significantly
influenced by the physical and mechanical properties of the material. The key factors include:
•
Particle size
•
Bulk density
•
Flowability
•
Adhesion
Bulk materials are classified by average particle size as follows:
•
Chunky (d > 10 mm)
•
Coarse-grained (d = 2
–
10 mm)
•
Fine-grained (d = 0.5
–
2.0 mm)
•
Powdery (d = 0.05
–
0.50 mm)
•
Dust-like (d < 0.05 mm)
Bulk Density and Its Influence on Dispenser Classification.Another key factor influencing the classification
of dispensers by structural principle is bulk density. This parameter depends on:
•
Particle size within the material flow
•
Average particle density
•
Moisture content
•
Particle packing density within a layer
Bulk density is not a constant value, even when the material is at rest. Due to vibrations affecting the
container walls, bulk material compacts over time until it reaches a certain limit density. Conversely, during
movement, transportation, or mixing, the material loosens, reducing its bulk density to another limit value.
According to bulk density, loose materials are classified as follows [2]:
•
Light (up to 600 kg/m³)
•
Medium (600
–
1100 kg/m³)
Volume 05 Issue 03-2025
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International Journal of Advance Scientific Research
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VOLUME
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•
Heavy (1100
–
2000 kg/m³)
•
Very heavy (over 2000 kg/m³)
The performance of a screw dispenser is determined by the following formula [4]:
Q=60ΠD
2
/4×S×n×c×γ×ψ
where:
•
D
–
outer diameter of the screw, m
•
S
–
screw pitch, m
•
n
–
angular speed of the shaft, rpm
•
c
–
coefficient accounting for the effect of the screw axis inclination angle relative to the horizontal
plane
•
γ
\gamma
–
bulk density of the material, kg/m³
•
ψ
\psi
–
filling coefficient of the screw casing
Figure 2. Screw Parameters
The performance of a screw dispenser is proportional to the screw diameter DD, screw pitch SS, and
angular velocity nn. Additionally, it depends on the parameters of the transported material, the screw
filling coefficient ψ
\
psi, and the bulk density γ
\gamma. The spatial position of the screw also affects its
Volume 05 Issue 03-2025
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VOLUME
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1368736135
performance, particularly the coefficient cc, which accounts for the inclination angle of the screw axis
relative to the horizontal plane (see Figure 2).
All screw dispensers are categorized into three main groups based on their feed rate control method:
1.
Frequency-controlled screw dispensers
2.
Discharge zone-controlled screw dispensers
3.
Loading zone-controlled screw dispensers
Frequency-controlled screw dispensers typically feature screws with fixed design parameters. Adjusting
the feed rate by changing the screw rotation frequency requires a complex and expensive control system
for the discharge screw drive. At low feed rates, significant fluctuations in material discharge uniformity
are observed.
R
ESULTS
In the seed treatment workshops of the Republic, seed bunker-dispensers have been introduced for
treating fuzzy cotton seeds [5]. These dispensers utilize a dosing mechanism based on a design developed
from patents [6, 7] (see Figure 3).
Figure 3. Schematic Diagram of the Bunker-Dispenser Dosing Mechanism
1 - Bunker; 2 - Combined Shafts; 3 - Saw Cylinder; 4 - Grate.
A significant drawback of this dispenser is the formation of vaults above the saw drum (4) due to the
mismatch between the seed supply rate of the peg drums (2) and the throughput capacity of the saw
Volume 05 Issue 03-2025
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cylinder. Additionally, the presence of peg rollers and a combined dispenser with a saw cylinder increases
the energy consumption of the device.
Research objective.The objective of this study is to simplify the design of the fuzzy seed dispenser, reduce
mechanical damage to seeds, and improve the accuracy of dosing fuzzy planting seeds.
This goal is achieved by modifying the seed bunker in the developed device. A gate mechanism is
introduced to regulate seed supply into the combined augers located at the bottom of the bunker. The final
section of the augers lacks screw blades, facilitating seed descent from the bunker. The screw surfaces of
the augers are designed within the narrowing section of the bunker, where seed flow is controlled by a
shutter mechanism. The outlet pipe is connected to a rectangular shaft equipped with a sliding gate that
has a performance regulation mechanism for seed supply.
Due to these distinctive features, the proposed seed dispenser design is simplified by eliminating the
sawing working element with grates used for regulating performance. The absence of this component also
reduces mechanical seed damage, leading to more efficient operation of the fuzzy cotton seed dispenser.
The essence of the developed dispenser design is illustrated with technical drawings:
•
Figure 4 shows the longitudinal section of the device.
•
Figure 5 presents the front view (showing the augers).
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Figure 4. Diagram of the Improved Fuzzy Cotton Seed Dispenser
Figure 5. Diagram of the Improved Fuzzy Cotton Seed Dispenser (Front View)
The proposed fuzzy seed dispenser consists of the following main components:
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Hopper (1)
–
A container of a specific volume for accumulating fuzzy seeds, with a tapered lower section.
Combined augers (2)
–
Two augers positioned inside the hopper.
Axis (3)
–
Supports the movement of the augers.
Buffer drum (4)
–
Helps in regulating seed flow.
Spikes (5)
–
Aid in seed separation and movement.
Shutters (6 and 15)
–
Adjustable elements for controlling seed flow.
Saw drum (7)
–
Facilitates the dosing process.
Drive mechanisms (8 and 11)
–
Power the system.
Coupling (9)
–
Connects drive components for smooth operation.
Shaft (10)
–
Ensures proper alignment of components.
Grates (12)
–
Filter and guide seed movement.
Combs (13)
–
Assist in separating seeds efficiently.
Screw mechanisms (14 and 16)
–
Allow regulation of seed feed rate based on a calibrated scale.
Improved Fuzzy Seed Dispenser: Operating Principle and Conclusions.
Operating Principle.The improved fuzzy seed dispenser functions as follows:
1.
Seed Input: Fuzzy cotton seeds are fed into hopper (1). Due to the tapered lower section of the
hopper, the seeds naturally fall onto combined augers (2).
2.
Seed Transport: The augers, equipped with screw blades, transport the seeds towards the
rectangular shaft (10).
3.
Gravity Discharge: At the end of the augers, the screw blades are absent, allowing the seeds to fall
freely under the force of gravity through rectangular shafts (10) for further processing.
4.
Flow Control:
o
The shutter (6) above the augers is positioned in a closed state to regulate seed flow.
Volume 05 Issue 03-2025
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International Journal of Advance Scientific Research
(ISSN
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2750-1396)
VOLUME
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ISSUE
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Pages:
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OCLC
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1368736135
o
The sliding gate (16) on the rectangular shaft (10) is set to an open position, ensuring controlled
seed discharge.
Experimental Implementation.A prototype of the proposed hopper-dispenser has been manufactured and
integrated into the technological line for processing fuzzy planting seeds. Studies will be conducted to
determine the key parameters of the improved dispenser.
C
ONCLUSIONS
Identified Issues in Existing Designs: The analysis of current hopper-dispenser designs has revealed certain
shortcomings, particularly in complexity and mechanical seed damage.Developed Improvement: A new
screw-based hopper-dispenser design has been proposed, simplifying the structure and reducing
mechanical seed damage.Future Research Direction: Further theoretical and experimental studies will
focus on defining the key parameters of the improved hopper-dispenser.
R
EFERENCES
1.
STADS. Dosing of bulk materials [Internet]. Available from: http://stads.ru/uslugi/kompleksnye-
resheniya/dozirovanie
2.
Shubin I.N., Sviridov M.M., Tarov V.P. Technological machines and equipment: bulk materials and their
properties. Tambov: Tambov State Technical University Publishing House; 2006. 76 p.
3.
Baltic Service-Nord. Description of a continuous weighing dispenser with a four-screw feeder
[Internet]. Available from: http://bsnord.narod.ru/dosator.html
4.
Grigoriev A.M. Screw conveyors. Moscow: Mashinostroenie; 1972. 84 p.
5.
Rakipov V.G., et al. Development of a bunker-dispenser for delinted cotton seeds. Tashkent: Scientific
and Technical Society, JSC “Paxtasanoat ilm”; 1999. 92 p.
6.
Rashragovich A.Y., Korabelnikov R.V., Bordanovsky V.V., Rashragovich Y.A. Feeder of a fiber-processing
machine. USSR Patent No. 1379359. Bulletin No. 9; 1988.
7.
Dyachkov V.V., Maksudov E.T., Rakipov V.G., et al. Bunker-dispenser for delinted cotton seeds. Patent
IAP No. 02654. Bulletin No. 2; 2005.
