ANALYSIS OF VIBRATION TECHNICAL DEVICES FOR DRYING PUMPKIN SEEDS

A significant obstacle to the expansion of pumpkin production is the lack of quality seed. In connection with the imperfection of existing means for post-harvest seed treatment, it becomes necessary to develop new drying methods that would ensure high quality of the finished product, create conditions for complete and timely processing of the harvested crop, reduce losses, automate, mechanize and significantly intensify this process, as well as reduction of specific energy consumption. When analyzing the latest studies on drying seed products, it was noted that most of the work relates specifically to post-harvest processing of wheat grains, slightly less to drying corn and legumes, and a very insignificant share concerns vegetables and melons. A fundamental requirement of the drying process for pumpkin seeds as seed and food is to ensure standard quality endpoints. In installations where pumpkin seeds are dried in a fixed bed, the upper layer of the seed embankment dries up last, the quality of the lower layer deteriorates due to overdrying below the optimum value. This causes significant heterogeneity in the moisture content of the seed mass. Considering the large range of moisture removal when drying high-moisture pumpkin seeds, when the available moisture reduction in one pass is 6%, the use of drum dryers due to the need to organize multiple passes, as well as the tendency of the seed mass, is technically and economically impractical. Conveyor dryers are difficult to maintain, expensive and have low productivity. It is difficult to use differentiated modes of seed drying in them, and also in the design it is necessary to take into account the increased cohesive-adhesive properties of the seed layer. The drying process, taking into account the necessary requirements associated with the characteristics of pumpkin seeds, it is advisable to carry out in dryers with vibration layer loosening. To improve the flowability of a layer of seeds prone to sticking, sticking, channeling, agglomeration, at the initial stage of vibration drying, along with vibration and aeration mixing, it is advisable to use additional mechanical stirrers.