The Process of Separation of Husked Soybean in Oblique Airflow

The study concerns an evaluation of the effect of selected parameters on the course of horizontal pneumatic separation of unsorted husked soybean and the process efficiency. The efficiency of the process of isolating endosperm fraction from husks and other impurities was evaluated by determining the separation efficiency indicator η. It was shown that increased moisture content of the mixture results in a significant decrease in the η indicator. For example, with the 2.2% increase of moisture content (from W 1 = 10.1% to W 2 = 12.3%), the separation efficiency indicator decreased, on average, by 6.8%. The value of the η indicator rose with the increased velocity of the airstream, but the amount of valuable fraction that is picked up by the airstream is higher as well. It was found that, when the air velocity increased from V 1 = 7.8 m·s −1 to V 2 = 10.5 m·s −1 (for the moisture content W 1 = 10.1% and W 4 = 15.7%), the increment in the efficiency was the highest and reached 14.9–34.3%. A parametric model of the separation process of fragmented mixtures of biological origin was developed based on the analysis of the obtained results observation undertaken. This model can be used in designing and carrying out operations of separation into particular size fractions and cleaning of various feed mixtures, or in determining parameters of the movement of specific mixture components within pneumatic channels.