Development of an Automated Potato Peeling Machine with Remote Control Capability

Abstract

Millions of people worldwide rely heavily on potatoes, a herbaceous, incalescent groveling plant, as a source of carbohydrates. Traditionally, a hand knife is used to physically peel potatoes. In addition to being labour-intensive and time-consuming, traditional peeling techniques produce a lot of waste since they remove edible sections unevenly and excessively. To address these shortcomings, this work develops an automated potato peeling machine with remote control capability. The design comprises a 12V DC power supply that interfaces the mains power with the machines control panel. The buck converter that steps down the voltage from the 12 Volt DC power source to a lower and steady level needed by other components. The ESP32 microcontroller with integrated Bluetooth and Wi-Fi controls the DC motor through the Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor (MOSFET). Torque generated by the DC motor is then transmitted to the shaft which turns the peeling drum for the peeling process. The results of the test carried out on the developed machine shows that; for 0.5kg of potato tubers, the peeling efficiency was 92%, for 1kg, 90%, for 1.5kg, 89%, for 2kg, 86% and for 2.5kg, 80%. It recorded an average peeling efficiency of 87% and reduced peeling loss of 7%. Usage of the developed machine has improved potato peeling efficiency and reduced post-harvest losses due to peeling.