Contributions to the Optimization of the Medicinal Plant Sorting Process into Size Classes

Mirabela Augustina Pruteanu, Nicoleta Ungureanu (), Valentin Vlăduț (), Mihai-Gabriel Matache and Mihaela Niţu
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Mirabela Augustina Pruteanu: National Institute of Research—Development for Machines and Installations Designed for Agriculture and Food Industry—INMA Bucharest, 013813 Bucharest, Romania
Nicoleta Ungureanu: Department of Biotechnical Systems, Faculty of Biotechnical Systems Engineering, University Politehnica of Bucharest, 006042 Bucharest, Romania
Valentin Vlăduț: National Institute of Research—Development for Machines and Installations Designed for Agriculture and Food Industry—INMA Bucharest, 013813 Bucharest, Romania
Mihai-Gabriel Matache: National Institute of Research—Development for Machines and Installations Designed for Agriculture and Food Industry—INMA Bucharest, 013813 Bucharest, Romania
Mihaela Niţu: National Institute of Research—Development for Machines and Installations Designed for Agriculture and Food Industry—INMA Bucharest, 013813 Bucharest, Romania

Agriculture, 2023, vol. 13, issue 3, 1-19

Abstract: This study aims to optimize and assess the quality of the sorting process into homogeneous size classes of dried and chopped medicinal plants, by obtaining multivariate regression functions of polytropic and polynomial forms. Assessment of sorting quality was carried out by calculating the average coefficient of separation. The influence of several important factors (material feed rate on the sieve, sieve dimensions, sieve inclination angle, sieve oscillation frequencies) on the sorting process was followed. Research was carried out on dried nettle herb ( Urtica dioica ) using a plant sorter with plane sieves, which allowed for modifying some constructive and functional parameters, making it possible to obtain optimal values. The results showed that the dry nettle herb chopped in bulk at 4 mm, with a moisture of 11.45%, was optimally sorted (index of average separation coefficient, 0.922) if the following parameters were met: drive mechanism speed n = 1000 rpm; sieve inclination angle α = 12.08°; material-specific flow q = 4 kg/dm·h; recommended sieve length L = 1.4 m. It was observed that at high rates, the average coefficient of separation decreased with the decrease in the sieve drive mechanism speed, and when the inclination angle of the sieve decreased, the average coefficient of separation increased. The maximum average deviation of the average separation coefficient was 5.5% for the polytropic function. The new advanced processing technologies of medicinal plants involve the short-term production of quality-finished products, thus supporting the processors of medicinal plants and the consumers of phytotherapeutic products with beneficial effects for health.

Keywords: sorting process quality; homogeneous size classes; medicinal plants (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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