Sponsored by: Partners in Food Solutions
Project Summary
A small and growing company in Uganda intends to process finger millet into finger millet flour and sell the flour to a large buyer that processes the flour into a nonalcoholic drinking beverage. The local millet buyer is expected to purchase substantial quantities of finger millet flour, but the quality of finger millet supplied by the company has consistently failed quality tests by the buyer on grounds of microbial loads.
Design Goal
The project shall be to design prototype equipment that can subject millet to UVC lights to reduce microbial load so that the millet can pass supplier standards when the grain is tested. Designing this technology will not only create business opportunities for industries dealing in grain but also enable grain processors to have a clean and safe input of grain.
Design Constraints
- The prototype shall fit grain 1.0 mm to 2.0 mm
- The prototype shall reduce the microbial load of E.coli, salmonella, staphylococcus aureus, yeast, and mold in accordance with the East African Standards
- The working prototype shall have a capacity of 25 kg per hour, scaled to 500 kg per hour
- The final prototype shall be fabricated with parts that can be easily sourced in Africa
- The final design shall be food safe.
- Operators will not be exposed to harmful UVC rays
Freefall method and conveyor system prototype designs with UVC bulb to sanitize finger millet grain
Members of the Project Team
Student Team:
- Will Eagan - Major: Mechanical Engineering
- Julia Howard - Major: Mechanical Engineering
- Alex Jacobs - Major: Electrical Engineering
- Kevyn Perkins - Major: Electrical Engineering
Industry Representative: Amanda Traaseth
Faculty Advisor: Robert Bach
Pictured left to right: Will Eagan, Julia Howard, Alex Jacobs, Kevyn Perkins