Investigating the design, the production and the performance features of a vacuum system prototype which will be used in the tea factories to transport green tea leaves

In this study, the design, the production and the performance features of a new vacuum system prototype which can be used in tea factories and in green (wet) tea leaves storing companies instead of conveying systems were studied. As an industrial product green tea leaves are very sensetive to heat and humidity. So that we decided to built up a pneumatic system to avoid possible damages an tea leaves. In this pneumatic system, the features of Venturi tubes used to perform vacuum. High pressured air with low speed sent to Venturi. Increasing air speed caused low pressure where air was passing through the tight cross-section of Venturi so that vacuum performed in the tight cross-section. This vacuum pulls tea leaves into the transport line. After the Venturi, the mixture of air and product could be transported by the transport line. The prototype machine and its devices which can take the leaves into the vacuum line and can transport these leaves to the production area were producted and studied as experimental.The appropriate fan design which can support the high pressured air with high speed was investigated and the fan with a suitable fan cover designed and producted according to minimalize the pressure loses.The whole project progressed in the rule that is to avoid crushing and cracking damages on the leaves. Another important design and production rule about this prototype is transporting tea leaves to the production areas in higenic conditions in less production expenses. Besides the tecnical features of the prototype, conservation details of the tea leaves quality were studied and presented in this thesis.Key Words: Pneumatic, Vacuum, Venturi, Orifice, Green (Wet) Tea Leaves, Tea Quality