Analysis of a Mechanism Used to Operate an Oscillating Separator

Abstract

This article presents a comparative study of two different kinds of processes that produce oscillatory motion on a work surface during the mechanical separation process. The investigation began with determining the trajectory produced by the oscillating separator’s active component of the classical drive mechanism. Based on this, a second mechanism—the six-bar mechanism—was created using the WATT program, and a mathematical analysis was conducted. The comparative examination of the two mechanisms was carried out using OriginPro, Mathcad, and Roberts software. This study’s findings all point to the same conclusion: the newly developed mechanism produces the same trajectory as the classical mechanism when viewed through the lens of the reference element, or the element that causes the oscillatory movement. However, when looking at the operating parameters, there was a noticeable difference in the movement’s speed and the angle of the crank when producing its maximum speed. Theoretically, this new mechanism increases the speed at which solid particles move across a work surface. However, this difference cannot be characterized as positive or negative because further research is required to determine how the nature of solid particles and the work surface’s inclination affect this process, in addition to this mechanism. The identification of the mathematical equations of motion for the constituent parts of the mechanism under study is the novelty produced of this paper.