Evaluation of Three Methods for Separating Pumpkin Seeds

Three methods of separating hollow from fill seeds have been studied to improve the separation quality of pumpkin seeds. In the first method, the seperation was performed based on seeds’heat capacity by measuring the seeds’ temperature with a thermal camera and examining the seeds’ cooling process. In the second method, the seeds’ terminal velocities were obtained by theoretical calculations and then examined by a practical experiment using an electro-fan. In the third method, with theoretical calculations and obtaining the frictional and electrostatic forces, this method’s efficiency was evaluated in practice by a rotating disc. These three methods were evaluated based on accuracy, cost, required time of the process, and equipment used. In this study, it was found that the accuracy of the separation method based on heat capacity (100%) is higher than all methods, followed by the method based on limit velocity (93%) and coefficient of friction (86%), respectively.