Design and construction of a grain mill with a photovoltaic solar energy system for Arequipa, Perú

Abstract

This article describes the design, manufacture, and evaluation of a prototype grain mill powered by a solar photovoltaic energy system. The mechanical structure was constructed using square steel tubes, following cutting, beveling, and welding processes with 6011 electrodes to ensure rigidity and stability. The equipment integrates an adapted manual mill and a washing machine motor with pulley transmission, which was assembled taking into account alignment, fastening, and coupling using an intermediate shaft. The testing phase included measurements of voltage, current, and power both at no load and during grinding, using a multimeter and a wattmeter to corroborate the values provided by the inverter. The results showed that the prototype far exceeded the proposed capacity, grinding 4 kg of corn in less than 10 minutes with an energy consumption of 0.214 kW per hour, verifying that the photovoltaic system provides autonomy and operational stability and a return on investment of 4.38 years. In conclusion, the mill developed is technically, economically, and environmentally viable as a sustainable alternative to improve agricultural productivity in the Arequipa region.