| Apart from a basic dipping system where bins of nuts are dipped into a tank to either apply an anti fungal product or cool the nuts quickly to improve their storage life, there are two options in cleaning systems for washing and brushing chestnuts.
Option 1 A brushing machine can be used to scrub and polish the nuts. This system has a high impact water jet mounted above the brushes which can be used to clean the nuts when the conditions require it.
Option 2 A floatation/dip tank is used to wash and separate light weight from heavier nuts. This type of system usually has a brusher unit incorporated in it.
Note— It is very difficult to distinguish phomopsis effected nuts from those which have dried out a little because of delays in the harvest process because of their similar low weight.
Growers who have little problem with phomopsis tend to go with Option 1.
Growers who do have a problem with phomopsis tend to go for Option 2.
(Above) Bin Dipping Frame.
The screen shown in the picture comes down over the nuts to stop them floating out of the bin while being dipped.
(Above) Nut brusher and polisher.
This system can be operated dry when washing is not required or a high impact water jet can be turned on when the nuts have mud or debris stuck to them.
Brushes have water flingers under them to dissipate water as well as three sopper rollers to remove water droplets from the nuts.
(Above) Water Filtration Tank
The Filer tank is used when water is to be re-circulated through the washing system. Depending on the conditions and volume of nuts water is typically changed approximately every 5 days.
(Above) High Impact Water Jet.
The spray jet is designed to deliver high impact water to product in a square output pattern.
(Above) Floatation Dip Tank with Brushing unit mounted above it.
After passing through an air leg separator to remove some light trash the nuts are delivered into the dip tank.
The light weight nuts float to the surface and flow away into a seconds bin. The nuts which sink to the bottom of the tank are transported up a pipe by venturi system and travel in turbulent water to a separator box which returns the water to the tank and delivers the nuts to a Brushing Machine mounted above the tank.
In the system shown above if the conditions are good and the nuts don't need to be washed or floated then they can be directed to the brusher and miss going through the floatation tank to stay dry.
(Above) Air leg Separator delivers nuts into a Flotation Tank which pumps them up onto the Brusher and down onto an Inspection Table before going to a size grader.
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