Uji Kinerja Mesin Pencacah (Chopper) pada Bahan Rumput Gajah (Pennisetum Purpureum)

Abstract

Elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum) is a widely used forage for livestock due to its high productivity. The chopping process is necessary to improve consumption and feed quality. This study aimed to test the performance of a chopper on elephant grass based on its performance, fuel consumption, percentage of complete chopping, percentage of incomplete chopping, and yield losses at various engine speeds.The study was conducted using an MPC-1000 chopper powered by a Yanmar TF 105 diesel engine. Testing was conducted at three engine speeds: 1071 RPM, 1640 RPM, and 2181 RPM, with 15 kg of fresh elephant grass as the test material for each treatment. The data obtained were analyzed quantitatively and descriptively.The results showed that the engine's performance increased with increasing engine speed, from 144.93 kg/hour at 1071 RPM to 196.51 kg/hour at 2181 RPM. Fuel consumption also increased from 1.8 L/hour to 3.0 L/hour. The best chopping quality was achieved at 1640 RPM, with a perfect chopping percentage of 85% and an imperfect chopping percentage of 11%. The lowest yield loss was also achieved at 1640 RPM, at 3%, while at 1071 RPM and 2181 RPM, the losses were 8% and 5%, respectively. Therefore, 1640 RPM is the optimal speed for producing good chopping quality with minimal loss.