Design and fabrication of a centrifugal sunflower dehuller for improved sunflower oil and cake quality

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Date

2013

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Sokoine University of Agriculture

Abstract

A study was conducted to examine the effect of dehulling sunflower seeds on oil extraction efficiency and cake quality. Specifically the study involved; design, fabrication and performance evaluation of a motorized centrifugal sunflower dehuller. Two sunflower seed varieties {Record and Kenya Fedha) were used in this study. The seed physical properties, machine design factors and operation conditions related to the dehulling process were studied and incorporated in the design, fabrication and performance evaluation phases of the developed centrifugal dehuller. The performance evaluation parameters of the designed dehuller included; throughput capacity, dehulling efficiency, kernel breakage and product yield. The dehuller was able to achieve a throughput capacity of 427 kg/h for Record variety and 513 kg/h for Kenya Fedha variety. Dehulling efficiency was SO % and 79.3 %, kernel breakage was 5.6 % and 2.5 %. while product yield was 70.3 % and 66.7 % for Record and Kenya Fedha varieties respectively. Dehulling improved oil quality and increased oil yield by 15.4 % for Record variety and by 14.6 % for Kenya Fedha variety. Dchulling significantly (p<0.05) increased crude protein content of the cake from 29.62 % to 44.49 % for Record variety and from 29.31 % to 44.94 % for Kenya Fedha variety. Also, dehulling significantly (p<0.05) reduced cake crude fiber from 33.41 % to 17.71 % and ether extracts from 16.62 % to 13.86 % for Record variety. The corresponding reductions of crude fiber and ether extracts for Kenya Fedha variety were 23.93 % to 17.35 % and 11.65 % to 10.56 %, respectively. Based on these results it is concluded that the use of the improved centrifugal dehuller can successfully improve oil extraction efficiency and cake quality produced by small and medium scale oil enterprises.

Description

Dissertation

Keywords

Sunflower dehuller, Sunflower seeds, Cake quality, Record-Kenya Fedha

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