Date

2006

Author

Sarı, Pelin

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Growing energy demand in the world force people to investigate alternative energy sources. Unlike coal or other fossil fuels, renewable energy sources are promising for the future. Especially, seed oils are effectively used as energy sources such as fuel for diesel engines. The scope of this study is to develop an oil extraction machine specific to canola seed. In this study, seed oil extraction methods have been investigated and various alternatives for the extraction machine have been considered. For continuous operation, oil extraction with a screw press is evaluated as the most appropriate solution. Four different prototypes have been designed and manufactured. According to the results of testing of prototypes, they have been modified and gradually improved to increase oil extraction efficiency. The working principle of the selected screw press based on the rotation of a tapered screw shaft mounted inside a grooved vessel. The screw shaft is a single square-threaded power screw having an increasing root diameter from inlet to exit while the outside diameter of the screw shaft is 66 mm. Seeds are taken into the system at the point where the depth of the screw thread is maximum. Then they are pushed forward by the threads on the rotating screw shaft and pass through inside the vessel. So, the fed seeds are compressed as they move to the other side of the vessel. Recovered oil escapes from high pressure zone and drains back. The oil is drained out from the oil drainage holes that are machined on high pressure zone of the vessel. Besides, the cake is extruded at the end of the vessel and the screw shaft. The cake thickness is adjustable by the axial movement of the screw shaft. By adjusting the cake thickness, different pressures can be obtained. During the experiments, it is observed that four main features affect the oil recovery rate. These are the geometry of the grooves inside the vessel, the taper angle of the screw shaft, the operating temperature and the rotational speed. With the final prototype, an oil recovery efficiency of 62.5% has been achieved at 40 rpm with 15 kg/h seed capacity. Since the oil content of the seed is taken as 40%, oil recovery rate of the developed oil extraction machine is 3.75 kg/h. This efficiency is determined for a 0.8 mm cake thickness at 1.1 kW motor ower.

Subject Keywords

Agricultural Machinery., Farm Machines.

URI

http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/12607357/index.pdf
https://hdl.handle.net/11511/16326

Collections

Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Thesis