In this study optimum operation parameters of a newly developed sterilizer of the medium-scale oil palm processing mill were investigated for maximum oil yield. Taguchi's experimental design of orthogonal array L9 (3 4 ) was adopted to generate nine runs of experiment. Response surface method was used to optimize operation parameters and validated using Taguchi's table. However, experimental result was analyzed to generate predicted-dependent operation parameters through linear multiple regression equations. Hence, coefficients of correlations were established using Karl Persons's formula. The optimum predicted indepenent operation parameters for the sterilizer were Tenera 33.33 years, 128.898C, 3 bar, 51.11 min for age of Tenera fruits, initial temperature, pressure of superheated steam, and sterilization period, respectively. These optimum values correspond to 6th run on Taguchi's table. The coefficients of correlations between experimental and predicted values were: 0.87, 0.85, 0.99, and 0.54 for equilibrium temperature, equilibrium pressure, oil yield, and efficiency, respectively. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONSThe indigenous technology of oil palm processing in Nigeria has not been developed beyond small-scale method, which is characterized with unscientific techniques and facility. In this small-scale method oil palm fruits are sterilized using unpressurize vessel without instrumentation and control devices for parameters regulation and monitoring. Because of the poor economy in Africa and Nigeria in particular, large-scale mill remain unaffordable. Hence to enhance productivity of oil palm, a vertical sterilizer was developed as one of the unit operations of a synchronized medium-scale oil palm fruit processing mill. In this synchronized mill, fresh oil palm fruits were sterilized using developed sterilizer (pressure vessel) that was coupled with fire-in-tube boiler. For the effective handling of this facility, investigation of the optimum operation parameters of the sterilizer such as: age of Tenera fruits, superheated steam temperature and pressure, likewise sterilization period is essential to enhance oil yield, hence this study.
Previous studies revealed that sterilization, digestion, and mechanical oil extraction have not been fully mechanized in Nigeria. A synchronized medium‐scale oil palm fruits processing mill consisting of a boiler, sterilizer, inclined screw conveyor, digester and screw‐press was developed. Prominent cultivars of Dura and Tenera fruitlets of 20, 30, and 50 years of age were selected for the evaluation of this mill. In this study, the performance evaluation of the unit operations of this mill was characterized. Surface response methodology was employed using STATISTICA Release 7 model: STA862D175437Q to optimize the mill throughput, efficiency and oil yield. The result showed that, the performance efficiency and throughput of boiler, sterilizer, inclined screw conveyor, vertical digester and twin‐cam screw‐press were 71.3% and 55.0 L/h, 70% and 75.4 kg/h, 72.7% and 70.2 kg/h, 85.4% and 152.4 kg/h, 83.0% and 190.0 kg/h, respectively. The synchronized medium‐scale oil palm processing mill had the optimum throughput, efficiency and oil yield of 80.35 kg/h, 84.70% and 29.28%, respectively. Practical applications About 90% of annual palm oil production in Nigeria is still being processed with traditional and small‐scale methods across twenty four oil palm producing states. Over 40 million of rural women and small‐scale oil palm processors were grossly burdensome with lack of appropriate indigenous technology. It has been reported that about 140 of indigenous fabricators were involved in producing machines for small‐scale processors both in Nigeria and Ghana including palm oil research institutes, without developing a synchronized mill that can enhance productivity, timeliness and oil yield (Elekwachi, Fadare, & Owolarafe, ; PIND, ). The unit operations of small‐scale mills were usually separately installed without instrumentation devices to regulate their processing parameters for optimum oil yield. In this synchronized medium‐scale oil palm fruits processing mill, fresh oil palm fruits were fully sterilized using the superheated steam generated from biomass fire‐tube vertical boiler which was synchronized with sterilizer. The sterilized fruits were conveyed through inclined screw‐conveyor to the steam jacketed digester, which was connected to the twin‐cam screw press for the hot extraction processing operation. It is a continuous and full sterilization mill, which has increased oil yield tremendously from 17.8% to 29.3% for Tenera cultivar fruitlets. This study presented technical information in term of mill equipment efficiency and throughput; likewise, the type of cultivar and age of palm fruit that enhances overall optimum mill efficiency and oil yield.
The study assessed the sorption isotherm characteristics of water yam flour. This was in the view to predict the stability of the water yam flour under different humid conditions. The sorption isotherm of water yam flour obtained from blanched and un-blanched water yam cubes was determined by the static gravimetric method using sulphuric acid solution at 25, 35 and 45°C in the water activity range of 0.09-0.96.The un-blanched samples had higher equilibrium moisture content values than the blanched samples at the same water activity level and same temperature for both the adsorption and desorption processes. They also exhibited hysteresis loop over considerable levels of water activity. GAB model gave the overall best description to the sorption characteristics of the water yam flour out of the five sorption models fitted to the experimental data. The isosteric heat of adsorption and desorption decreases with increasing temperature. The study would be useful in the design and selection of adequate packaging materials and establishment of preferred humidity level during storage.
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