Mass Flow and Energy Use During Orange Peel Oil Recovery

Abstract

ABSTRACTElectrical energy consumption and oil recovery were measured during operation of a commercial citrus peel oil centrifugation process. Two parts of a centrifuge's electrical consumption were identified: regular operation and the discharge cycle. During discharge cycles, the electrical energy ranged from 125–189% of the steady‐state values. Energy costs were computed for the desludger and polisher centrifuges. Direct electrical costs for the oil mill totaled 0.67/kg oil recovered. Electrical costs calculated for finishing and dewaxing totaled 0.5/kg oil. Actual oil yield (1.1 kg/t) was only 20% of the total in the fruit. A major source of oil loss occurred during extraction from the fruit, where less than 50% of the oil was actually extracted into the dilute emulsion. Inefficient operation of the centrifuges accounted for most of the remaining losses.