EE&AE’2002 – International Scientific Conference – 04-06.04.

2002, Rousse, Bulgaria

THE DESIGNING AND ACHIEVEMENT OF TECHNOLOGICAL LINE OF

MIDDLE CAPACITY FOR THE SUN FLOWER PROCESSING

I. Ţenu, D. Karamousantas, and C. Bercovici

Abstract: For the processing of the sun flower within the small farms and to obtaine edible oil it can use
simple technological line which has to achieve the following operations: cleaning, milling, frying,
pressing and filtration of the oil. Depending on the technological operations within the operating process it
has been stated two type of technological line such as:the extraction of the oil at warm (by roasting of the
sun flower) and the extraction of the oil at cold. In function of the two technologies it was designed
specific machinary which has to carry out the operation according with the technological process. For the
determination of the technological parametres, it was achieved tests on operating and laboratory
conditions. The obtained results showed that these technological line achieves high performances and
good reliability on exploitation.
Keywords: pressing, extraction of oil, cleaning, filtration, technological process.

INTRODUCTION
The agriculture and food industry from Romania knew essential transformation in
the last decade, as it passed from state property to private own. These transformations
had determinated the conception regarding the processing of the vegetable agriculture
products. So, in the present days, it uses for the processing of the sun flower, the up-to-
date technological lines with high output and of the high capacity but also simple
installation for the extraction of the oil used especially in the rural environment.
The technological process for the extraction of the sun flower oil is achieved in the
output maximum, only if, it respects the following technological operations: peeling-
cleaning, milling, roasting and the extraction through pressing.
The peeling of the sun-flower seeds follows the partial setting out (70-85%) of the
peels as these ones have a very low contain of the botanical oil (0.5-3%) and a high
contain of cellulose, which makes that the resulted extraction residues can not be used
at themanufacturing of the combined fodder for certain animals (pigs and poultry).
By the milling technological operations, the peeled seeds are breaked under the
action of the mechanical force, opening the cells and breaking the membrane and
destroying the oilplasma structure which contains the oil. The aim of the roasting of the
seeds is that before pressing to modify the phisico-chimical properties of the milling
composition, favouring the separation of the oil. These operations are achieved in two
phases: the humectation of the milling product up to an optimal humidity specifically to
each variety and the properly burning by which the humected material is warmed and
dried up to certain limit to which the extraction by pressing is achieving with maximum
output.
The pressing is a technological operation through which is separated the liquid
(oil) from mixing liquid-solid (milling product). In this purpose, against of the milling
product prepared properly through peeling, milling and roasting, it is exerted a high
pressure. The separating of the oil under the action of the pressing force can be studied
on the basis of the likeness with the operation of filtration through capillary.
In this case, the separating by pressing can be expressed by relation:

π ⋅ ∆p ⋅ d 4 ⋅ n ⋅ A
Q= ⋅t (1)
128 ⋅ η ⋅ l
where: Q – collected oil flow; ∆p – differences of applied pressure; d and l – the
diameter and the length of the pores; n – number of pores per unit surface; A – pressing
surface; η- viscosity; l – the real length of the pores; t – pressing duration.
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 EE&AE’2002 – International Scientific Conference – 04-06.04.2002, Rousse, Bulgaria

Analysing this equation, it finds that the separating process of the oil can be
modified positively, if it increaseas the parameters: pressure, the pore diameters,
pressing surface, the duration of the pressing and it decreases the thickness of the
material layer.

THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE MACHINERY FOR THE EXTRACTION OF THE

EDIBLE OIL
For the achievement of the each technological operation which occures at the
extraction of the edible oil, it was designed and carried out specific machinery, also, the
working capacities were corelated in such way that not be breaked the manufacturing
process.
Peeling-separator (fig.1) is a complex machinary which includes a tambour for
breaking of sun flower seeds and a mechano-pneumatic separator for the removing of
the peels and of the impurities from raw material.
The drum for the breaking of the seeds has in its composition a detachable blade
beater and a counterbeater made from a steel sheet, in which are mounted the active
elements like corner iron.
The distance between beater and counter beater can be regulated within limits: 8-
25mm depending on humidity and the size of the seeds. This distance can be regulated
continuosly and during the operating of machinary.
The product resulted after this operation (peeled seeds, entire breaking) falls down
on the first sieve of the calibrater. The vacuum cleaner separator (fig.1) is made up from
a frame where it mountes the cassettes with sifting sieves and return. The sieves are
disposed on three levels and have the following characteristics:
-the superior sieve with the length of 1585 mm and the holes diameter of 8.0 mm and it
must keep the great impurities like vegetable remains;
-the intermediate sieve with the length of 1735 mm and the diameter of orificies of 5.0
mm and it must keep the unpeeled seeds and to allow the crossing of the peeled seeds,
breaked parts and of the small impurities;
-the inferior sieve with the length of 1885 mm and the holes diameters of 3.15 achieves
the eliminating of small impurities and it retains the peeled seeds and of the peels.
The return sieve has an inverse inclination opposite of the cassette of the sieve,
the active surface presents orifices with the diameters of 6.3 mm and the length of 1950
mm. The role of this sieve is to continue the separating of the resulted remains from the
intermediate sieve. The oversize refusal resulted from the return sieve (unpeeled seeds)
is directed once again towards peeler but the sieved product is formed from unpeeled
seeds and peels. The aspirator is placed at the superior part of the frame and it has a
role to extract the light impurities and the peels. It is made up from a ventilator with
pallets, the regulation mechanism of the air flow and the aspiration hoods, jointed to
sifting sieve.
The suction-peeler presents the following technical characteristics: overall
dimensions (L x l x h) (mm): 2100 x 850 x 2200; the power of the electromotor (kW):
7.5; productivity (kg.seed/h): 250-350; the peeling grade for the dry seeds (under 11%
humidity) (%): 75-80; for moistened seeds (with 14-25% humidity) (%): 60%; the
separating grade of the peels (%): 90-100.
The miller with roller mill (fig.2) is destined to achievement for the breaking of the
sun flower seeds resulted from the peeler-separator. The breaking is carried out with
two pairs of rolls from which: the upper rolls are grooved but the inferior ones from other
pair are with smooth surface. Thus, the first pair of grooved roller mill achieves properly
the breaking of the product and the pair with smooth surface effects the smoothing of
the milling product which is needed for the increase of the extraction output of the oil.

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 EE&AE’2002 – International Scientific Conference – 04-06.04.2002, Rousse, Bulgaria

Fig.1. The constructive scheme of the peeler-separator: 1-frame; 2-dosimeter; 3-beater;

4-counter-beater; 5,6-eccentric mechanism; 8,9,10-sifting sieves; 11-return sieve;12,13-
mechanism for sustaining of the sifting cassettes and return; 14-ventilator; 15-suction
hoods.

Constructevly, the milling roller mill is made up from a chassis where is mounted
the rolls with bearings, feeding mechanismes and of regulating of the active parts.
The technical characteristics of the miller are as follows: the type with 2 pairs of
rolls; the rolls dimensions (OxL):250x400; electromotor power (kW): 4.

Fig.2. The construction of the milling roller

mill: 1-chassis; 2-the pair of grooved rolls;
3-the pair of smooth rolls; 4,5-
mechanismes for regulation of the distance
between rolls; 6-the feeding mechanism; 7-
feeding basket.

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 EE&AE’2002 – International Scientific Conference – 04-06.04.2002, Rousse, Bulgaria

The double fryer (fig.3) for milled and peeled sun-flower seeds is composed of
two focal chambers for heating of roasting boxes. The rooms for heating are concept in
such way that the burning installation can use solid, gazeous, liquid fuel and even the
peels resulted after the peeling of seeds. The burning boxes are equipped with palletes
which are driven by a mechanical transmission for the mixing of the milling product. The
evacuation of the milling product after roasting is carried out through an window made it
on a cilindrical part of the box and closed by a shutter. The roasting is achieved in two
phases: in the first one is made the heating and the humectation of the milling product
and in the second phase it continues the heating and the elimination of the water. The
roasting operation is finished when the milling product reaaches at 80-900 C
temperature.

Fig.3. The construction of the double fryer: 1-focal chambers; 2-box for roasting; 3-the
shaft with pallets for mixing; 4-chain transmission; 5-conical reductor; 6-worm reducer;
7-electromotor.

The technical caracteristics of the roaster with two bins are as follow: overall
dimensions (Lxlxh)(mm):2000x1100x1260; the electromotor power (kw):1.5; the rotation
of the rotor with mixing pallets (rot./min.):14; the roasting temperature ( C ): max. 110;
the capacity of one bin (Kg.seeds):40.
The hidraulic press (fig.4) for the extraction of the vegetable oils is composed
from the following component parts:
-the frame is a welded structure on which are mounted the hydraulics components of
the press and include the inferior beam, superior beam and guide column;
-the pressing table is a sheet steel construction equipped with a channel system for the
collecting of the oil and it glides on the column guides under the action of the force
developed of the hidraulic cylinder;
-the pressing pot is a laminated cylinder equipped with a net of holes having the
diameter of 1.5-2 mm and in which it is introduced the roasted sun-flower milling
product. Under the action of pressing force developed by the hydraulic cylinder the oil
flows through a hole mesh of the pot; and it is collected of channels grooved on the
pressing table and directed towards evacuation funnel of the oil;
-hydrostatics installation (fig.5) assures the needed force for the pressing of milling
product, concerning the extraction of the oil, also, the force for the eliminating the oil
residues from the pressing oil pot. The hydrostatics installation has in its composition
the following elements: hydraulic panel, hydraulic cylinder with simple effect for the
pressing of the milling product and hydraulics cylinder with double effect for the
extraction of the extraction residues from the pressing oil.
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 EE&AE’2002 – International Scientific Conference – 04-06.04.2002, Rousse, Bulgaria

Fig.4. The construction of the hydraulics

press: 1-frame; 2-inferior beam; 3-
hydraulic cylinder for pressing; 4-guide
columns; 5-pressing table; 6-pressing
pot; 7-piston; 8-upper beam; 9-hydraulic
cylinder for exraction of grit; 10-nut; 11-
handle for the regulation of the pressure; Fig.5. Hydrostatics installation scheme: MA-
12-hydraulic panel; 13- electromotor; P-pump; Sp-modular
pressure valve; D1 and D2- distributers; Sd-
unblockable sense valve; C1-cylinder for the
pressing of seeds milling; C2-extraction
cylinder grit; Rez.-basin.

The hydraulics press presents the following technical characteristics: type of the
press – with hydraulics cylinder; nominal force of pressing – 1200 KN; operating
pressure-20MPa; the electromotor power 1.5 kW; the operation stroke of the pressing
table – 300 mm; the stroke of the piston for the extraction of the grit – 450 mm; the
pressing oil volume – 30 l.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

For the determination of the technical and technological parameters of the
machinery for the extraction of the sun-flower oil it has been effected experimental test
on the laboratory conditions. For tests it was used the sun-flower seeds with the
humidity of 8;12;16;20 and 24% and an impurities contains of 3.2%. So, at the peeler-
separator it was determinated technological parameters (impurities separating grade,
peels separating grade, grade of peeling of the seeds and seed breakings with the
dimensions smaller then 3 mm) depending on humidity of sun-flower seeds and the
distance between beater and counterbeater.
Analysing the obtained results it can find that peeler-separator operates on
optimum conditions and maximum output of peeling of seeds, at an humidity of the
seeds of 8-12% and for a regulation of the distance between beater and counterbeater
of 18 mm at input and 12 mm at outlet.

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 EE&AE’2002 – International Scientific Conference – 04-06.04.2002, Rousse, Bulgaria

Table 1. Functional parameter principales of the peeler-separator.

Seed sun- Distance between Impurities Grade of Seed Breaking seeds with the
flower humidity beater and counter- separation separation peeling dimension < 3 mm, [%]
[%] beater grade of the peels grade
(input/outlet)[mm] [%] [%] [%]
4/8 92.3 99.6 87.6 12.4
8 18/12 93.4 99.7 84.3 3.6
24/16 94.5 99.9 79.4 1.2
14/8 91.6 99.2 86.5 10.2
12 18/12 92.7 99.4 82.3 3.5
24/16 93.6 99.7 77.4 1.0
14/8 90.8 96.7 82.3 8.9
16 18/12 91.4 95.8 78.4 2.6
24/16 92.3 95.3 73.4 0.6
14/8 88.4 93.4 79.6 7.2
20 18/12 89.2 91.4 75.4 1.9
24/16 90.7 89.6 69.4 0.6
14/8 86.4 91.2 72.3 6.9
24 18/12 87.9 88.6 68.4 1.3
24/16 88.6 86.4 62.5 0.5

For the assesmet of the optimum operation condition for technological line of oil
extraction has been taken in study the influence of the roasting temperature, the
pressing force and the pressing duration. The tests have been effected with seeds at
which the peeling grade is of 75%; 80% and 85%, the distance between the rolls is of
1.5 mm; the roasting temperature of 75;85 şi 95 0C; the pressing force is of 750 KN; 850
KN and 950 KN, the pressing duration 30; 50 and 70 s.

Table 2. Quantity of extracted oil from 100kg sun-flower seeds [kg]

Roasting Pressing force Pressing duration The peeling grade of the seeds [%]
temperature 0C [KN] [s] 75 80 85
30 29.5 30.1 30.3
750 50 30.0 30.8 31.0
70 30.2 31.2 31.4
30 30.7 31.2 31.4
75 850 50 31.2 31.9 32.1
70 31.4 32.3 32.5
30 31.5 32.0 32.2
950 50 32.0 32.7 32.9
70 32.0 33.1 33.7
30 30.5 31.0 32.1
750 50 30.9 31.7 32.5
70 31.1 32.1 32.6
30 31.6 32.3 32.8
85 850 50 32.1 33.0 33.2
70 32.5 33.4 33.7
30 32.6 33.1 33.4
950 50 33.1 33.8 34.2
70 33.3 34.0 34.8
30 31.3 31.8 33.0
750 50 31.6 32.6 32.3
70 31.9 33.0 33.5
30 32.5 33.2 33.8
90 850 50 33.0 33.9 34.1
70 33.4 34.3 34.6
30 33.5 34.0 34.4
950 50 34.0 34.7 35.1
70 34.2 34.9 35.6
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 EE&AE’2002 – International Scientific Conference – 04-06.04.2002, Rousse, Bulgaria

Analysing the obtained results, it finds out that the extraction output (the oil
quantity extracted from 100kg sun-flower) depends on especially of roasting
temperature and pressing force. The pressing duration and the peeling grade of the
seeds have a low influence against extracted oil quantity. This situation explains that
sun-flower seeds are processed properly and the designed technological line achieves
technological operations with maximum output.

CONCLUSION
Taking in consideration the obtained results it can conclude:
-the technological line for the processing of the sun-flower is a complex installation and
it achieves the minimum of technological operations for the obtaining of the maximum
output of extraction by the pressing of vegetable oil;
-the extraction output is maximum only then when the technological line operates at the
following parameters: peeling grade of the seeds – 80%; the roasting temperature of the
millig product – 900C; pressing force – 950 KN; pressing duration at maximum force –
50s;
-in exploitation the machinary from the composition of the technological line for the
processing of the sun-flower seeds have high reliability indices and the maintenance
intervention and reparation is carried out with middle qualification personal.

REFERENCES
[1]. Banu C., ş.a. – Manualul inginerului de industrie alimentară, Ed. Tehnică, 1999,
Bucureşti;
[2]. Singer M., Puzdrea D. – Tehnologii în industria alimentară extractivă, Ed. Didactică
şi Pedagogică, 1978, Bucureşti;
[3]. Ţenu I. – Tehnologii, procedee, maşini şi instalaţii pentru industrializarea produselor
vegetale, Ed.Junimea, 1999, Iaşi

ABOUT THE AUTORS

I. Ţenu, prof. dr. eng., Technical University ”Gh. Asachi” Iaşi, Faculty of Mechanics Iaşi,
B-dul Mangeron nr.63-65, Romania, E-mail: ima@mail.dntis.ro

D. Karamousantas, prof. dr. eng., Technological Education Institute of Kalamanta,

Grecia

C. Bercovici, eng., SC IMA SA, str. Pavlov nr.14, Iaşi, Romania

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