Design and Construction of equipment setup for extraction of

Oil from Jatropha Seeds

Equipment to be designed:
 Soxhlet Extractor
 Methanol (Solvent) Evaporator

Stream Data calculated from material and energy balance:

Mass of Jatropha Seeds Required

Table 2.6
Mass of Oil Oil Content of Efficiency of
Required Seeds (weight Soxhlet Extraction Mass of Seeds
(kg/h) %) (%) Required (kg/h)
21742.18 40 78.66 69101.77056

Table 4.3 Assumptions

Assumption Value Unit Reference

100% of the Hexane is removed
by evaporation due to the large
difference in boiling points. 100 % (N/A)
Oil content of the seeds 40 % (Sarin, 2012)
Amount of oil successfully
extracted from the seeds 78.66 % (Shivani, 2011)
Jatropha oil contains 14% free (Benchman’s and
fatty acids 14 % Hirata, 2008)
Hexane is in excess of oil to
ensure the Jatropha oil is fully
dissolved (2:1 weight ratio) 1.5 :1 (N/A)

Table 4.4 Conditions

Condition Value Unit
Temperature 90 C
Pressure 1.01325 bar

The most important thing for selection of the equipment characteristics for the separation of
methanol from jatropha oil is relative volatility/boiling point difference.
So, the boiling points of both Jatropha oil and Methanol are shown below:
 Table 4.5 Boiling points
Component Boiling Point © Reference

Jatropha Oil 395.900 (Dubey, Sarviya and Rehman, 2006)

Hexane 68 (Pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, 2019)

Below is a table that is showing properties of Jatropha Oil,

Reference:
Takeda Y. Developmental study on jatropha curcas (Sabu dum) oil as a substitute for diesel
engine oil in Thailand. J. Agricultural Assoc. China 1982;20:1–9.

Design of Soxhlet Extractor

Desired Capacity of the extractor:
Capacity = 21742.18 Kg oil/hr. of crushed Jatropha seeds

Energy Balance over the extractor:

From energy balance on extractor using figure shown below,
Na×Ha + Nb×Hb + Hg =Nc× Hc + NdHd………… (1)
Where, N is total mass flow rate of each of components
 Ha is enthalpy of Methanol Input
 Hb is enthalpy of Jatropha Crushed seeds
 Hc is enthalpy of exhausted seed cake
  Hd is enthalpy of methanol output
 He is enthalpy of Jatropha Oil

Reference Data available:

 Cp of Jatropha seeds is assumed to be 750 J/kg. K with 10% moisture
 Cp of Hexane is taken as 2.35 KJ/Kg. K
 Cp of Jatropha oil in literature is found to be 3.5 KJ/kg. K

Extractor Operating Conditions:

 Tin = 25o C
 Tout = 50o C
 Assuming that no temperature gradients/dead zones exist inside the extractor.
Using equation (1),
69101.77×0.75× (25-25) + 32613.7×2.35 × (50-25) +Hg = 21742.28×3.5× (50-25) + 47359.59 ×
0.75× (50-25)

Note:
Weight of exhausted Seed Cake = 69101.77 – 21742.28 = 47359.59 kg/hr
By solving, we get
Hg = 874386.4 KJ/ hr.
But we knew that,
Hg = UA(T-Ts)
For heating coil of copper with boiling water/steam,
U = 670 W/m2 .K = 2360 KJ/hr.m2.K
Design area of heating coil = A = 874386.4/ 2360×25
A = 14.6 m2

Note:
The heating area of coil in extractor is an important design parameter of extractor as it helps us to
remove the conflicts of effective contact diameter for better extraction of Jatropha Oil. The next
area and height of extractor calculations will complete the design results with rating the
equipment in between text of further procedure.
 Schematic Diagram of Jatropha Oil Extractor

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Calculation of the Area of Extractor

The following data is used:
 Film coefficient of hexane solvent = 340 – 2800 W/m2oC
 Film coefficient of Jatropha oil = 1425 W/m2oC
 Moderate flow film coefficient of air = 240 W/m2oC
 Heat energy generated by the heating coil Q = 855465.4 kJ/s
 Range of value for the ethanol/oil mixture is = 2346.56 W/m2oC
The assumed overall heat transfer coefficient, U is given as:
Umax = 0.75×hi×ho / (hi +ho) …………. (3)
Where hi = 240 and ho = 2346.56
where hi is the inner film coefficient of Hexane/oil mixture and ho is the outer side film
coefficient of air.
Film coefficient of the mixture’s lower-point limit is estimated using (3) to be 150.41 W/m2oC,
while the lower-point limit was found to be 2345.46 W/m2oC.
Using (3), the heat transfer coefficient U was determined as 136.08 W/m2 oC
Assuming no heat loss, Q = UAΔT where Q is the quantity of heat, J/s, A is the area, m2 and ΔT
is the temperature difference.
A = 855465.4/25 × (136.08)
 A = 83 m2
From the antecedent area of the extractor, A can be estimated to be 83 m2
Space for contact of Solvent and Seeds= 83-14 = 69 m2
Let’s take a rule of thumb from literature for optimum design of extractor,
H = 2.5Di ………… (0)
where Hi is the Height and Di is diameter of extractor, both in meter, then area of the extractor A
is given by:
A = Π×Di×Hi + Π×Di2/4……………. (4)
83 = 3.14×2.5×Di2 + 3.14×Di2/4
All things are known except the diameter, so using equation (0) in equation (4), and by iterative
solving of above equation, we found that diameter of extractor is,
Di = 3 m (Feasible)
Similarly,
Hi = 2.5 × 3 = 7.5 m

Verification of calculated height:

Based on one-hour flow basis, we can calculate volumes for both seeds and solvent,

Volume = Mass / Density

Total volume added into the extractor column = volume of solvent per extraction + volume of
Jatropha Seeds = 37.35 m3. The volume of extractar V is given by:
V = (Π×Di2×H)/4 ………… (5A)
When we replace Dt = 2.67 m and V = 50, we can demonstrate from (5A) that height of mixture
in the extractor, H = 6.6 m.
% Safety Extension = (7.5 – 6.6) ×100 / 7.5
= 12 (Acceptable < 20%)

Verdict:

For safety, it is better to have actual height greater than height of fluid inside the extractor for
preventing overflow and pressure blowdown including flow circulation problems.
 Design calculations of Evaporator

Assumptions:

 100% hexane recovery is not real, however, due to large differences between boiling
points. So, it is assumed that 1% of hexane is retained by seed cake.
 Exhausted solids, hexane and Oil mixture enters into evaporator at 50oC.
 It is assumed that hexane flow upstream at 70oC slightly above 68oC which is boiling
point of hexane.

From material balance,

Hexane recovered = 32287.70 kg/hr = 99% recovery

Mass of Oil + Jatropha Exhausted Seeds + Unrecovered hexane = 101712 Kg/hr

Energy Balance Over the evaporator:

From energy balance on extractor using figure shown below,

Na×Ha - Nb× (Hbl +λb +Hvl) - Hg =-Nc× Hc + NdHd………… (1)

Where, N is total mass flow rate of each of components

 Ha is enthalpy of Input Jatropha Oil and hexane mixture

 Hb is enthalpy of Hexane vapor which includes its latent heat of vaporization (λ)

 Hc is enthalpy of Jatropha exhausted Seeds

 Hd is enthalpy of Oil +Exhausted Seed Cake output mixture

Reference Data available:

 Cp of Jatropha seeds is assumed to be 750 J/kg. K with 10% moisture

 Cp of Hexane liquid is taken as 2.35 KJ/Kg. K

 Cp of Hexane vapor is taken as 1.92 KJ/Kg. K

 Cp of Jatropha oil in literature is found to be 3.5 KJ/kg. K

Design Calculation Assumptions:

The following assumptions will be used for the calculation of the area of the evaporator:

(a) A shell and tube arrangement, with air being in an arbitrary shell round the evaporator.

(b) Heat is transferred by convection from the heating coil to the bulk of the liquid

(c) Thermal resistance of the evaporator material is negligible; therefore, heat is transferred by
convection from the hot plate to the bulk of the liquid.

(d) Nucleate boiling due to bubble formation is occurring because the excess temperature (78oC –
50oC = 28oC) is within the range 9oC– 50oC.

Extractor Operating Conditions:

 Tin = 50o C

 Tout =70o C

 Assuming that no temperature gradients/dead zones exist inside the extractor.

Using equation (1),

69101.77×0.75×(70-50) + (32287.7×2.35×(18) + 345.238×32287.7+ 32287.7×1.92×2) +Hg =

326.78×2.35×(20)

By solving, we get

Hg = -13657.86 MJ/ hr.

But we knew that,

Hg = UA(T-Ts)

Again, with assuming to use same heating coil of copper with condensing water/steam,

From literature reference from “Process Heat Transfer by D.Q Kern”

For condensing steam inside coil,

U = 750 W/m2 .K = 2700 KJ/hr.m2.K

Design area of heating coil = A = 13657.86×1000/ 2700×20

A = 252.92 m2 (Feasible)

Referring to the following research article:

S. A Alavi Fazel and S. Roumana. “Pool Boiling Heat Transfer to Pure Liquid” http://www. wseas.us/e-
library/conferences/2010/Cambridge/CFH/CFH-31. Accessed on March 14, 2012.

We can talk H/Di = 30.23

where Hi is the Height and Di is diameter of extractor, both in meter, then area of the extractor A
is given by:
A = Π×Di×Hi + Π×Di2/4……………. (4)
252.9233 = 3.14×30.23×Di2 + 3.14×Di2/4
All things are known except the diameter, so using equation (0) in equation (4), and by iterative
solving of above equation, we found that diameter of extractor is,
Di = 1.65 m (Feasible)
Similarly,
 Hi = 30.23×1.65
Hi = 49.87 m
Based on specific volume of Hexane-Vapor and specific volume of mixture, the safety extension
cannot be directly measured as vapor composition changes with height.

Calculation of the Total Height of Evaporator based on the Liquid Height, Support
for Perforated Stainless Steel, Condenser and Discharge Point for Seed Cake:
 Thickness of support for the perforated stainless steel = diameter of bolt = 0.035 m
 Length of support for the perforated stainless steel = length of bolt = 0.05m
 Diameter of the perforated stainless steel = diameter of evaporator = 1.65 m
 Thickness of perforated stainless steel = thickness of construction material = 0.01m
Let height of discharge outlet for solid be 18% above the height of cake receiver = 6.6 + 1.18 ×
6.6 =14.338 m.
Circumference of evaporator = π×Di = 3.142 × 1.65 = 5.184 m.
Arced length of the discharge outlet for solid cake = 1/5 of evaporator circumference = 5.184/5 =
1.03686m.
Diameter of stopper to be used is 0.5m and diameter of condenser inlet = 0.2m.
Let the clearance distance between the top of the mixture in the evaporator and the base of the
stopper be 3.78% above the height of liquid = 0.0378 × 5.23 = 0.182m.
Height of evaporator = height of miscella in evaporator + clearance above the liquid + stopper
thickness + condenser diameter + stopper thickness + thickness of support for perforated steel +
thickness of perforated stainless steel + height of cake discharge outlet
= 22.5 + 5.184 + 1.03686+ 0.2 + 1.65 + 0.03 + 0.01 + 7.92 = 38.6 m.
Let the Jatropha oil discharge pipe diameter be 1/45.86 of the actual height of evaporator = 1/45.86
× 0.6744 = 0.015m (approx.).
Thickness of flange material = 1.5mm (0.0015m).
Width of flange attached to the evaporator = 1/7 of evaporator diameter = 1/7 × 1.65 = 0.235m.
Since 38.6m < 49.87m, the evaporator can be economically constructed using 6.744m as height.
 The assumed overall heat transfer coefficient (6.79 W/m2oC) is validated if the calculated
overall heat transfer coefficient based on calculated coefficient is equal to the assumed
overall heat transfer coefficient value.

 The corrected or optimized film coefficient for nucleate boiling heat transfer can be
calculated using Labantsov Correlation.
 If Uassumed = Ucalculated, the overall calculations is 100% accurate.
Source References:
 Kovo, A. S “Application of full 42 Factorial Design for the Development and
Characterization of Insecticidal Soap from Neem Oil
”http://www.Lejpt. academicdirect.org/A08/29_40.htm. Accessed on January, 2012.
 6. Himmelblau, D.M. Basic Principles and Calculations in Chemical Engineering, 6th
Edition, Prentice-Hall of India, Private Limited New Delhi, 2005.
 7. Backhurst, J.R. & Harker, J.H. Process Plant Design. Heinemann Chemical Engineering
Series, London, 1983.