DESIGN AND FABRICATION OF AN IMPROVED PALM OIL CLARIFIER
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Year of Publication
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Abstract
The palm oil industry continues to suffer from the limitations of traditional clarification methods, which result in significant oil losses, poor product quality, and low throughput, particularly among small-scale rural processors who lack access to mechanized systems. This project aimed to design and fabricate an improved small-scale palm oil clarifier that addresses these shortcomings through enhanced chamber geometry, controlled heating, and appropriate material selection. Specifically, the work sought to evaluate existing clarification technologies, design a compact multi-chamber unit, select thermally and chemically resistant materials, develop an integrated heating system, and validate the prototype through performance testing.
The clarifier was fabricated using 304H stainless steel, chosen for its superior corrosion resistance, thermal stability at elevated temperatures, and suitability for hygienic food-grade processing. The design incorporated a cylindrical crude palm oil tank, a settling tank, and a dryer unit all of which was interconnected to facilitate gravity-driven phase separation and residual moisture removal. A gas-fired burner was integrated to maintain the mixture within the optimal clarification temperature range of 85–90°C, reducing oil viscosity and promoting separation of oil, water, and sludge. Design calculations covering tank volume (116.29 litres per batch), heat energy requirements (approximately 15.3 MJ), surface area, and settling time using Stokes' law were all carried out to ensure the system was dimensionally and thermally appropriate for a small-scale processing scenario involving up to 200 litres per day.
Performance tests conducted on 1st and 3rd November 2025 yielded oil recovery rates of 91.30% and 91.54% respectively, both of which fall within the 90–95% benchmark typically reported for larger automated industrial clarifiers and represent a marked improvement over the 74.24% efficiency documented in comparable small-scale prototype studies. The total fabrication cost of ₦1,137,000 confirms that high-performance clarification equipment can be produced at an accessible cost for small-scale processors. These findings demonstrate that thoughtful engineering design, when grounded in local material availability and the practical realities of rural processing environments, can deliver results competitive with far more capital-intensive systems, offering a viable pathway to reduced oil losses, improved livelihoods, and stronger agricultural productivity across small-scale palm oil communities in Nigeria and similar regions.
The clarifier was fabricated using 304H stainless steel, chosen for its superior corrosion resistance, thermal stability at elevated temperatures, and suitability for hygienic food-grade processing. The design incorporated a cylindrical crude palm oil tank, a settling tank, and a dryer unit all of which was interconnected to facilitate gravity-driven phase separation and residual moisture removal. A gas-fired burner was integrated to maintain the mixture within the optimal clarification temperature range of 85–90°C, reducing oil viscosity and promoting separation of oil, water, and sludge. Design calculations covering tank volume (116.29 litres per batch), heat energy requirements (approximately 15.3 MJ), surface area, and settling time using Stokes' law were all carried out to ensure the system was dimensionally and thermally appropriate for a small-scale processing scenario involving up to 200 litres per day.
Performance tests conducted on 1st and 3rd November 2025 yielded oil recovery rates of 91.30% and 91.54% respectively, both of which fall within the 90–95% benchmark typically reported for larger automated industrial clarifiers and represent a marked improvement over the 74.24% efficiency documented in comparable small-scale prototype studies. The total fabrication cost of ₦1,137,000 confirms that high-performance clarification equipment can be produced at an accessible cost for small-scale processors. These findings demonstrate that thoughtful engineering design, when grounded in local material availability and the practical realities of rural processing environments, can deliver results competitive with far more capital-intensive systems, offering a viable pathway to reduced oil losses, improved livelihoods, and stronger agricultural productivity across small-scale palm oil communities in Nigeria and similar regions.
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