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Evaluation of a Bench-scale Vacuum Evaporator for Coconut Oil Drying

Author : Redulla, Julius L.
Major Adviser : Lozada, Ernesto P.
Committee Members : Demafelis, Rex B.; Arquiza, Apollo C.
Year : 1993
Month : March
Type : Thesis
Degree: BS
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Abstract

A simple vacuum evaporator for coconut oil drying was fabricated and evaluated. The evaluation was done in terms of moisture content attained at different operating conditions which are the following:

Operating condition 1: 90 °C, 6 cm Hg, and 2 % (v/v);
Operating condition 2: 80 °C, 6 cm Hg, and 2 % (v/v);
Operating condition 3: 70 °C, 6 cm Hg, and 2 % (v/v);
Operating condition 4: 90 °C, 26 cm Hg, and 2 % (v/v);
Operating condition 5: 90 °C, 36 cm Hg, and 2 % (v/v);
Operating condition 6: 90 °C, 6 cm Hg, and 4 % (v/v);
Operating condition 7: 90 °C, 6 cm Hg, and 6 % (v/v);

Results showed that when oil was exposed to different temperature levels at 6 cm Hg, the equilibrated moisture content were: 0.38 % MC at 80 °C, 0.21 % MC at 80 °C and 0.14 % MC at 90 °C, the equilibrated moisture content were; 0.13 % MC at 6 cm Hg, 0.55 % MC at 26 cm Hg and 1.35 % MC at  36 cm Hg. Lastly, oil with different initial MC equilibrated at almost the same moisture levels when exposed tot eh same operating conditions and given ample time for drying. The MC obtained were 0.18 %, 0.16 % and 0.12 % for samples with initial MC of 6%, 4% and 2% respectively when exposed to operating condition of 90 °C  and 6 cm Hg.

Among the operating conditions tested, the bench scale vacuum evaporator attained the least final MC of 0.1 % (oven MC) after 1.75 hours in operating condition 1.

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