Development and Performance Evaluation of a Palm Kernel Oil Extraction Machine

Abstract

Oil palm is a valuable crop and of considerable commercial importance because of its major products which are red palm oil and palm kernel oil. The processing of the palm fruit locally is crude and tedious for the local processors in Nigeria. The drudgery and time spent in extracting palm oil discourage the youth and affect the productivity of palm oil in rural communities. The primary objective of this work is to design and fabricate an efficient palm kernel oil crushing machine. This machine, featuring high torque and low rotational speed, incorporates an adjustable choke mechanism. This mechanism allows precise regulation of back pressure, controlling the thickness and dryness of the pressed cake as it passes between the barrel and the crushing shaft. Key components, including the hopper, crushing chamber, shaft, pulleys, and belts, were designed and then fabricated using standard techniques such as cutting, welding, drilling, bending, and casting.The innovative design processes cold palm kernel seeds without pre-treatment; the crushing shaft within the barrel performs both breaking, cooking, and palm oil extraction process. Driven by a 10hp electric motor, a processing capacity of 100 kg per hour gives an oil extraction efficiency of 87.10%. The developed machine has a high oil extraction efficiency and material discharge efficiency. Machine processing of palm oil extraction will alleviate the rigor of manual processing and enhance product quality.