Mathematical modelling of the performance parameters of a new decanter centrifuge generation. (December 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Leone, Alessandro; Romaniello, Roberto; Zagaria, Riccardo; Tamborrino, Antonia
• Is Part Of: Journal of food engineering. Volume 166(2015:Dec.)
• Page Start: 10
• Page End: 20
• Publication Date: 2015-12
• Subjects: Decanter centrifuge -- Olive oil -- Centrifugal separation -- Pâté; Food industry and trade -- Periodicals; Food -- Analysis -- Periodicals; Aliments -- Industrie et commerce -- Périodiques; Aliments -- Analyse -- Périodiques; Aliments -- Recherche -- Périodiques; 664.005
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2015.05.011
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0260-8774

Abstract

Highlights: The decanter's performances were mathematically modelled. The decanter's performances were tested by adding/not adding process water. The developed mathematical models show a good generalisation capability. Good correlation between predicted and observed data was obtained. Extraction efficiency resulted high in both decanter's configuration tested. Abstract: A new decanter centrifuge, called Eureka, of the pâté generation was studied in two different configurations (with and without water added) to evaluate its performance parameters. Mathematical models were developed to predict the extraction efficiency and the oil content in the husk, wastewater and pâté as a function of the olive paste mass flow rate. The suitability of the mathematical models of the performance parameters was evaluated using various statistical parameters, such as the mean percentage error, the mean bias error, the root mean square error, the modelling efficiency and the chi-square test. The models developed showed excellent generalisation capabilities. The decanter was shown to be able to process olive paste with a high extraction efficiency that, without water added, could reach 92.5%; sufficiently dry solids and olive oil clarified by light solids were produced in both of the configurations studied. The decanter was also demonstrated to be able to switch from one configuration to the other without stopping operation.