Optimization of the soybean oil production process

Abstract

The technology of direct extraction with nephras followed by the further miscella purification from the solvent and acid hydration (citric acid) is used to produce soybean oil. The miscella is cleared of solvent by passing through a range of heat exchangers and distillers. The final distillation unit is a 2-stage distillation apparatus operating at approximately absolute 400 mbar . A significant drawback of these installations is the irrational use of steam and its heat, the possibility of the finished product overheating and its quality deterioration, the process low speed, complex design and maintenance. To intensify the process of solvent evaporation from the miscella film in the structure of the troughs in the film chamber, it is advisable to install cylindrical or slotted holes through which free falling jets of miscella are formed sequentially from the overlying loop of the trough to the plane of the underlying one. In this case, the miscella film moving along the chute has a certain hydrodynamic instability at the points of flow and the fall of the jet on the plane of the chute. Directly in the jet, the liquid, as a rule, is turbulized, and there is no laminar film. This technique significantly intensifies the distillation process. An aeration system for supplying live steam, represented by a tubular bubbler, should be installed for intensification as well. The use of tubular aerators makes it possible to achieve an increase in the ratio of the aerated area to the total area of ??the section with the use of a smaller number of aeration elements and a reduction in the length of the pipelines (by 4 times on average ). As a result, the time and cost of installation are reduced significantly.