Authors : I.I. Sulaiman, I.A. Ola, A.F. Adisa, S.I. Kuye, T.M.A. Olayanju and E.S.A. Ajisegiri
Abstract: In Nigeria, most essential oil bearing materials are at present, underutilized. These vast resources, if properly harnessed could be a huge source of income of hard currency for national development. It could also, be a ready source of livelihood for essential oil dealers. At present, efforts and extraction methods used limited, rudimentary and hence, unattractive as a business venture. Consequently, the sector remains untapped and wasted. The needs to redress this situation lead to development of a continuous flow oil extractor that is capable of extraction of oil from ginger rhizome and lemon, grass, respectively. The whole unit was powered by a single phase 15 W, 220 V AC geared motor and a steam generator fitted with a 2.2 kW heating element, the average speed of the screw shaft that conveys materials was 10 rpm given a mass conveyance rate of 0.41 kg/sec while the volumetric flow rate of water turned to steam and condensed within the system was 1.39×10–6/sec3. For each extraction require 21 L of water was consumed which yielded extracts of an average of 8.1 mL of ginger oil and 1.65 mL of lemon grass oil extracts for three batched samples at 37.4 and 0.36% MCDB. The yield obtained compared favourably with those obtained in other conventional methods. The adoption of this new method would bring a significant improvement in oil extraction and promote development in the area of essential oil extraction. This would reduce wastage in the exploration of essential oil resources in Nigeria.
I.I. Sulaiman, I.A. Ola, A.F. Adisa, S.I. Kuye, T.M.A. Olayanju and E.S.A. Ajisegiri, 2019. Development of a Screw Conveyor Essential Oil Extractor. Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences, 14: 8297-8300.