THE DEVELOPMENT OF A CENTRIFUGE FOR MIXTURE
SEPARATION IN THE CHEMICAL INDUSTRY
PROJECT PROPOSAL
BY
BAKARE BOLUWATIFE EMMANUEL
(MEE/17/3339)
SUMMITTED TO
THE DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY,
FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY AKURE
IN PARTIAL FULLFILLMENT FOR THE AWARD OF BACHELOR OF
TECHNOLOGY
(B.TECH) IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
SEPTEMBER, 2023
ASTRACT
Since liquid–liquid separation techniques are applied in chemical process industry,
research and development received a strong level of attention. Thus, this abstract delves into the
development of a centrifuge for the separation of a mixture in a chemical industry, aiming to
enhance the efficient separation of immiscible mixtures, precisely emulsion in a chemical
industry where the use of chemicals is daily been used. This proposal paper further discusses the
key steps involved in the production process of a centrifuge, including the Conceptualization and
Design Specifications, Research and Feasibility Study, Mechanical and Structural Design,
Control System Design, Manufacturing and Assembly.
1.0INTRODUCTION
1.1Background study of the research
The separation of a mixture consisting of two immiscible liquids into two coherent
phases is an important task in (petro-) chemical, biotechnological, pharmaceutical as well as in
food industry. For example, industrial applications, such as in extraction processes, multi-phase
reaction systems, (offshore) oil exploration or hetero azeotrope distillation, frequently require
liquid–liquid separation techniques. Separation behavior and consequently equipment
performance depends on chemo-physical parameters, such as density difference between the two
phases, viscosity of the continuous phase, dispersed phase fraction and surface tension. Since
liquid–liquid separation is challenging, various separation techniques were developed to counter
different separation challenges. Thus, a broad range of techniques and equipment is available for
custom-made liquid–liquid separation process engineering. Reliable methods for selection of a
suitable separation technique as well as calculation and design of equipment and performance are
of particular interest. Therefore, separation phenomena have received a strong attention in
research and development in the last decades. In order to obtain better separation efficiency, an
increase of the force field by centrifugal rotation is an attractive technique. Thus, the centrifugal
acceleration and the resulting mass force can be increased up to 106 times higher compare to the
gravity force field. Literature surveys of different types of centrifugal equipment, separators and
extractors, can be found in (Beveridge, 2000; Gebauer et al., 1982; Schaflinger, 1990; Simon,
1982; van Kemenade et al., 2014). Schaflinger and Beveridge summarizes various types of
centrifugal separators (centrifuges, decanters and cyclones) for different types of multi-phase
mixtures (Beveridge, 2000; Schaflinger, 1990). Gebauer et al. gives a schematic classification for
centrifugal separation and extraction equipment (Gebauer et al., 1982).
The evolution of centrifuge development commences with the conceptualization phase,
wherein specific application requirements and separation goals are identified. While the
centrifuge development trajectory is characterized by innovation, it is not without its challenges.
Vibrational dynamics and balance concerns pose critical obstacles to operational accuracy.
Mechanical vulnerabilities and safety imperatives demand scrupulous engineering foresight.
Regulatory adherence, cross-contamination mitigation, and safety mechanisms underscore the
multifaceted nature of these challenges. Strategies for overcoming these challenges embrace
advancements in control system reliability, rotor integrity, and thermal management. Calibration,
maintenance protocols, and user-centric interfaces further augment operational accuracy and
usability.
Throughout this journey, the centrifuge's developmental trajectory underscores
interdisciplinary collaboration, meticulous quality control, and a commitment to excellence. By
addressing challenges through iterative design, empirical testing, and adaptive solutions,
centrifuge development stands poised on the cusp of transformative progress.
1.1.1 Motivation
The development of a centrifuge for the separation of mixture in industries where liquid-liquid,
solid-liquid and many more mixture phases are needed to be separated based on density and
particle size difference, hold a significant motivation in investigating how mixtures can be
efficiently separated with the potential to revolutionize various industries that makes use of a
centrifuge as a means of particle separation for an optimum result in their purest form.
2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW
Yokota et al. (2012) has developed a novel analytical method for the quantification of bromate in
fresh foods using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a post column reaction.
The fresh food sample solutions were pretreated with homogenization, centrifugal UF, and
subsequent solid-phase extraction using a strong anion-exchange resin. After separation on a
strong anion-exchange chromatography column using a highly concentrated NaCl solution (0.3
M) as the eluent, the bromate was quantified by detection using a post column reaction with a
noncarcinogenic reagent (tetramethylbenzidine). The developed HPLC technique made it
possible to quantify bromate in salt-rich fresh foods. The recoveries from fresh foods spiked with
bromate at low levels (2 or 10 ng g−1) satisfactorily ranged from 75.3% to 90.7%. The lowest
quantification limit in fresh foods was estimated to be 0.6 ng/g as bromic acid. The method
should be helpful for the quantification of bromate in fresh foods disinfected with hypochlorite
solutions. Solid–liquid separation is a very important unit operation related to chemical,
engineering, and environmental processes. A number of conventional separation methods and
hardware, such as centrifugation, filtration, or sedimentation, have been in use for a long time
(Rossignol et al., 2000; Sharma, 1994). However, now a days, we are looking for techniques and
processes with less energy and capital. Biomimetics is a technique by which phenomena in
nature are used as the basis to modify existing technologies or design new ones (Bulger et al.,
2008). Hung et al. (2012) developed a new particle separator based on the mechanism of cross-
flow filtration employed by suspension-feeding fish. When water enters a suspension-feeding
fish’s oral cavity, it brings in food particles suspended in large quantities of water. A high
proportion of the particles that enter are retained inside the fish’s oral cavity and eventually
swallowed while most of the water exits via branchial slits. To construct the model of the
bioinspired particle separator, computational fluid dynamics techniques are used, and parameters
related to separator shape, fluid flow, and particle properties that might affect the performance in
removing particles from the flow are varied and tested. The goal is to induce a flow rotation,
which enhances the separation of particles from the flow, reduce the particle-laden flow that
exits via a collection zone at the lower/posterior end of the separator, while at the same time
increase the concentration of particles in that flow. Based on preliminary particle removal
efficiency tests, an existing flow through the collection zone of about 8% of the influent flow
rate is selected for all the performance tests of the separator, including trials with particles
carried by air flow instead of water. Under this condition, the simulation results yield similar
particle removal efficiencies in water and air, but with different particle properties. Particle
removal efficiencies (percentage of influent particles that exit through the collection zone) were
determined for particles ranging in size from 1 to 1500 μm with a density between 1000 and
1150 kg m−3 in water and 2 and 19 mm and 68 and 2150 kg m−3 in air. In UF of milk,
nonprotein nitrogen and soluble components such as lactose, salts, and some vitamins pass
through the membrane, whereas milk fat, proteins, and insoluble salts are retained by the
membrane (Mehaia, 1997). The growing use of UF in the dairy industry, especially in the area of
value addition, promises to dramatically change the technology of concentrated and dried milk
products. Its main advantages are the higher dry matter and milk protein contents and the
increased ratio of protein to dry matter compared to native milk. Dairy whitener is widely used
as a substitute for fresh milk, cream, or evaporated milk in tea, coffee, cocoa, or drinking
chocolate and is also suitable for adding to foods like soups, sauces, puddings, and cereal dishes.
The main advantages of using dairy whitener are ease of handling, improved shelf life, which
may be specific requirements for use in restaurants, railways, airways, and waterways (Khatkar
et al., 2012a). Dairy whiteners should also have the ability to withstand the high temperature
(80–90°C) and low pH (4.6–5.2) of coffee solution (Khatkar et al., 2012a). The whitening effect
is produced in coffee as a result of light scattered from the surface of finely emulsified particles.
The whitening powder comes mainly from a well-emulsified and finely dispersed fat and protein
in a colloidal state (Khatkar et al., 2012b). Khatkar et al. (2013) studied the physicochemical and
functional quality attributes of dairy whitener prepared from a UF process. Developed dairy
whitener had significantly (P < 0.01) greater protein (40.07 ± 0.66%) and calcium (1.42 ±
0.05%) contents compared to market samples and also had good solubility index (0.25 mL) and
significantly (P < 0.01) higher dispersibility (92.08%) and L* value (93.87). Dairy whitener,
even at lower solids level, had an edge over the market samples in terms of sensory and
instrumental color characteristics in both tea and coffee without leaving any undissolved
suspended particles. Dairy processors would be able to prepare value added dairy whitener
commercially that would increase their profitability. Recovery of high value-added products such
as proteins, aromas, and flavors can be done using UF processes (Vandajon et al., 2002). The
application of membrane technology as the main method of separation, concentration, and
purification (Murado et al., 2010) of valuable compounds from industrial waste materials has
been applied to diverse sources, including fish meal (Afonso et al., 2004), palm oil mill effluents
(Wu et al., 2007), and solid by-products of the brewing industry (Tang et al., 2009). Rodriguez-
Amado et al. (2013) focused on the production of antihypertensive and antioxidant activities
using enzymatic hydrolysis of protein concentrates recovered by UF of different wastewaters
from the industrial processing of cuttlefish (Illex argentinus). The effluents were produced in the
processes of thawing (E1), softening (E2), boiling (E3), and gelation (E4). Their results showed
that membranes with cutoff at 100, 30, and 10 kDa were an effective resource to protein
concentration of E2 and E3 but limited for E1 and E4. In addition, E2 and E3 retentates led to
remarkable antihypertensive and antioxidant activities, further improved by enzymatic
hydrolysis. Also, sequential UF revealed the enrichment of these protein concentrates in peptides
with high angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibitory activity. Thereby, UF-fractionation
followed by proteolysis of protein concentrates from cuttlefish wastewaters offers new
opportunities for the development of bioactive hydrolysates with application in the food industry.
In addition, this approach contributes to an improved depuration of industrial wastewaters,
reducing the treatment costs and leading to a decrease in its contaminating effect.
2.1 Aim of the research
The aim of this research paper is to develop a centrifuge that would find it application in
the chemical industry, specially for color separation.
2.2 Objective of the research
Specific objective of the research are to;
(a) To develop a centrifuge that would be able separate mixtures.
(b) And that is of a low cost-effective maintenance separation techniques.
3.0 PROPOSED METHODOLOGY
The development of a centrifuge for the separation of a mixture in a chemical industry and
industries where similar application of a centrifuge is being used, can be carried out undergoing
the following technical process;
(i) Conceptualization and Design Specifications
The purpose of this proposal is to develop a centrifuge capable of separating mixtures most
importantly in a chemical industry where the application of emulsion is daily being used. The
motor speed would be based on the country motor speed rating usually 50/60Hz.
(ii) Research and Feasibility Study
The paper works of Scholars who has also seen the need to develop a more efficient machine
capable of separating mixtures into their purest form, was delved into for a better understanding
and a more efficient development even as the project is fully commenced.
(iii) Mechanical and structural design
Mechanical and structural design facets materialize in the subsequent stages, guided by cutting-
edge computer-aided design (CAD) tools. The centrifuge's core components, notably the rotor,
square metal plate, undergo rigorous optimization to achieve balance, stability, and durability.
Simultaneously, control systems are crafted to orchestrate precision, encompassing speed
modulation, acceleration profiles, and user interfaces.
(iv) Prototyping
The design of the project prototype will be carried out using a computer- aided design (CAD)
tool precisely solid work which is user-friendly and interactive in design. The protype
development which in turn will lead to production of the centrifuge through fabrication and
assembling of parts even as obtained in the (CAD) design workstation.
4.1 CONCLUSION
The conclusion of this proposal will be drawn based on the experimental data analysis or the
result obtained from the centrifuge developed.
4.2 RECOMMENDATION
Based on the centrifuge developed recommendation for improvement on this project proposal
would be drawn from the efficiency of the centrifuge developed.
REFERENCES
Theodoros Varzakas. 24 Nov 2014, Centrifugation–Filtration from: Food Engineering Handbook, Food
Process Engineering CRC Press Accessed on: 19 Aug 2023
https://www.routledgehandbooks.com/doi/10.1201/b17803-4
Afonso, M. D., J. Ferrer, and R. Bórquez, 2004. An economic assessment of proteins recovery
from fish meal effluents by ultrafiltration. Trends Food Sci. Tech. 15: 506–512.
AVT — Fluid Process Engineering, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
www.elsevier.com/locate/cherd
