DEVELOPMENT OF THE JUICE EXTRACTION EQUIPMENT: PHYSICO-MATHEMATICAL MODEL OF THE PROCESSES

Abstract

Multifruit juicers are designed, constructed and improved to be able to process pineapples, oranges and watermelons efficiently. Little juice manufacturers need both a small and efficient device for juice extraction for being economically concurrent compared to big corporations. The authors of the represented paper aim to present the experimental device for juice extraction, its effectiveness, and functional. This device was created using the compressive and compressive shear forces conveyed by an auger conveyor system as a working power. The juicer consists of a hopper, a screw convey-or shaft, a filter screen, a juice outlet, gearbox housing, and a motor. The analysis of the component design enabled the authors to use the data in order to identify the sizes, manufacture and assemble the machine. The authors have made a lot of tests to detect the efficiency and functionality of the presented device. Tests of the device productivity were carried out using watermelons loaded into the device both peeled and unpeeled. Percentage of juice yield, juice extraction efficiency and extraction losses were used as performance indicators. Productivity analysis results revealed that a fruit type and peel condition reliably influenced productivity indicators at the value of 1 %. The percentage of juice yield from peeled and unpeeled water-melons constituted 89.5 % and 89.7 %, respectively. Extraction efficiency constituted 96.6 % for peeled watermelons and 97.1 % for unpeeled ones. Extraction losses amounted to 2.9 % and 2.6 % correspondingly. The proposed device is easy to use and maintain, therefore, it will perfectly suit the needs of small fruit juice manufacturers and can help to get economic efficiency to the small manufacture