Multi-Stage Homogenization for Triglyceride Oil Degumming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing degumming processes for triglyceride oils face challenges in achieving high shear while avoiding hydrodynamic cavitation, which leads to reduced phosphatide removal efficiency and increased oil yield losses due to gas bubble formation.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a two-stage homogenization process with multiple flow constrictions in series, where the pre-treated oil mixture is passed through first and second homogenization apparatuses to suppress hydrodynamic cavitation, ensuring a pressure drop across each flow constriction ranges from 25 to 50% of the upstream pressure, and using a cavitation number greater than 2 to prevent cavitation, thereby enhancing phosphatide removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If high shear is applied through hydrodynamic cavitation devices to enhance phosphatide removal, then degumming efficiency is improved, but gas bubble formation occurs which reduces removal efficiency and increases oil yield losses
Solution Approach 1:
The homogenization process is divided into multiple stages with multiple flow constrictions in series. Each constriction creates localized high shear zones that collectively achieve thorough phosphatide removal without generating pervasive cavitation bubbles throughout the fluid, thus segmenting the shear application to avoid harmful gas bubble formation.
Solution Approach 2:
High shear is applied locally at specific flow constriction points rather than uniformly throughout the fluid. This localized application of shear stress achieves effective phosphatide disruption at the phase boundary while avoiding the bulk fluid cavitation that leads to gas bubble formation and oil entrapment.
2Manufacturing precision
If pressure drop across flow constrictions is increased to enhance dispersion, then homogenization efficiency is improved, but hydrodynamic cavitation occurs which increases oil yield losses
Solution Approach 1:
The total pressure drop is segmented across multiple flow constrictions rather than applied through a single high-pressure drop device. This distribution of pressure drop increments achieves thorough dispersion while keeping each individual pressure drop below the cavitation threshold, preventing oil yield losses.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple flow constrictions are used to apply partial pressure drops that individually do not cause cavitation, but collectively achieve the necessary homogenization. This partial action repeated multiple times achieves complete dispersion without the excessive single-step pressure drop that would trigger cavitation and oil loss.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach effectively reduces phosphatide content to less than 10 ppm, improving the efficiency of the degumming process and minimizing oil yield losses by preventing cavitation-induced gas bubble formation, resulting in a higher quality purified oil.
Implementation Method 1
The pre-treated oil mixture is subjected to a pressure drop across each flow constriction in the first and second homogenization apparatuses in the range of 25 to 50 percent of the upstream pressure of the pre-treated oil mixture before each flow constriction. The pressure drop across each flow constriction is such that hydrodynamic cavitation in the pre-treated oil mixture is entirely avoided and suppressed
Implementation Method 2
The pre-treated oil mixture is subjected to a pressure drop across each flow constriction in the first and second homogenization apparatuses in the range of 25 to 50 percent of the upstream pressure
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
A multi-stage homogenization method for degumming triglyceride oil is used to increase oil yield and reduce impurities. Two high-pressure homogenizers are used in series. The homogenizers have multiple flow constrictions to finely disperse reagents in the oil while simultaneously suppressing cavitation in the fluid. A separation step can be used to remove the phosphatides and other impurities from the treated oil to form a purified oil product.