Screw Press Nozzle Geometry for Oilseed Extraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing screw presses for cold pressing of oilseeds suffer from low yield and productivity, particularly with hard seeds like rosehip, leading to high oil content in the solid residue, which reduces storage life and increases costs.
Innovation Solution
A screw press design with a cylindrical housing, longitudinal spline ways, a screw with a slightly rounded header, a press head with triangular splines, and a nozzle with truncated circular cones, along with a screw tip featuring a multiple thread cylindrical part and a conical part, optimized for high pressure zones to effectively crush and extract oil from various seed types.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a conventional screw press design is used, then the structure is simple, but the yield and productivity are low, especially for hard seeds
Solution Approach 1:
The press is divided into multiple functional zones: a crushing zone with spline ways for initial breakdown, a pressing zone with a press head for high-pressure extraction, and a nozzle zone for final residue discharge. This segmentation allows each zone to perform its specific function optimally, improving overall productivity while maintaining reasonable structural complexity
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the press have specialized features: the crushing zone has longitudinal spline ways with specific geometry, the pressing zone has a press head with triangular splines, and the nozzle zone has a truncated conical shape. Each local area is optimized for its specific function, enabling effective processing of hard seeds while maintaining manageable device complexity
2Quantity of substance
If high pressure is applied in the nozzle zone, then oil extraction is improved, but the solid residue contains high oil content reducing storage life
Solution Approach 1:
The crushing zone with longitudinal spline ways performs preliminary breakdown and oil extraction before the material reaches the pressing zone. This preliminary action reduces the oil content in the solid residue, ensuring better storage life while still allowing high-pressure extraction in the pressing zone to maximize oil recovery
Solution Approach 2:
The press maintains continuous oil extraction throughout the material flow path. The crushing zone continuously breaks down seeds and extracts oil, the pressing zone continuously applies high pressure, and the nozzle zone continuously discharges residue. This continuous action ensures complete oil recovery while minimizing residual oil in the solid residue
3Ease of operation
If the screw header is rounded, then material flow is improved, but the crushing efficiency of hard seeds is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The screw is segmented into different sections: the main body has a rounded header for smooth material flow, while the tip has a pointed or flat section for effective crushing of hard seeds. This segmentation allows the screw to perform both functions - smooth flow and effective crushing - simultaneously
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the screw have different geometries: the header is rounded to facilitate material flow and prevent clogging, while the tip is modified with pointed or flat surfaces to effectively crush hard seeds. This local differentiation of properties allows the single screw component to address multiple requirements
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
The design achieves high productivity and yield with low residual oil in the solid residue, facilitating storage and use, and operates efficiently at low oil temperatures, suitable for all types of seeds including hard ones, with easy maintenance and operation.
Implementation Method 1
a screw (6) connected to an electric motor through a gear unit is provided in the housing (1). The screw (6) has a slightly rounded screw header (7). A press head (8) is located coaxially against the screw header (7)
Implementation Method 2
Within this zone, there are longitudinal spline ways on the inner wall of the housing. Between the spline ways and the end of the housing, there are rear longitudinal spline ways
Implementation Method 3
As the pressure in this zone is higher, the oil flows back through the spline ways and through the porous seed mass to the outlet zone of the housing
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
Screw press for cold pressing of oilseeds used for producing vegetable oils, having a housing (1) with longitudinal spline ways (2) inside. An inlet opening (3) in the front part of the housing and outlet openings (5) for the pressed out oil in its middle part are provided. A screw (6) with a slightly rounded screw header (7) in the housing ends in a screw tip (17) shaped like a truncated cone. The press has a screw head (8) with a central opening (9) and a nozzle (14) with a frustoconical nozzle hole (15) converting into a discharge opening (16), also frustoconical. In the front face (10) of the press head (8) there are triangular splines (11). The generants k1 and k2 of the nozzle hole (15) and the truncated cone of the screw tip (17) form respectively angles a and β with the O-axis, wherein a > β, i.e. the gap between the nozzle hole (15) and the screw tip (17) becomes narrower towards the discharge for the solid residue.