Results of experimental studies of sunflower oil purification by means of electric field in an electrostatic precipitator

¹ Azov-Black Sea Engineering Institute - branch of Don State Agrarian University in Zernograd, Rostov region, Zernograd, Russia
² I.T. Trubilin Kuban State Agrarian University, Krasnodar Region, Krasnodar, Russia

^* Corresponding author: rostmax@rambler.ru

Abstract

Sunflower oil is an indispensable product of functional purpose, which at its reasonable consumption increases immunity, cleanses the body of toxins, improves the brain and heart, and as a result, having a complex effect on the whole body provides an undeniable benefit to human health. Modern development of sunflower oil purification technologies involves improvement of existing and development of new methods and technical means, environmentally safe, accompanied by minimum energy consumption and characterised by increased indicators of technological efficiency, providing the possibility of separation of unnecessary impurities and preservation of valuable components extracted from the oil for their further use. Such a promising method is the purification of sunflower oil in the electric field. The paper considers the possibility of cleaning sunflower oil by an electrostatic precipitator from suspended particles by means of an electric field acting on them. The planned experiment is described and the process of removal of unnecessary impurities is analysed. The justification of the factors and parameters of the experimental study is considered separately. The dependences of the electrical characteristics of oil on the parameters of the purification process are established. Analytical expressions for empirical dependences of energy parameters of the purification process, mode and parameters of ESP operation are determined. The adequacy of theoretical and experimental results has been checked. Having analysed the obtained results, the optimum parameters of effective cleaning and ESP operation were determined, which on the basis of the obtained regression equations should be the following: voltage at ESP electrodes U = 4.4 kV, interelectrode distance b = 0.01 m, oil temperature at the inlet θ = 42°С. The calculated energy consumption at these parameters is equal to 12 W-h/kg.