Coconut shell biomass gasification with waste heat recovery technology to dry pulverized kernel for virgin coconut oil extraction

Abstract

In this study, a dryer with a waste heat recovery unit, using coconut shells as the base material for gasification was compared with electric and kerosene dryers in terms of drying curve pattern, rate of dying, cost of drying and quality of fresh dried pulverized kernel under the dry processing method of virgin coconut oil production. Dried pulverized kernel samples from each dryer were tested for basic quality parameters, taking desiccated coconut samples as the control according to Sri Lankan standards. Storability of dried pulverized kernel samples was carried out by taking desiccated coconut samples as the control under the standard packaging material. Basic quality parameters of charcoal obtained from the gasifier were tested with charcoal made using pit method as the control according to Sri Lankan standards. The basic quality was same in all fresh dried pulverized kernel samples. Aerobic plate counts of fresh dried pulverized kernel samples exceeded the critical limit. During storage, moisture absorption was same in all samples while free fatty acid content and aerobic plate count of dried pulverized kernel samples were greater than desiccated coconut. Quality parameters of all charcoal samples were within the standard limits except particle size of charcoal made using the gasifier. Coconut shell biomass gasification with waste heat recovery technology can be used in dry processing method of virgin coconut oil production as a renewable, low cost and environmental friendly energy alternative and to minimize the drawbacks of pit method of charcoal production.