Impact of Process Variables on Dehulling Energy Demand of African Breadfruit Seed: A Response Surface Optimization Approach
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.4314/njtd.v22i1.3165Keywords:
Energy utilization, breadfruit dehulling, kernel damage, numerical optimization, process variablesAbstract
: Efficient and sustainable processing of African breadfruit (Treculia Africana) seeds presents substantial possibilities for addressing food security issues in sub-Saharan Africa. However, the high energy requirement of dehulling greatly impedes its full utilization. This work examines the influence of process variables on the dehulling energy requirement of African breadfruit seeds. The experiment was designed using the Box–Behnken Design tool of the Design Expert Statistical software to explore the influences of varying process conditions of feed rates (2, 6, and 10 kg/h), moisture contents (7.25, 14.8, and 22.35% w.b), and operating speeds (8, 15, and 22 rpm) on the dehulling energy requirement, dehulling efficiency, seed damage rate, and throughput capacity via response surface methodology. Optimal energy and dehulling conditions were established by the desirability index approach of numerical optimization. The energy predictive model was developed (R2 = 0.9996) and validated by the statistical analysis of the experimental data and plots of normal% probability residuals and predicted vs. actual  Experimental findings show that greater feed rates and machine speeds raise energy demand, and increasing moisture content substantially reduces it. The dehulling energy demand varied between 0.35≤ ð’¬ð’¹â‰¤1.5 kW/h ranges. At varying process conditions, the dehulling efficiency, seed damage rate, and throughput capacity were found to be 78 to 93%, 4 to 18%, and 1.9 to 9.82 kg/h, respectively. Synergistic and antagonistic relationships between variables highlight the necessity of diligent optimization to strike an equilibrium between energy economy and seed quality, amongst other response variables. Optimum dehulling settings (4.68 kg/h feed rate, 15.38% w.b moisture, and 14.51 rpm speed) yielded 0.73 kW/h, 72.7%, 0.67%, and 0.41 kg/h of energy demand, dehulling efficiency, seed damage rate, and throughput capacity, respectively. These findings provide insights for designing energy-efficient dehulling equipment, promoting eco-friendly and economically viable African breadfruit seed processing.
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