ISSUE NO. 118 (Jan. - Mar.

2016)

LEMBAGA MINYAK SAWIT MALAYSIA

MALAYSIAN PALMPALM
OIL O
BOARD
IL ENGINEERING BULLETIN NO. 118 1
KEMENTERIAN PERUSAHAAN PERLADANGAN DAN KOMODITI MALAYSIA
MINISTRY OF PLANTATION INDUSTRIES AND COMMODITIES, MALAYSIA
www.mpob.gov.my
 2
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PALM OIL ENGINEERING BULLETIN NO. 118

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 Editorial
CONTENTS

T
Editorial
1

TRAINING AND SEMINARS

MPOB Training Programme 2016 7
he oil palm industry in
MPOB Conferences and Seminars 2016 8 Malaysia has developed
into a major economic sector
FEATURE ARTICLES contributing over RM 60 billion in export
Heat Pipe Technology for Economiser and last year. While it has been generating
Air Preheater 11 good returns to most players in the whole
production chain, there are still many
Technology Improvement in Sterilisation 21 challenges facing the industry. In recent
times, sustainability including issues
TITBITS
Is Ripple Mill Suitable for Cracking Nuts? on the carbon footprints have gained
45
prominence with increasing number of
DATASHEET customers insisting on sustainable palm
Guidelines for Crude Palm Oil Quality 48 oil. To address these challenges, the
Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO)
certification scheme was implemented in
January 2015, and the regulations set by
the Department of Environment regarding
the biological oxygen demand level of
EDITORIAL BOARD POME, black smoke particulate emission
Chairperson
level and odour intensity are becoming
Datuk Dr Choo Yuen May more stringent. Palm oil mills need
technology improvement to comply with
Members all the requirements, and this demands
Dr Ahmad Kushairi Din
Dr Lim Weng Soon
intensive research and development
Ab Aziz Md Yusof efforts. The market has offered many
solutions such as zero discharge systems,
Secretary methane capture systems, methane
Ir N Ravi Menon
avoidance approaches and proposals to
Malaysian Palm Oil Board solve various issues in the palm oil mills.
Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities,
Malaysia Technology advancement should
6, Persiaran Institusi, Bandar Baru Bangi,
43000 Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia.
not be focused just on sustainability.
Tel: 603-8769 4400 Innovations must be adopted to increase
Fax: 603-8925 9446 efficiency of processing, improve oil
Website: www.mpob.gov.my extraction rate, reduce oil losses, reduce
© Malaysian Palm Oil Board, 2016
labour and optimise energy use. Two
All rights reserved. technologies are featured in this issue.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system, in any form or by any means, electronic, Development on heat exchangers for
mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise,
without the prior written permission of the publisher.
heat pipes enable waste heat recovery
thus reducing fuel consumption. This will
Products and services advertised in this give a positive impact to the environment.
Palm Oil Engineering Bulletin do not
connote endorsement by MPOB.
The Tilting Steriliser aims to reduce
maintenance cost, improve the working
environment and enhance safety via
automation.

PALM OIL ENGINEERING BULLETIN NO. 118 1

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2 PALM OIL ENGINEERING BULLETIN NO. 118
www.sumitomodrive.com
Taner Industrial Technology Sdn. Bhd. - inside the bulletin – colored

PALM OIL ENGINEERING BULLETIN NO. 118 3

 Okutech Sdn. Bhd. - inside the bulletin – colored.

4 PALM OIL ENGINEERING BULLETIN NO. 118

 EFFICIENT SOLUTIONS FOR
THE PALM OIL INDUSTRY
FROM AUTONICS

Proximity Sensors Photoelectric Sensors

Mal-Autonics Sensor Sdn Bhd - inside the bulletin – colored.

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Proximity Sensors Photoelecric Sensors Photoelectric Sensors

Recoders Converters Indicators

CN-6000 Series
KRN100 Series Isolated Converters with KN-2000 Series
100mm Hybrid Recorders Programmable 3-Color High Accuracy, Multi-Input,
with LCD & USB Support LCD Display and Multi-Color Indicators

Pressure Transmitters Controllers

TPS20 Series PTF30 Series KPN Series

Stainless Steel Diaphragm 2-Wire Pressure Transmitters High-Speed, High Accuracy
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Mal-Autonics Sensor Sdn. Bhd. Tel 03-7805 7190 www.autonics.com.my

5
Unit No. 613 & 614, Block A, Fax 03-7805
PALM7193
OIL ENGINEERING BULLETIN NO. 118
Kelana Business Centre, Technical Toll 1800-88-8381
Jalan SS7/2, Kelana Jaya, 47301 P.J, Selangor. Email malaysia@autonics.com
 Xylem Water Solutions M’sia Sdn Bhd - inside the bulletin – colored.

6 PALM OIL ENGINEERING BULLETIN NO. 118

Training & Seminars

MPOB TRAINING PROGRAMME 2016

Code Title Date Venue

No.
A COURSES
OIL PALM
A1.1 Kursus Kemahiran Menggred Buah
Sawit
26-28 Jul Ritz Garden Hotel, Perak
Wilayah Utara
20-22 Sep Putri Resort, Air Keroh,
Wilayah Tengah
Melaka
9-11 Ogos PLASMA
Wilayah Sabah Lahad Datu,
Sabah
23-25 Ogos GreenPark Hotel, Temerloh,
Wilayah Timur
Pahang
6-8 Sep Dorset Boutique Hotel,
Wilayah Sarawak
Kuching, Sarawak
Wilayah Selatan 11-13 Okt Katerina Hotel, Batu Pahat,
Johor
A1.2 Intensive Diploma in Oil Palm
Management & Technology (IDOPMT)
Semester I 19 Sep-7 Oct

Semester II 20 Oct-18 Nov MPOB, Head Office

Estate Attachment 21-25 Nov
Semester III 28 Nov-9 Dec
A1.3
Kursus Operator Mekanisasi Ladang
(KOML)

Tahap 2 April (5 month)

PLASMA Keratong, Pahang
October
Tahap 3
(5 month)
Kursus Pengurusan dan Penyeleng-
A1.4
garaan Tapak Nurseri Sawit
Dorset Boutique Hotel,
Wilayah Sarawak 29-30 Mar
Kuching, Sarawak

Wilayah Sabah Promenade Hotel, Tawau,

19-20 Apr
Sabah
Wilayah Timur/Selatan 24-25 Mei Classic Hotel, Muar, Johor
Wilayah Utara Grand Court Hotel, Teluk
23-24 Ogos
Intan, Perak
Wilayah Tengah 25-26 Okt *

PALM OIL ENGINEERING BULLETIN NO. 118 7

 Training & Seminars

2 PALM OIL
A2.1
Diploma in Palm Oil Milling
Technology & Management (DIPOM)

Semester I 7 -16 Mar

MPOB Sabah Region
Semester II 9 -18 May
Semester III 25 Jul-3 Aug
Examination 5-6 Sep
th
A2.2 30 MPOB Oil Palm Products Surveying 15-19 Aug *
Course
th
A2.3 29 MPOB Oil Palm Products 18-20 Oct *
Surverying Examination

A2.4 Kursus Penyelia Kilang Sawit 26-30 Sep MPOB, Head Office

Peperiksaan Kursus Penyelia Kilang Sawit 3 Oct

A2.5 Kursus Pengendali Makmal Kilang Sawit 19-27 Sep MPOB, Head Office

A2.6 Kursus Asas Rawatan Efluen Sawit 18-20 Oct *

A2.7 Margarine Course 15-18 Aug MPOB, Head Office
A2.8 Kursus Penyelia Bengkel Kilang Sawit 14-20 Nov PLASMA Lahad Datu,
Sabah
A2.9 Cosmetic Course 8-12 Aug MPOB, Head Office
B MPOB CONFERENCES AND SEMINARS
1 Palm & Lauric Oils Price Outlook Conference 7-9 Mar Shangri-la Hotel,
& Exhibition (POC 2016) Kuala Lumpur
2 Forum on Ganoderma and other Diseases 8 Apr MPOB, Head Office
3 PAC Seminar 14 Apr MPOB, Head Office
4 Seminar Guna Tenaga di Sektor Perladan- 26 Apr Hotel Sabah,
gan Sawit Sandakan, Sabah
5 TOT Seminar 2 Jun MPOB, Head Office
6 GSAS Seminar 3 Jun MPOB, Head Office
7 Palm Oil Industry Labour: Issue Performance 19-21 Sep Sandakan, Sabah
Sustainability (PILIPS) Seminar & Palmmech
8 IOPRI-MPOB International Seminar on Pests 27-29 Sep Medan, Indonesia
and Disease
9 Persidangan Kebangsaan Pekebun Kecil 11-12 Oct Hotel Kinta Riverfront,
Sawit 2016 Ipoh, Perak
10 National Seminar on Palm Oil Milling, 29-30 Nov The Royal Chulan Hotel,
Refining Environment and Quality (POMREQ) Kuala Lumpur
Note: *To be confirmed.

For enquiry or further information, please contact:

HRD & Conference Management Unit

Tel. No. : 03-8769 4400 ext. 4865, 4860, 4867
Fax No. : 03-8925 7549
E-mail : rubaah@mpob.gov.my
MPOB’s website : www.mpob.gov.my

All information are correct as at press time.

8 PALM OIL ENGINEERING BULLETIN NO. 118

First Announcement

2016
NATIONAL SEMINAR ON
PALM OIL MILLING, REFINING,
ENVIRONMENT AND QUALITY

POMREQ
29-30 November 2016
The Royale Chulan Hotel
Kuala Lumpur

POMREQ

To be Officiated by
MINISTER OF PLANTATION INDUSTRIES AND COMMODITIES, MALAYSIA

Organised by
MALAYSIAN PALM OIL BOARD
MINISTRY OF PLANTATION INDUSTRIES AND COMMODITIES, MALAYSIA
PALM OIL ENGINEERING BULLETIN NO. 118 9
www.mpob.gov.my
 E-Cool Technology (S) Pte Ltd was established on year 2000. We are specializes in the
provision of services in environment engineering and waste heat recovery solu�ons for the
improvement of energy efficiency of industrial systems and plants. One of the industries
that we are focusing on is the palm oil industry and using the Heat Pipe Heat Exchanger
to recovery the waste heat from the boilers.

E-Cool Technology (S) Pte Ltd - inside the bulletin – colored pls place next
to their feature
article on “Heat Pipe….

Stage 1

Stage 2

7030 Ang Mo Kio Ave 5 #08-17, Northstar @ AMK. Singapore 569880

10 Mr. Tan Aik
PALMSeoh (MD) HP:BULLETIN
OIL ENGINEERING +65 9692 4139 Mr. Harry Chua HP: +65 9117 5757
NO. 118
Email: www.boilereconomizer.com.sg
Feature Article

Heat Pipe Technology for Economiser and Air

Preheater**
Harry Chua*

H
INTRODUCTION WASTE HEAT RECOVERY IN BOILER
SYSTEMS
eat recovery can take many dif-
ferent forms. In general terms, This simple concept of waste heat recovery
it can be classified as direct re- could be illustrated by looking at boiler
covery, indirect recovery and secondary re- systems (Figure 1). Feed water enters the
covery. Direct recovery refers to the use of boiler to produce process steam. The energy
flue gas, which is a combination of carbon for the steam production normally comes
dioxide, nitrogen and oxygen generated by from the combustion of biomass, diesel or
the combustion process in an incinerator or fuel oil, which produces an exhaust with a
boiler, to preheat or dry products directly. temperature of about 220°C to 270°C. For
Indirect recovery takes place when flue gas very old boilers, the temperature of the
is used to preheat combustion air or fuel. exhaust gas could even be higher. The
Secondary recovery utilises the waste heat exhaust flue gas, which still contains a
to preheat an external medium or to gener- substantial amount of waste heat, is
ate power. discharged directly to the atmosphere
through the chimney systems and as a
Fuel savings is the most obvious benefit result, precious energy is wasted.
of waste heat recovery and this is the key
motivating factor for the companies to in- The energy from the exhaust flue gas
vest in equipment to tap their waste energy. could be tapped through the use of heat ex-
Other than that, a reduction in fuel usage changers, as shown in Figure 2 below.
also results in less emission of pollutants,
which include carbon monoxide, hydrogen In this case, the exhaust flue gas is used
sulfide and sulfur dioxide, to the environ- to preheat the feed water and the combus-
ment. Moreover, emission of carbon diox- tion air. Consequently, much less fuel is
ide, which is a greenhouse gas, will also be required to produce the same amount of
reduced. steam. For example, an 8 t hr-1 boiler in

* E-Cool Technology (S) Pte. Ltd., 7030 Ang Mo Kio Ave

5 #08-17, Northstar @ AMK, Singapore 569880.
E-mail: ecool@singnet.com.sg

** Adapted from published paper entitled

‘Heat Pipe Technology in Water and Air Preheater’.
PALM OIL ENGINEERING BULLETIN NO. 118 11
 Feature Article

Figure 1. Schematic diagram of a typical boiler without heat

recovery system.

Figure 2. Schematic diagram of a typical boiler

with waste heat recovery system.

which the flue gas flow rate is 9700 Nm3 hr-1 PROBLEMS WITH CONVENTIONAL
would result in approximately 22 000 litre HEAT EXCHANGERS IN WASTE HEAT
savings per year in fuel oil or diesel con- RECOVERY
sumption for every 10°C recovery of the
exhaust gas temperature. This would be However, most industrial boilers that
translated to more than USD 5000 in actual are smaller than 10 t hr-1 are normally not
dollar savings annually. equipped with heat exchangers to recover
the waste heat. This is because there are
The dew point of the flue gas is normally many maintenance problems associated
in the range 110°C to 140ºC, depending on with low temperature corrosion if conven-
the sulfur content in the fuel used. There- tional heat exchangers are used for such ap-
fore, for most applications, the temperature plications.
of the exhaust fumes could theoretically be
reduced by at least 70ºC before low tem- Low temperature corrosion refers to the
perature corrosion occurs. This results in corrosion at the tube walls of the heat ex-
potential savings of more than USD 35 000 changers as the gas film temperature at the
a year.

1
Assuming that the calorific value, density and price of the fuel is 43.6 MJ kg-1, 970 kg m-3 and USD 0.24
litre-1 respectively.

12 PALM OIL ENGINEERING BULLETIN NO. 118

 Feature Article

heat recovery systems could be addressed

using the heat pipe heat transfer techno-
logy. In terms of industrial applications,
this is still a relatively novel technology.
Early efforts were directed toward space
applications; however, due to the high cost
and the rapid rise in demand in energy, the
commercialisation and application of heat
pipe heat exchangers (Figure 4) in other
industries have become more widespread
Figure 3. Corrosion seen within three years in a in recent years. Figure 4 shows a schema-
conventional heat exchanger. tic diagram of a heat pipe heat exchanger.
Heat pipes are simply pipes that contain
wall is below the dew point of the flue gas. a working fluid. They are sealed at both
This is because the gas side heat transfer ends after a vacuum is created above the
coefficient is relatively low. This results in working fluid.
a huge temperature gradient between the
tube wall and the flue gas. As a result, the The heat exchanger is divided into two
flue gas temperature must always be main- ends: evaporating and condensing ends.
tained at around 200ºC if conventional heat The hot medium flows through the evapo-
exchangers are used. Due to the above, it rating end and evaporates the working flu-
is not economically viable to install waste id. The vapor rises up the heat pipes, and
heat recovery systems for smaller boilers in condenses at the condensing end such that
the past. For larger boilers that use conven- energy is transferred to the cool medium.
tional heat exchangers for heat recovery, the As such, heat pipes operate at almost con-
amount of waste heat released to the envi- stant temperature.
ronment is still significant (Figure 3).
The phase change heat transfer in heat
HEAT PIPE HEAT EXCHANGERS pipes gives them very high thermal con-
ductance. In fact, the conductivity of heat
The corrosion and maintenance problems pipes is about 100 times higher than copper.
faced by conventional heat exchangers in

Figure 4. Heat pipe heat exchanger.

PALM OIL ENGINEERING BULLETIN NO. 118 13

 Feature Article

Moreover, the ratio of the heat transfer HEAT PIPE HEAT EXCHANGER
area between the evaporating and conden- PROJECT IN MALAYSIA
sing ends of the heat exchanger could be PALM OIL MILL
easily manipulated by adjusting the height
of, and adding fins to, the evaporating and Palm Oil Mill No. 1
condensing ends.
Project 1
ADVANTAGES OF HEAT PIPE HEAT
EXCHANGERS Date of installation: April 2011

Owing to the high thermal conductivity of Stage 1: Heat Pipe Heat Exchanger
heat pipes, their simple construction with Economiser
no mechanical moving parts and the ease
of manipulating the heat transfer area, heat 1. Operating parameters (as provided
pipe heat exchangers offer many advantag- by client)
es compared to conventional heat exchang- Capacity of boiler : 45 t hr-1
ers. Operating mode : 24 hr day-1, 330
-1
day yr
• Heat transfer up to 97%. Type of fuel : Fibre/EFB
• Fuel saving. Fuel consumption : 8430 kg hr-1
• CO2 reduction for climate change. Fuel price : Fibre RM 20 t-1,
• Low flue gas temperature discharge to Shell RM 120 t-1
chimney. Flue gas inlet : 330°C
• Boiler efficiency increase by 3%-15%. temperature
• Small volume and light weight. Feed water inlet : 30°C
• Simple structure. temperature
• Small pressure drops on gas side. Feed water flow : 39 000 kg hr-1
• More resistant to low temperature cor- rate
rosion.
• Carry on running even when some of 2. Design specification (non-pressure
the pipes corrode over time. vessel)
• Simple installation. Flue gas inlet : 300°C
• Maintenance free, except using MFO temperature
and Biomass as fuel. Flue gas outlet : 210°C
• High investment return due to high temperature
energy recovery. Feed water inlet : 30°C
• Life spends between 4-10 years, de- temperature
pend on individual condition. Feed water outlet : 70°C
temperature
One key advantage is that the tempera- Feed water flow : 39 000 kg hr-1
ture gradient between the wall of a heat rate
pipe and the flue gas is not drastic. There- Heat exchanger : 2170 kW
fore, the heat exchanger is extremely tole- duty
rant to low temperature corrosion and the
effluent flue gas temperature could be as
low as 140ºC. This makes this kind of heat
exchangers extremely economically viable
for waste heat recovery applications.

14 PALM OIL ENGINEERING BULLETIN NO. 118

 Feature Article

Figure 5. Mill 1, Project 1, Stage 1: HPHE for Economiser.

Mill 1, Project 2 Feed water flow : 73 800 kg hr-1

rate
Date of Installation: May 2014 Heat exchanger
duty : 3926 kW
Heat Pipe Heat Exchanger Stage 1 -
Economiser (Figure 5)
(a)
1. Operating parameters (as provided by
client)
Capacity of boiler : 70 t hr-1
Operating bode : 24 hr day-1, (b)
330 day yr-1
Type of fuel : 50% Fibre,
50% EFB
-1
Fuel consumption : 25 920 kg hr
Fuel price : RM 160 t-1
Flue gas inlet : 340°C
temperature
Feed water inlet : 25°C
temperature
Feed water flow : 73 800 kg hr-1
(c)
rate

2. Design specification (non-pressure

vessel)
Flue gas inlet : 340°C
temperature
Flue gas outlet : 266°C
temperature
Feed water inlet : 25°C
temperature
Feed water outlet : 70°C Figure 6a-c. Mill 1, Project 2, Stage 2: HPHE Air
temperature preheater installed and in operation.

PALM OIL ENGINEERING BULLETIN NO. 118 15

 Feature Article

Heat Pipe Heat Exchanger Stage 2 - Air Flue gas outlet : 263°C
Pre-Heater temperature

The photographs of layout diagram, Air 2. Design specification (non-pressure

Inlet and Heat pipe details are shown in vessel)
Figures 7-10. Combustion air : 28°C
inlet temperature
1. Operating parameters (as provided by Combustion air : 150°C
client) outlet temperature
Capacity of boiler : 70 t hr-1 Combustion air : 63 326 Nm3 hr-1
Operating mode : 24 hr day-1, flow rate
330 day yr-1 Heat exchanger : 2851 kW
Type of fuel : 50% Fibre, duty
50% EFB
Heat Pipe Heat Exchanger Stage 2 -
-1
Fuel consumption : 25 920 kg hr
Economiser
-1
Fuel price : RM 160 t
Flue gas inlet : 266°C
temperature 1. Operating parameters (as provided by
Flue gas outlet : 199°C client)
-1
temperature Capacity of boiler : 60 t hr
Flue gas flow rate : 154 440 kg hr-1 Operating mode : 24 hr day-1,
330 day yr-1
2. Design specification (non-pressure Type of fuel : Fibre/EFB
vessel) Fuel consumption : 16 000 kg hr-1
Combustion air : 30°C Fuel price : Fibre RM 20 t-1,
inlet temperature Shell RM 120 t-1
Combustion air : 150°C Flue gas inlet : 263°C
outlet temperature temperature
Combustion air Feed water inlet : 30°C
flow rate : 75 730 Nm3 hr-1 temperature
Heat exchanger : 3364 kW Feed water flow : 54 000 kg hr-1
duty rate

Palm Oil Mill No. 2 2. Design specification (non-pressure

vessel)
Date of Installation: November 2013 Flue gas inlet : 263°C
temperature
Heat Pipe Heat Exchanger Stage 1 - Air Flue gas outlet : 165°C
Pre-Heater (Figures 7-10) temperature
Feed water inlet : 30°C
1. Operating parameters (as provided by temperature
client) Feed water outlet : 75°C
Capacity of boiler : 60 t hr-1 temperature
-1
Operating mode : 24 hr day , Feed water flow : 54 000 kg hr-1
330 day yr-1 rate
Type of fuel : Fibre/EFB Heat exchanger : 3018 kW
Fuel consumption : 16 000 kg hr-1 duty
Fuel price : Fibre RM 20 t-1,
-1
Shell RM 120 t
Flue gas inlet : 350°C
temperature

16 PALM OIL ENGINEERING BULLETIN NO. 118

 Feature Article

Palm Oil Mill No. 3

Date of Installation: May 2014

Heat Pipe Heat Exchanger Stage 1 -

Economiser

1. Operating parameters (as provided by

client)
Capacity of boiler : 70 t hr-1
Operating mode : 24 hr day-1,
Figure 7. Mill No. 2 HPHE Air Pre-Heater under
installation. 330 day yr-1

Figure 8. Layout plan of HPHE.

Type of fuel : 100% Fibre

Fuel consumption : 23 400 kg hr-1
Fuel price : RM 160 t-1
Flue gas inlet : 340°C
temperature
Feed water inlet : 25°C
temperature
Feed water flow : 73 800 kg hr-1
rate
Figure 9. Air Inlet HPHE.
2. Design specification (non-pressure
vessel)

Flue gas inlet : 340°C

temperature
Flue gas outlet : 261°C
temperature
Feed water inlet : 25°C
temperature
Feed water outlet : 69°C
Figure 10. Heat Pipe Inside HPHE. temperature

PALM OIL ENGINEERING BULLETIN NO. 118 17

 Feature Article

Feed water flow : 73 800 kg hr-1

rate
Heat exchanger : 3826 kW
duty

Figure 11. Mill No. 3: HPHE in Economiser.

Figure 12. Mill No. 3: Economiser and Air Pre-Heater.

Heat Pipe Heat Exchanger Stage 2 - Air 2. Design specification (non-pressure

Pre-Heater (Figures 11 and 12). vessel)
Combustion air : 30°C
1. Operating parameters (as provided by inlet temperature
client) Combustion air : 150°C
-1
Capacity of boiler : 70 t hr outlet temperature
Operating mode : 24 hr day-1, Combustion air : 70 162 Nm3 hr-1
330 day yr-1 flow rate
Type of fuel : 100% Fibre Heat exchanger : 2851 kW
Fuel consumption : 23 400 kg hr-1 duty
Fuel price : RM 160 t-1
Flue gas inlet : 261°C The tubes exposed to flue gases as also
temperature subjected to ultrasonic soot removal sys-
Flue gas outlet : 193°C tems in order to maintain maximum heat
temperature transfer. The system is shown in Figures
Flue gas flow rate : 141 840 kg hr-1 13a-d.

18 PALM OIL ENGINEERING BULLETIN NO. 118

 Feature Article

Figure 13a. HPHE door and ultrasonic scoot cleaning system.

Figure 13b. HPHE after Figure 13c. HPHE while in Figure 13d. No black
cleaning. operation. smoke emission.

CONCLUSION temperature levels are unique features of

heat pipes. These features make it extreme-
The heat pipe heat exchanger offers many ly appropriate for waste heat recovery ap-
advantages compared to a conventional plications.
heat exchanger. It allows for large quan-
tities of heat to be transported through a Waste heat recovery not only helps to
small cross-sectional area over a consider- protect the environment, but will also result
able distance with no additional power in- in substantial cost savings for the company.
put to the system. Furthermore, design and Results from case studies have shown that
manufacturing simplicity, small end-to-end the payback period for such investments
temperature drops, and the ability to con- using the heat pipe heat transfer technology
trol and transport high heat rates at various is within two years.

PALM OIL ENGINEERING BULLETIN NO. 118 19

 Besteel Bhd - inside the bulletin – colored – pls place next to their
feature article on “Technology Improvement..

20 PALM OIL ENGINEERING BULLETIN NO. 118

Feature Article

Technology Improvement in
Sterilisation
Quah Ban Lee*

M
INTRODUCTION (FFB) after weighing- in at the weighing
bridge undergoes a series of operations in
ill processing concepts to im- the mill by mechanical extraction process.
prove the oil yield as well as its
quality have always been the FFB after weighing is delivered into
prime objective of the millers as most of the the FFB hoppers from where it is fed into
changes focused on an increase in profit. a number of FFB cages that can either be
The present focus seems to be shifting away loaded into individual cages or loaded at a
from the profit oriented culture to one of single diacharge point that will reduce spill-
environment protection. age of loose fruits in the marshalling yard
where the raiway lines are installed for
The processing activities in a palm oil mill marshalling the FFB cages. The filled cages
revolves around maximum oil recovery by are transferred to the sterilisers using cap-
reducing oil losses without sacrificing oil stans or towed by skid steer loaders. The
quality. There are limitations in the mechan- mill processing operations comprises steri-
ical extraction systems as compared to soya lisation, stripping, digestion, pressing, clari-
bean which uses solver extraction methods fication, purification, drying and storage of
which can give very efficient oil recovery. production oil. The system described until
The newly harvested fresh fruit bunches now is the conventional method of filling
steriliser cages. The sterilisation process
have undergone more improvements than
*Besteel Berhad, Lot 9683 Kawasan Perindustrian Desa
Aman, Batu 11, Desa Aman, 47000 Sungai Buloh, any other processing stations in the palm
Selangor, Malaysia. oil mills. This article intends to examine an
E-mail: quahbl@besteelberhad.com
effective sterilisation system that appears to
perform well.

PALM OIL ENGINEERING BULLETIN NO. 118 21

 Feature Article

PURPOSE OF STERILISATION The palm oil industry started off with

small vertical sterilisers with low capaci-
-1
Sterilisation Process is the first step in the ties between 1 to 2 t hr that was quite suffi-
processing operation. The word sterilisation cient to process the crop available from the
does not convey its major role in the palm African small holders. When the volume of
oil mills. Apart from the role of sterilisa- crop delivered to the mill started to increase
tion that can inactivate lipases at relatively from 20 t to a few hundred tonnes per day
low temperatures to prevent the rapid rise the small capacity verical steriliser could no
of FFA in the fruit, it has another useful longer be used for handling the sterilisation
purpose of pressure cooking the bunches of the crop. This gave rise to the develop-
at an elevated temperature of 130°C. This ment of horizontal units which are still the
pressure cooking contributes towards the most popular sterilisers in palm oil mills.
following: The different types that made their appear-
ance is listed below:
• Softens the wax that binds the fruit to its
socket so that the fruits can easily detach • small capacity vertical sterilisers
from the bunches. • small and inclined sterilisers
• Softens and conditions the mesocarp so • large horizontal sterilisers
that the fruits can be easily digested and • continuous sterilisers
pressed. • huge vertical water filled sterilisers
• Partially dries the kernel residing within • huge vertical dry type sterilisers
the shell imparting uniform heating to • hydraulically operated tilting sterilis-
it. ers
• Improved ability of oil to settle. • spherical pivoted sterilisers
• Improved oil extraction efficiency from
digested mash. Tilting Steriliser (TS) was invented after
• Reduce nut breakage. going through years of research and deve-
• Improve nut cracking efficiency. lopment to alienate all the negative features
• Improve oil bleachability. on the existing systems.

Tilting Steriliser was invented by taking

TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT into consideration the benefits of all the
earlier sterilisation method and disposing
The FFB sterilisation systems currently the areas of sterilisation which gives
practices in palm oil mills are far from per- negative effect.
fect not only in terms of effectiveness in
its performance but also from the point of Maintained and Improved Best Method of
view of applied thermodynamics on heat Sterilisation
transfer and efficient utilisation of steam.
Some of the new sterilisation systems flood- Tilting Sterilisers have maintained the
ing the market seem to be alienated from ’Horizontal Sterilisation‘ method whereby
well-established fundamental thermody- sterilisation is done when it is brought to
namic principles. Most of the existing sys- horizontal position which ensures an even
tems fail to extract even 50% of the energy distribution of steam and good timing
contained in the steam. Most of the steam together with easier condensate discharge.
is discharged in vapour form carrying with
it the entire enthalpy of evaporation. This Minimising Empty Space (dead space)
is the basis of designing our system that
faithfully follows the efficient utilisation of Tilting advance the area of sterilisation
steam. by shortening the time of sterilisation due

22 PALM OIL ENGINEERING BULLETIN NO. 118

 Feature Article

to more compact and ’No Dead Space‘ in Lower Maintenance Cost

the vessel. The tilting feature of the steri-
liser gives great advantage in preventing Contrary to expectations the maintenance
the bunches from getting compacted by the cost of tilting sterilisers is low despite the
sliding motion of the bunches within the heavy duty tilting mechanism used for
steriliser during feeding. tilting the sterilisers. The maintenance in-
volves only on the door seal of steriliser,
Effective Process Steam Integration hydraulics seal, hydraulics oil and chains
for the conveyors. On general average the
The 1-3 Peak process is an integrated maintenance cost per ton of horizontal steri-
process requirement of steam based on pro- liser system of 60 t hr-1 mill from an average
-1
viding pre-heating, de-aeration and con- of RM 4.00 t FFB can be reduced to lower
densation. The de-aeration process allows than RM 1.00 t-1 FFB on yearly basis.
evacuation of the air from the sterilisers.
The Tilting Sterilisers share some of its fea- A simple effective manner is to reduce
tures with the proven horizontal sterilisers cost and increase revenue.
with added features like:
• The abity to fill it up to the brim of the
sterilisers with the FFB causing sig- FOOTPRINT -
nificant reduction in air space that can CONTINUATION MILL PROCESS
make vast difference in the effective
steam pressure which can be main- Tilting station is able to adapt to the space
tained at a much higher level of existing mill processing space with steri-
• Better sterilisation due higher partial liser station assembly and inter connectied
pressure of steam conveyors with minimal disruption in mill
• Better strippability resuting from high- processing. This allows mill production ex-
er partial pressure of steam pansion with minimal downtime yet with a
• Easier loading of the sterilisers better and effective system.
• Shorter sterilisation time
• Lower steam consumption in Tilting Automation and Safety
Sterilisation Method due to minimal
dead space the requirement is only This Tilting Steriliser permits easier op-
maximum two peaks as this allowed eration through automation controls with
shorter process time and steam re- adequate safety features as no human inter-
quirement (Horizontal about 300-320 vention is called for opening or closing the
-1
kg t FFB while tilting about 200-220 door of the sterilisers.
-1
kg t FFB).

Minimise Mechanical Activity CONCLUSION

Tilting has adopted the tipper method of The Tilting Steriliser design and opera-
feeding and discharging of FFB. The pro- tion are based on the proven horizontal
cess is engineered to use the force of grav- sterilisers. It has all the good features of the
ity to feed the FFB in to the vessels avoiding horizontal sterilisers combined with the
cages, rail tracks, winches, crane and shov- elimination of its weakness in the form of
els. Further on discharging, the gravity pull trapped air that could not be satisfactorily
would easily discharge the sterilised fruits evacuated because of the large empty space
from the vessel into a hopper for transpor- the horizontal sterilisers had to live with.
tation by conveyors to the thresher for strip- The almost complete elimination of the air
ping effect. is the greatest feature of this steriliser.

PALM OIL ENGINEERING BULLETIN NO. 118 23

 Feature Article

The biggest weakness of the horizontal Tilting have addressed the issues above
sterilisers is the large volume of air space by lesser working parts hence reduction of
inside after the steam has been injected into cost of maintenance, clean environment by
the steriliser which is estimated to occupy eliminating cages, rail tracks and simplify
one-third space of the steriliser the remain- the feeding of FFB and discharging steri-
der being air. This results in a drop of the lised fruit bunches (SFB).
temperature of the mixture of steam and
air by 13°C (in practice 8°C) based on Dal- Optimal design of 58 m3 of vessel capaci-
ton Law of partial pressures. This problem ty and the inclined feeding allows minimal
has been present and still continues in the air space and hence reduction of steam re-
palm oil mills. The tilting feature of the quirement. With the integrated automation
Steriliser has effectively solved this prob- of the system combined with safety features
lem that had been plaguing the industry for and reduction of manual operation the is-
a long time. sue of safety is minimised.

The negative points raised by users are Improvement and advancement of the
appended below. era of automation and technology has given
• higher maintenance cost; birth to Tilting Sterilisation.
• environment hazard;
• inefficient use of steam; REFERENCE
• high concern over safety; and
• not-user friendly. LOH, T T (2010). Tilting Steriliser. Palm Oil
Engineering Bulletin, No. 94: 29-42.

CALL FOR ARTICLES

The millers are invited to send in articles of relevance to the palm oil industry in Malaysia for
publication in Palm Oil Engineering Bulletin. By sharing your expertise you will be helping the
industry and the nation as a whole. The topics of interest are:

1. Plant modifications done in your mill that resulted in improvements in milling operation or
maintenance.

2. Innovations done in your mill that produced improvements in the operation of the mill and that
you are willing to share them with others.

3. Any special work done in your mill that directly resulted in improvements in OER and product
quality.

Please submit your article to us and we shall be pleased to publish them in Palm Oil Engineering
Bulletin. Feel proud to have your articles published in this bulletin that is circulated throughout the
industry and MPOB offices worldwide.

24 PALM OIL ENGINEERING BULLETIN NO. 118

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44 PALM OIL ENGINEERING BULLETIN NO. 118

Titbits

Is Ripple Mill Suitable for Cracking Nuts?

T
Figure 1. A common type of smock mill.

his ripple mill story was main- shaft power was provided by smock mills
ly extracted from Wikipedia. that used timber framed sails using wind
When ripple mill made its de- power. Figure 1 shows a common type of
but in Malaysia it was well received by the smock mill used for operating the ripple
mills its main attraction being the mills can mills used widely for grinding corn.
do away with the nut drying silos and also
it’s relatively easier maintenance require- The smock mills were either hexagonal
ments compared to the centrifugal nut or octagonal in shape the latter being most
crackers which ripple mills replaced. These common. The number of sails could either
two advantages gave a big boost to the rip- be four or five. The Chimney Mill in Spital
ple mills leading to the virtual disappear- Tongues, Newcastle Upon Tyne smock mill
ance of the old faithful centrifugal crackers. a five sailed mill designed by John Smeaton,
It will be of historical interest to note that a civil engineer was built in 1782 which is
ripple mills were not specifically designed still surviving but without the cap and the
to crack oil palm nuts. It was initially de- sails. The oldest smock mill which is a hex-
signed to grind corn using smock mills. It agonal one built in 1650 that is still surviv-
will be interesting to trace back how the ing after restoration by Chiltern Society is
ripple mills originated. As electrical motors the one at Lacey Green in Buckinghamshire.
were non existant in the earlier days, the

Source: Wikipedia and Ravi Menon (2016).

PALM OIL ENGINEERING BULLETIN NO. 118 45

 Titbits

Our mill engineers are kindly requested to This story confirms that the ripple mills
visit these places when they go to United had been around for more than 300 years
Kingdom for holidays. Some of the smock and all along its use was confined to grind-
mills still survive in Kent but most others ing corns. There is no mention of it being
had given way to steam engine driven mills used for cracking any kind of nuts. Let us
or electric power driven ripple mills which now analyse whether equipment specifi-
also have undergone significant improve- cally designed for grinding materials like
ments. grain can satisfactorily crack nuts. It may or
may not be suitable. I have carried out some
Let us now examine the development of trials in one mill to find out the impact of
smock mills in USA mainly centred around nut pulverisation in a ripple mill. I collected
Massachusetts, one of which built in 1746 a wheel barrow of pulverised kernel within
by Nathan Wilbur, a sailor is still opera- 5 min when the cracked mixture was sieved
tional! This mill known as ‘the Old Mill’ is for 5 min. This may be one off incident. We
located in Nantucket Island, Massachusetts. need more trials preferably by few mills to
Out of the five smock mills that graced the confirm.
windy hills in Nantucket town ‘the old mill’
still survives although it’s condition is far There in however one weakness in the
from satisfactory. After about 100 years ripple mill associated processing configura-
of service the old mill was written off and tion. One kernel heating stage through the
sold as scrap to a carpenter Jared Gardner nut heating silo has been omitted and this
for USD 20. Gardner restored the mill and heating within an enclosed shell does seem
started back operation for grinding corn. In to dry the kernel more evenly without per-
1866, he sold it off to Francis Sylvia a Por- mitting the kernel oil to ooze out of its skin
tuguese miller who continued its operation in the kernel silo as is seen in almost all mills
until 1892 when it was shut down for good. where ripple mills are in operation. It is a
In 1897 Miss Caroline French purchased it common sight in mills to witness a drum
for USD 850 and donated it to Nantucket placed underneath the kernel drying silo
Historical Association (NHA), which after for collecting kernel oil. The reason could
the restoration work in 1937 continues to be the high temperature gradient. Kernel
operate for demonstration to tourists. drying starts from sterilisation onwards.

TABLE 1. WITH THE NUT SILO HEATER - CENTRIFUGAL NUT CRACKER

FFB Sterilised fruit Digester Nut silo Kernel silo Production

kernel
25% 25%-21% 21%-18% 18%-12% 12%- 6% 6%

Note: *Assumed variations in the moisture levels of kernel during its passage from FFB to
production kernel (%).

46 PALM OIL ENGINEERING BULLETIN NO. 118

 Titbits

Let us assume the following moisture levels This arrangement ensures low broken
for the kernels at different points during its kernels that seldom exceed 5% as compared
flow from FFB until the final stage as pro- to no less than 15% when using ripple mill.
duction kernel. The moisture levels shown It has to be emphasised that the centrifugal
are not based on actual analysis. nut cracker was designed specifically for
cracking oil palm nuts and it has served
In Table 2 the kernel silo is required to that purpose very well whereas ripple mills
dry the kernel moisture from 21% to 6% were not designed for cracking oil palm
that probably results in the kernel oil to not as such it will have to undergo some
ooze out from the kernel. The nut silo heat- changes to satisfy the characteristics of the
ers serve a very specific purpose of prepar- nuts that we want to crack without produc-
ing the kernel within the nut to shrink and ing very high percentage of broken kernel
break loose from the shell so that when the coupled with the undetected pulverised
nuts are hurled against the liner of the cen- kernel that is escaping as fuel for boilers.
trifugal nut crackers the shell breaks loose The millers are urged to verify the accuracy
to allow the kernel to free itself. That is why of this hypothesis and act accordingly to
the bottom air ducting in a nut silo cold air reduce product loss as well as improve kernel
is blown. The hot nuts descending down quality.
to the shaking grate should be cooled as
otherwise the hot shell that remains elastic
will cause difficulty in proper cracking.

TABLE 2. WITHOUT THE NUT SILO HEATER - RIPPLE MILL

FFB Sterilised fruit Digester Nut silo Kernel silo Production

kernel
25% 25%-21% 21%-18% No heating 21%- 6% 6%
Excessive heating

Note: *Assumed variations in the moisture levels of kernel during its passage from FFB to
production kernel (%).

PALM OIL ENGINEERING BULLETIN NO. 118 47

 Datasheet

Guidelines for Crude Palm Oil Quality*

Parameter Codex H&C H&C Loncin Johansson Young PORIM
Alimentarius Stan- Lotox (1971) and (1981) 1997/98
dard Rehrelegard Survey
(1977) (Mean
results)
Moisture 0.2 0.18 0.18 < 0.1 0.2 max 0.2 max 0.18
(%)
Dirt (%) 0.05 0.02 0.02 <0.02 0.02 max 0.05 max 0.03
FFA (%) Acid value 3.5 2.5 1.0 – 2.5 2.5 max 4.0 max 3.2
10 max
IV 50 – 55 53 – 55 53 – 55 51.5 – - 52 - 55 52
54.5
PV (meq 10 max 5 3 max 5 – 20 3.0 max 10 max 0.7
-1
kg )
AV - - 4.0 max 5 – 10 3.0 max 5 max 4.7
Fe (ppm) 5 max 5 3 max <5 3.0 max 4 max 4.8
Cu (ppm) 0.4 max 0.2 0.2 max < 0.1 0.04 max 0.2 max 0.1
Carotene 500 min, 2000 - 650 Ca. 500 - 500 min 582
max typical
E269 - - ≥ 0.3 - - 0.6 max 0.3

Note: *Extracted from the nation-wide survey of crude palm oil quality and identify
characteristics by analysis 1300 samples from 105 palm oil mills and 32 refineries.

Source: TAN, Y A et.al, (1999). Proceedings of the 1999 PORIM International Palm Oil Congress.
PORIM, Kuala Lumpur.

48 PALM OIL ENGINEERING BULLETIN NO. 118

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ollowing a decision by the Editorial Board to further increase the role of Palm Oil Engineering Bulletin to serve the
industry better, a new addition called Palm Oil Mill Vendor’s List has been introduced similar to Telekom Yellow
Pages to assist mill engineers to know where to source materials or services pertaining to the industry. In order to
MPOB PALM OIL ENGINEERING BULLETIN - VENDOR’S LIST

make this useful, we need the co-operation of the mill engineers/managers to persuade their vendors to advertise
in the Vendor’s List for a nominal fee of RM 100/year. If you have any queries, please contact the following at
MPOB.

Tel: 03-87694400 Fax: 03-89262971

Ir. Ravi Menon ext. 4467 or e-mail: nravi@mpob.gov.my

Ms. Lim Soo Chin ext. 4676 or e-mail: milleng@mpob.gov.my

REPLY SLIP
Dr. Lim Weng Soon/Ir. N. Ravi Menon
Engineering and Processing Division
Palm Oil Engineering Bulletin Advertisement
MPOB, 6, Persiaran Institusi, Bandar Baru Bangi, 43000 Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia.

We wish to advertise in the MPOB Palm Oil Engineering Bulletin Vendor’s List

Company: Issue No.:

Contact Person: H/P:

Address:

E-mail: Tel: Fax:

Please find enclosed a crossed cheque No.: Bank:

for RM: (Ringgit Malaysia)

drawn in favour of MALAYSIAN PALM OIL BOARD

Please select the headings from the list given below (not more than five headings) under which you wish to advertise.

Air filters/dryers Fans Pumps/services

Air separators Filter press/materials Purifiers
Bearings/belts/bushes Fluid control system/couplings Renewable energy
Bio-compost/biomass/bioproducts Gaskets/packing materials/seals Screw press/parts
Boiler spares/control/others Gear boxes Scrubbers/biogas
Boiler suppliers Hardware Sludge separators/decanters
Bunch crushers Hydraulic systems/services/spares Steam turbines/generators/spares
Castings Laboratory analysis Sterilizer/parts
Civil engineering Laboratory equipment Storage silos
Cleaning - general Laboratory fittings and furnitures Vacuum pumps
Condition monitoring/services Lubricants Valves/seats
Consultancy services/certification Mill machinery/spares Water treatment
Control/automation/spares Miscellaneous Waste water treatment
Conveyors/chains/elevators/belts Nut crackers Weighing machines
Dust collectors Oil recovery systems Welding equipments/spares
Diesel engines/services/spares Palm kernel oil crushing plant Wheel loaders/spares
Dynamic balancing Plate heat exchanger
Edible oil processing system Pollution control/safety systems
Electric motors/electrical systems Power plant
Expansion joints Pressure vessels
Fabrication works Processing system

Signature:

Name:

Date: Company stamp

50
#

PALM OILReply
Advertisement ENGINEERING BULLETIN
Form received NApril
on/after 1 O. 118
2015 will be subjected to 6% Goods and Services Tax (GST)
as imposed by the Malaysian Government.
 From:

Address:

Question/Comment:

Signed: Date:

(We have enclosed this form to assist you in sending to us any questions or comments)

PALM OIL ENGINEERING BULLETIN NO. 118 51

#
 STAMP

Chairman
The Editorial Board
Palm Oil Engineering Bulletin
Malaysian Palm Oil Board
P. O. Box 10620
50720 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia

52 PALM OIL ENGINEERING BULLETIN NO. 118

Eita Electric Sdn Bhd - Inside
Back-Cover page.

PALM OIL ENGINEERING BULLETIN NO. 118 53

 Total Refining & Full Integrated
Solution In Edible Oil, Non-Edible
Oil And Renewable Energy
Industries Since 1980

OILTEK is a leading and the first processed

vegetable oil engineering company incorporated
and established in Malaysia since 1980,
specialized in providing a full diversity of industry
solutions in edible oil, non-edible oil and
renewable energy. With 36 years of market
leading track records, Oiltek has successfully
designed, built and supplied to more than a
thousand plants operating in 28 countries across
6 continents worldwide in Asia, South East Asia,
Middle East, Africa, Central America and Latin
Oiltek Sdn.
America. The excellent testimony of our highly
Bhd. - Back Cover page.
professional, cost effective, durable and efficient Renewable Energy
designs with excellent support services covered Includes Normal Grade Palm Biodiesel, Winter Grade
in global market place has ensured our Palm Biodiesel, Palm Fatty Acid and High FFA Oil
ubiquitous support at all times. Since 2000, we Biodiesel Plant, Multi-feedstock Biodiesel Plant, Biogas
are also the official processing commercialization Methane Recovery from POME and Biogas Utilization&
and licensee of Malaysia Palm Oil Board, one of Energy Generation.
the world’s largest research institutions of Crude
Palm Oil. Our latest products in 2016 include the Patented Hybrid
Crystallizer, Multiple Product Stream, Low Color
We excel and specialize in full design, Physical Refining Plant, and Multi- Stock Biodiesel
fabrication, retrofit, modification and improvement, Plant.
commission, technical training and installation.
With the high efficiency and cost effective Our worldwide Sales & Support representatives are
approach, we will ensure it suits our customers’ present in Bangladesh, Honduras, Indonesia, Myanmar,
needs. Pakistan, Singapore, Thailand, Venezuela, Colombia
and China.
Our products cover the complete and
comprehensive wide range in the following Our top notch quality system and benchmark has given
sectors of the industry: us positive and continuous testimonies as award
Edible Industry winners of Asia Pacific Super Excellent Brand 2009,
Super Outstanding Brand Award 2003, Asia Success
Includes Physical & Chemical Refining, Solvent Award 2013, Asia Top Honesty Enterprise Award 2013,
& Dry Fractionation, Palm Kernel Oil Fractionation, Asia Honesty Product Award 2013, The Most
Conventional & Cold Neutralization, Batch, Prestigious Brand Award 2015, The Most Prestigious
Semi-Continuous and Continuous Deodorization, Product Quality Award 2015, and The Most Prestigious
Hydrogenation, Dewaxing & Winterization, Service Award 2015.
Chemical & Enzymatic Inter-esterification,
Pasteurization, Low Fat Spreads, Specialty Fats, Representive Agents:
Phytochemical Extraction, Texturization, Margarine, Indonesia
Shortening & Pastry Margarine, Cocoa, Gelatin India
Production, Bakery Equipment, Finished Product
Vanezuela
Packaging.
Thailand
Non-Edible Industry Columbia
Includes Acidulation, Saponification, Solvent
Recovery and Rectification, Methyl Ester

Oiltek Sdn Berhad

Lot 6, Jalan Pasaran 23/5, Kawasan MIEL,
40300 Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan.
Tel: + 603 – 5542 8288 Fax: + 603 – 5541 8288
Email: enquiry@oiltek.com.my
54 PALM OIL ENGINEERING
Chamber Representatives: Sales Managers:BULLETIN NO. 118
Mr. Yong Khai Weng - Director Daniel Wong Lester Lim
Mr. Tai Cheng Huat - Operations SL Song Cia Cia Cheng
Mr. P.S Yap - General Manager VK Lee