Design And Fabrication Of An Automatic Garri Frying Machine

ABSTRACT

Traditional frying of cassava mash into garri continues to be an onerous and complex unit operation for food processors. It is highly labor intensive, tedious, unhygienic and low productivity compared with the time and labor invested. The aim of this study was to fabricate a garri fryer, and evaluate its performance efficiency as affected by the mash moisture content. Cassava mash of different moisture contents were fried, and the performance characteristics including, roasting time, percentage material loss, throughput capacity, and functional efficiency were evaluated.

The study examined design and fabrication of Garri frying machine. The appropriate materials were selected to ensure durability of the project and to achieve efficiencE

Table of Content

Title Page    i

Declaration iii

Certification         iv

Dedication  v

Acknowledgement         vi

Abstract      vii

Table of Content  viii

CHAPTER ONE 

INTRODUCTION        

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEMS

1.3 AIM AND OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT

1.4 SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

• OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY
• REVIEW OF PREVIOUS DEVELOPMENTS IN GARI FRYING MACHINES
• GARRI FRYING MECHANIZED METHODS
• THE GARI FRYING PROCESS (GARIFICATION)
• THE FIRING SYSTEM OF GARI FRYING MACHINE
• REVIEW OF THE PROPOSED WORK

CHAPTER THREE

METHODOLOGY

• COMPONENTS AND MATERIALS SELECTION CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FOUR

4.0      RESULT, CHARACTERIZATION OF GARI FRYER AND DISCUSSION

• RESULT
• CHARACTERIZATION OF GARI FRYER
• DISCUSSION

CHAPTER FIVE

• CONCLUSION
• RECOMMENDATION
• REFERENCES

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Gari frying is the most critical unit operation in the processing of cassava into gari. It is also a combination of simultaneous cooking and drying processes. Gari is a processed fermented product from cassava and is consumed in Nigeria as well as in most countries of the West African coast and in Brazil.

Though a dehydrating process, gari frying is not a straightforward drying process. The product is first cooked with the moisture in it and then dehydrated. The heat intensity during frying affects the quality of the product. The moisture content of dewatered and sieved cassava mash is between 50 to 65% which has to be reduced to 12% after the frying operation. At the end of the frying operation, the product is still hot and a little bit damp, it is then left to cool and dry in a cool dry shade until the moisture content is reduced to 12%. At the villages, gari is fried in shallow iron pans, or in the more traditional areas in earthenware pans, over an open wood fire.

A mechanized system of frying and drying usually appear in the form of a stainless steel drum with rotary conveyor and paddles fixed along the conveyor to a slower rotation in the same axis of the drum.

As has been stated earlier, traditionally, gari is fried by women in shallow earthenware of cast-iron pans (agbada) over a wood fire. The operator sits sideways by the fireplace while frying, and this brings discomfort due to heat and the sitting posture.

Thus, there arose the need for innovations and improvements to alleviate the problems encountered by these women. Also, while frying, a piece of calabash used to press the mash against the hot surface of the pan must be scraped quickly and stirred constantly to keep the material moving to prevent it from burning until frying is completed. The process takes 30 – 35 minutes, with the moisture content of the final product reduced to about 18%. This is a problem is commercial production. To produce gari at a fast rate and eliminate the problems of the traditional method, the need arise for a mechanized continuous process fryer. However, earlier design on gari production plants did not produce the desired and acceptable cassava product for the consumers, because the designers of those plants did not take into account the specification of the existing local technology.

Many years ago, garri is fried by women in shallow earthen-ware cast-iron pans (agbada, Nigerian Ibo) over a wood fire. Female use spatula-like paddles of wood or calabash half sections to press the sieved mash against the hot surface of the frying pan, while continuously turning it to avoid cake production. The operator who sits beside the fire during frying process faces challenges base on the heat produced from the wood fire, inspired researchers (Ogbuka, Chime, and Fidelis, 2018).

In the developing world, most especially in West Africa, gari serves a daily meal to so many people in that there are several ways in which it can be prepared for meal. For instance, some people can determine to soak it in cold water on a very hot day before taking it; or some other people can prefer to soak it in hot water to make meal called “Eba” which will be taken along with soup depending on the choice of individual (Ayatse, 2000). However, there are different types of gari based on the processing methods, its grain size and the region of Africa where it was produced. In Nigeria, the Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) classified gari into three major categories which are (i) extra fine grain gari, where more than 80% of the grain passes through a sieve of less than 350 micrometer aperture; (ii) fine grain gari in which more than 80% of the grains pass through the sieve of less than 1000 micrometer aperture; (iii) coarse grain gari, where not less than 80% of grains passes through a sieve of 1400 micrometer or less than 20% of weight passes through a sieve of 1000 micrometer aperture; and (iv) extra coarse grain gari in which not less than 20% of grain is retained on a sieve of 1400 micrometer aperture (SON, 2000). Also based on the fermentation length of days and whether palm oil is added or not, we have the red gari- which is also called the “Bendel gari”.

The aluminum frying pan is located inside mild steel and the distance between the frying pan and mild steel is reinforced using fiberglass to prevent the escape of heat from the frying chamber. A blower of one horse power is used to blow/fan the charcoal chamber, to heat up the ignited charcoal and to avoid the nuisance of smoke. An exhaust pipe is connected to the charcoal chamber, to remove smoke from the charcoal chamber. The system has good electrical connections that sense the quantity of heat in use to the temperature gauge allows the operator to vary heat during frying and permits the machine to automatically turn off when there is excess current and load.

After frying, the discharge port is opened to allow the fried gari to leave the machine; another batch of cassava mash is introduced into the machine by the operator who monitors the entire process. These components are allcontained in a control box.

1.2                                       STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEMS

Innovation is well-defined merely for instance an idea that is recent, scheme, or process. Conversely, innovation is over and over again similarly observed as the use of improved way out that encounter novel necessities, tacit desires, otherwise prevailing market desires. In Nigeria for instance, quality mechanized garri processing plants are few, and as a result engineers and manufactures in Nigeria are seeking for improvement in already existing models. Hence, the Study is carried out to design and construct garri frying machine.

The main purpose of this project is to design and fabrication a garri frying machine.

1.3                         AIM AND OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT

The specific objectives are as follows;

1. To reduce cost and promote simplicity in garri frying machine.
2. To improve efficiency and safety of garri frying machine.

iii.      Design an economical garri frying machine using electricity.

1.4                           SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The garification process (garri frying), is not a straight forward drying process (Igbeka, 1995). The product is first cooked with the moisture in it and then dehydrated. The sieved cassava grit is spread thinly in the pan 3-5kg per batch, the paddle helps to stir the garri constantly to prevent the food produce from getting burnt, until frying is complete, when it reaches a temperature of 80 to 85oC, the rapid heating partially gelatinize the garri, which is dried during the operation of frying; the moisture content of dewatered and sieved cassava mash is between 40 to 45% which  has to be reduced to 10-12% moisture content in a time of 15 minutes.

A mechanical “garifier” or a mechanized system of frying and drying, usually takes the form of an aluminum drum or trough, paddles fixed to a steel shaft and rotating on the axis of the drum, the rotating paddles sweep the gelatinizing mesh from the trough wall to prevent sticking and burning and at the same time to move the material through the chamber to the discharge port, or outlet.

1.5                                SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

1. The design and construction of garri frying machine will be a beneficial to student, lecturer, health centers and the public.
2. Hence they technician through repairs will contribute to environmental protectors.

iii.      Local garri processing industries will benefit if the project is developed, it will be utilize for preservation of mobile drugs.

1. Entre society will benefit, if the locally produced garri frying machine is mass produced for commercialization; it will be required for commercialize quantity of Garri frying.