ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Design and Performance Evaluation
of an Indigenously Developed Small-Scale
Fish-Oil Extraction Unit; a Solution
for Improving Fish Farm Environments
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1
Department of Agricultural Engineering, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan
2
Department of Agricultural Engineering, MNS University of Agriculture, Multan, Pakistan
3
Department of Agricultural Engineering, PMAS Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Submission date: 2017-10-20
Final revision date: 2017-11-30
Acceptance date: 2017-12-10
Online publication date: 2018-06-28
Publication date: 2018-07-09
Corresponding author
Fiaz Ahmad
Department of Agricultural Engineering, BZU, Multan, Pakistan, Department of Agricultural Engineering, BZU, Multan, Pakistan, 680000 Multan, Pakistan
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2018;27(6):2711-2718
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ABSTRACT
Aquaculture practices are considered a profitable business and are gaining popularity in Pakistan.
Small farmers produce a sizeable amount of fish. The fish waste removed at the farm level and/or
fishermen’s end is utilized with low economic return. Fish waste produced at the farm level generally
is causing environmental pollution as well. A very small amount of fish waste is used to extract the oil
using crude heating technology, which is unacceptable, uneconomical, and unhygienic. Extracted oil
from wastes of aquatic resources is used as raw material for production of biodiesel around the world.
In view of this scenario, a study was conducted to design and develop an indigenous small-scale fishoil
extraction unit. A batch-type oil extraction unit is designed in this study, which further evaluated
the performance of the developed unit. The extraction unit consists of a crusher, cooker, and centrifuge
system. The crusher and centrifuge system were equipped with 2 hp and 1 hp electric motors, respectively.
The motor has a revolution capacity of about 1,450 rpm. A double jacket fully water-filled system is
proposed with an agitator installed in the cooker. A 1 hp electric motor was provided to operate an
agitator at 40 rmp. The centrifuge unit has a double screening mechanism. The extraction unit is tested
at a small fish farm near Muzaffargarh, Punjab, Pakistan. The fish oil is successfully separated from fish
wastes with the help of a newly designed small-scale oil extraction unit. The tests showed that 90 minutes
is required to process one batch of fish waste. The extraction unit has the capacity to process 15-20 kg of
fish waste in a single batch. Research for producing bio-fuels from extracted fish oil is at its initial stages
and there is a substantial need for further research to study the other economic issues related to bio-fuels
and evaluate the oil extraction unit.