Effect of some parameters of air-jet on pneumatic extraction of citrus juice and juice sacs Original Research Article

A pressurized jet of air was employed for extracting juice and juice sacs (CJJS) from halved citrus fruits. The results showed that air pressure, nozzle diameter, the number of passes, and route of the nozzle all had significant effects on percentage of removed CJJS (PRJS). The air pressure had the greatest effect on PRJS while the nozzle diameter had the least. The PRJS was the highest at nozzle diameter of 3 mm and the least at nozzle diameter of 2.5 mm. The most effective route of the nozzle for extracting CJJS was a figure of eight route. Air pressures of 300 and 400 kPa were operative enough to remove whole juice sacs from citrus fruits. The mean values of measured impingement loads for air pressures of 300, 400, and 600 kPa were found to be 2.42, 3.25, and 5.06 N, respectively. Impingement force increased with nozzle diameter.