Overview of automation in a palm oil mill-the sterilisation process

Sterilisation of oil palm fruits is the first step in the sequence of processes to extract the oil. It is typically a batch process, using steam for heating or `cooking´ the fruits. Sterilisation is carried out in a way which requires the proper sequencing of valve movements for deaeration, steam inputs, steam blow-offs and condensate removal. Since a palm oil mill normally has multiple sterilisers, the task is to ensure the proper sequencing of all the associated valves. In this review, the sterilisation process is taken as a case in the study of automation in a palm oil mill. This article discusses the sterilisation process in the palm oil mill and elaborates on the control requirements. It also examines the features of some installed systems