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Frying Oil Reclaimed With Abanaki
Oil Grabber® Model 8 Skimmer
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| Chuck Tucker, maintenance manager with
GWF, inspects the Abanaki Oil Grabber Model 8. |
Golden West Foods' (GWF) circulating water system picks
up more than 200 gallons of frying oil every day. The oil enters the wastewater drains
during sanitary washdowns. This oil sediment plugs bends in the piping that returns oil to
the fryer filter. This sediment - causing oil overflows - comes from the the coating on
products such as onion rings and French toast made at the company's Bedford, VA plant.
To keep the plant's water system in peak condition, the oil must be
removed continuously. When done effectively, this oil can be reclaimed and sold for
various uses. GWF has found that one of the most effective methods of removal is a belt
skimmer from Abanaki Corporation, according to Chuck Tucker, maintenance manager with GWF.
Until [1973] GWF was using a floating suction skimmer powered by a pump
with over 300 gallons per hour capacity. This high suction rate resulted in a great deal
of water in the skimmed product, thus lowering its salvage value.
After screening large debris and passing through an intermediate storage
area known as the wet well, the contents are pumped into the plants100,000 gallon
equalization tank that provides a buffer for the waste treatment plant. "This tank
held the floating suction skimmer previously used," says Tucker. "The skimmer
frequently became clogged, so it was impossible to leave the unit unattended."
As a result of these problems, the company installed an Abanaki
Model 8 Oil Grabber. This unit can remove up to 40 gallons of oil per hour - more
than enough for the oil washed off during the plant's three-shift operation. The wet well
was selected as the installation site because there is adequate dwell time to allow
thorough separation of the oil and water. The skimmer works on the principle of surface
tension. Oil and other hydrocarbon liquids are picked up as the belt passes through the
surface of the contaminated liquid. After traveling over the head pulley, the belt passes
through tandem wiper blades where oil is scraped off both sides and discharged.
"We selected the Abanaki unit because of its reliability and low
maintenance which allows continuous unattended operation," says Tucker. "Other
separation technologies are effective, but most are more complex than skimming."
Published in Food Engineering,
Learn more about Oil Grabber Model 8. See
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