Design and Fabrication of a Steam Generation System for Fruit Preservation

Abstract

Steam-based thermal processing is widely applied in fruit preservation due to its effectiveness in enzyme inactivation and microbial control. This study presents the design, fabrication, and performance evaluation of a natural circulation water-tube steam generation system developed for small- to medium-scale fruit processing. The system incorporates a steam drum (0.95 m height, 0.45 m diameter), a furnace chamber (0.80 m height, 0.13 m³ volume), and 32 mm outer diameter riser tubes to ensure efficient steam–water circulation. An automatic control unit integrating temperature, water-level, and emission sensors enhances operational safety and stability. The design was guided by thermodynamic and heat transfer analyses, including heat duty estimation and logarithmic mean temperature difference evaluation. The measured thermal efficiency was 67 %, which indicates that the system effectively converted thermal energy from fuel combustion into useful steam energy, minimizing losses. Fabrication was carried out using locally available materials to ensure durability and food safety compliance. Performance results indicate that the developed system is energy-efficient, cost-effective, and well-suited for fruit preservation applications in resource-limited agro-processing environments.