Design, fabrication and testing of a modernized local gari fryer

Abstract

An improved local gari fryer was designed, fabricated and tested at the Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi, Lagos. The work was in response to the challenges facing local gari processors particularly in Nigeria where gari has become the number one staple food among the various cassava products. The rectangular frying chamber which measures 250 cm x 100 cm x 80 cm has a trapezoidal shape with inclined sides to allow for gradual gravitational flow of the product down the sides of the fryer. It is hinged on a rectangular fireplace to facilitate easy tilting of the frying pan during product discharge. The parameters measured were the tilting angle of the frying pan, the throughput, the moisture content of dried product as well as the ash and crude fibre content. The results showed that the throughput capacity improved from an average of 10 kg/hour in traditional method to 48 kg/hour, the tilting angle for the modernized method was 60^oC compared to 90^oC for the local fryer, the final moisture content was lower and the values of the ash and crude fibre contents were higher for the modernized frying method. The nuisance of smoke on the operators while frying in traditional method was totally eliminated. Absence of lump or caking due to ease of stirring while frying were the characteristics of the modernized fryer. Products also have very low moisture content (4.6%) compared to 10.15% for the traditional fryer.

Keywords: Gari, fryer, design, frying methods, trapezoidal shape