Efficient mango drying
Client: Fullwell Mill
Consultant: Dr David Howey, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Expertise: Sustainable energy solutions
Our consultants shared their exertise in sustainable energy solutions in helping global fair-trade company Fullwell Mill to increase energy efficiency of their mango production process.
The Challenge
Fullwell Mill supply organic and fair trade fruit and nuts to major UK supermarkets and have a number of factories across the globe.
Dried mango is one of their staple products and the drying process is unique to each country the fruit is grown in. In Burkina Faso, a major African exporter of mangos, the fruit must be dried by passing hot air, produced by burning butane gas, into chambers.
They approached Dr David Howey about a project to increase the energy efficiency of their mango-drying ovens. Their desire to be not just fair-trade but also environmentally sustainable, had recently helped them win a grant from Comic Relief to develop eco-friendly processes and this grant funded this consultancy project.
The Solution
Dr Howey calculated the efficiency of the mango-drying ovens and suggested methods to combat any heat loss through the walls and chimney.
Dr Howey explains:
Whilst the original oven design is quite simple, the calculations to determine the heat loss were a bit more involved. […] Any suggested modifications also had to take into account the resources available in a country like Burkina Faso. It’s fantastic to have the opportunity to apply my research to a real-world problem like this one.
David Howey Dr
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Imperial College London
The Impact
Adam Brett, the Director of Fullwell Mill, comments:
We were very pleased with the report provided and the professional and efficient way in which the project was handled. We’ve now got a clear route forwards for improving the efficiency of one of our major processes.
Adam Brett Director
Fullwell Mill
Share post:
Related case studies
Spotlight on Dogger Bank HVDC system
Imperial researchers review the rollout of High-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission technology on the world's largest offshore wind farm - Dogger Bank Wind Farm - with SSE Renewables and Hitachi Energy, read more
Hepatitis C genotype and drug resistance testing
Genotype and resistance testing for new direct-acting antiviral (DAA) drugs designed to treat Hepatitis C virus (HCV). read more
Imperial College London Diabetes Centre
The Imperial College London Diabetes Centre was established in Abu Dhabi, in 2006, by Mubadala and experts from Imperial to address the demand for diabetes care in the UAE. With continued support from Imperial, the centre now operates three branches across Abu Dhabi and Al Ain and public health initiatives. read more