Use of a centrifugal separator to separate grape seeds from Marc: Mechanical settings and thermographic evaluations

A centrifugal separator was used to find the best mechanical and electrical settings to separate grape seeds from marc efficiently. Three different reel rotation speeds (400, 500, and 600 rpm) and two different distances between blade and cylinder (A condition = 2.0 mm and B = 10.0 mm) were evaluated, while using a mass flow rate of fresh marc of 300 kg h-1. The data shows that the minor axis length of grape seeds of the Negramaro variety belongs to a normal distribution, and the best separating conditions are obtained by setting a distance of 10.0 mm between reel and cylinder, and with rotation speeds at 400 and 500 rpm. Finally, thermographic analysis can be a useful tool for discriminating machine setting conditions as a function of separation performance.