18 



MISC. PUBLICATION 54 0, TJ. S. DEFT. OF AGRICULTURE 



The over-all costs, as given, without boiler equipment, vary from 

 $1,200 to $3,200 per ton of daily capacity, unprepared basis, depend- 

 ing upon the size and type of plant and the low-high limits upon which 

 the estimates are based. The low cost of $1,200 for the 100-ton plant 

 and the low limits for the other sizes cannot be considered practical 

 since they are a summation of the low estimates for the items of 

 equipment. 



There is only a remote likelihood that any plant will or should be 

 constructed at a minimum of cost for all items. Unless constructed 

 under unusual circumstances, such a plant would probably have op- 

 Table 4. — Capacities per unit of time in a vegetable-dehydration plant capable of 

 handling 50 tons per dag, unprepared basis 



Item 



Table Cab- 

 beets 

 (slices) (shreds) 



Carrots Onions 

 (cubes) (slices) 



Pota- 



Ruta- 



toes 



bagas 



(strips) 



(slices) 



Sweet- 

 pota- 

 toes 



(slices) 



Unprepared basis: 



Weight per hour (operating 21 hours 

 per day) pounds. _ 



Weight per minute do 



Women coring (estimated), .number. _ 



Weight per woman per minute 



pounds. . 

 Prepared basis: 



Assumed culling, peeling, trimming 

 loss percent. . 



Weight per hour (operating 21 hours 

 per day) pounds. . 



Weight per minute do 



Women trimming (estimated) 



number. _ 



Weight per woman per minute 



pounds. . 



Assumed blancher loading per square 

 foot i pounds. . 



Assumed blanching time minutes. _ 



Weight in blancher at any one time 4 

 pounds. . 



Active blancher surface.. .square feet.. 



Assumed tray loading per square foot 

 pounds. . 



Weight per 3 by 6 tray do 



Weight per 22-tray car do 



Cars per hour 4 number.. 



Time per car minutes.. 



Trays per hour 4 number.. 



Trays per minute do 



Time per tray seconds. . 



Approximate active length of blancher 

 6 feet wide, if product is blanched on 



3 by 6 trays feet.. 



Dried basis: 



Assumed over-all shrinkage ratio.. 



Weight per day pounds.. 



Weight per hour (operating 21 hours 

 per day) pounds _ . 



Weight per minute do 



Weight per 5-gallon package (esti- 

 mated) pounds. . 



Packages per day number.. 



Packages per hour (operating 21 hours 

 per day) number. . 



Time between packages minutes... 



4.750 



25 



3, 570 

 60 



23 



2.6 



C-) 

 ( 2 ) 



( 2 ) 

 ( 2 ) 



1.4 



25 

 550 

 6.5 

 9.2 

 145 

 2.4 



25 



13 to 1 

 7,700 



365 



6.1 



8 

 960 



25 



3.570 

 60 



180 

 90 



1.0 



18 



395 



200 



3.3 



18 



20 to 1 

 5,000 



240 

 4 



3,810 

 64 



20 

 3.2 



380 

 95 



1.5 

 27 

 595 

 6.4 

 9.5 

 140 

 2.4 

 25 



lltol 

 9.100 



430 



7.2 



17 

 535 



34 



4.750 

 80 



4.290 

 72 



30 



2.4 



(3) 

 ( 3 ) 



(*) 



( 3 ) 



1.25 

 22.5 

 495 

 8.7 



190 



3.2 



19 



' 11 to 1 

 9,000 



7.2 



12 



760 



36 



4,750 

 80 



25 



3.570 

 60 



40 



1.5 



4 

 6 



360 

 90 



1.25 



22.5 



495 



7.2 



8 



160 



2.7 



22 



50 



7tol 

 14, 300 



10 

 1,430 



0.9 



4,750 

 80 



4,050 

 68 



20 



3.4 



405 

 100 



1.4 

 25 

 550 

 7.4 

 8 

 160 

 2.7 

 22 



10. 5 to 1 

 9,500 



38 

 1.6 



4,750 

 80 



3,570 

 60 



30 



r.o 



4 

 6 



360 

 90 



1.25 



22.5 



495 



7.2 



8 



160 



2.7 



22 



50 



5tol 

 20.000 



950 

 16 



12 



1,670 



80 



i Recent experiments indicate that under best blanching conditions the blancher can be loaded more 

 heavily than indicated. Some uncertainty also exists in regard to the blanching time required to secure 

 satisfactory results. At high blancher loading, the retention time must be longer; conversely, at light load- 

 ing (e. g. on trays) time may be shorter. 



2 Precooked whole. 



3 Not blanched. . 



4 The blancher size and the number of trays and cars handled are based on the total weight of trimmed 

 material. The actual weight handled will decrease during washing, cutting, ard blanchirg, because of 

 leaching and loss of fines. On the basis cf the leadings indicated, the size cf the blancher and number of 

 travs handled will, therefore, be somewhat less than shown. 



5 The over-all shrinkage ratio of onions may vary from 8 to 1 to 14 to 1, depending on the variety and con- 

 dition of the raw material. The ratio of 11 to 1 has been adopted for estimating purposes only. 



