Introduction:

The optimal design of technologies for the production of combined assortments, constitutes a profitable alternative for the development of the cultivation of Manihot esculenta Crantz (cassava) and its industrializable products.

Objective:

To develop the economic optimization for the design of a combined assortment plant of Manihot esculeta Crantz by semi-mechanized way.

Materials and Methods:

A hybrid semi-mechanized scheme was devised for the combined production of starch, cassava and flour. A second order extreme vertex design (EVD) was generated for the distribution of cassava in the three productions, and the quadratic models obtained for profit (G), net present value (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR) and discounted payback period (DRP) were optimized. For the evaluation of the indicators, the design of the basic equipment and the material and energy balances were developed.

Results and Discussion:

The multipurpose semi-mechanized technology uses the same initial stages for the three processes and a common pneumatic drying for the starch and flour processes. The optimal operating parameters correspond to a profit of 236 882 USD/year, a NPV of 1 242 730 USD, an IRR of 33.10 % and a DRP of 3.97 years, and are achieved for a distribution of 60 % for starch, 10 % for cassava and 30 % for flour.

Conclusions:

With the raw material distribution that optimizes economic and profitability indicators, production feasibility is guaranteed with energetic and environmental compatibility.

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