Search

High torque and low speed hydrostatic transmissions have many advantages and have been used to drive roller mills in sugar factories for more than 30 years. Their new developments allow these advantages to be also used in cooling crystallisers with extremely low variable speeds and high torques. This paper presents the benefits of the application of hydrostatic transmissions to cooling crystallisers. The transmissions offer maximum torque in the speeds from zero to maximum, the possibility of maintaining the maximum torque with zero speed indefinitely, and the continuous measurement and control of the torque. Options for operating the agitators of crystallisers tested and used today are also analysed and compared. The new hydrostatic transmission facilities in horizontal crystallisers in Central Motzorongo Sugar Mill in Mexico and vertical crystallisers in Réunion are described and the preliminary results of the work of the crystallisers equipped with these transmissions are analysed. Modern designs of drives with hydrostatic transmissions, considering their dimensions, weight, possibility of working with high torque and extremely low speed, are an excellent option for driving the agitators of cooling crystallisers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the multifaceted advantages of HPD & HPA technology as a sustainable and ecofriendly decolorization technology for the sugar refinery industry. The study delves into the interplay between HPD & HPA application, minimized steam consumption, heightened sugar yield, (CAPEX and OPEX). Through systematic parameter optimization, including dosage, contact time, and temperature, the study aims to strike an optimal balance that not only enhances color removal but also contributes to reduced energy consumption, aligning with sustainable and environmentally conscious practices, aiming to enhance the purification processes while minimizing the ecological footprint. The primary way to reduce carbon footprint in refineries is by reducing the energy consumption per ton of RSO. The economic feasibility of adopting HPD and HPA technology is scrutinized, and its potential to lower both CAPEX and OPEX in sugar refineries is evaluated. This paper discusses the cost-effectiveness of implementing this eco-friendly solution on a large scale, emphasizing its ease of integration into existing processes and its contribution to increased sugar yield. The findings of this research provide a holistic understanding of how HPD and HPA can serve as transformative agents in sugar refinery operations. Beyond its proven efficacy in decolorization without compromising ecological integrity, the technology's capacity to concurrently reduce steam consumption, elevate sugar yield, and lower overall costs positions it as a promising processing aid for the industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After outstanding success in mud juice filtration, proven within a sugar beet factory in Germany through pilot trials during the campaign 2022/2023 this paper will be about the next stage of evolution into a production scale plant trial. The factory, part of a major beet sugar producer in Germany, decided to invest in a retro- fit to Lenzing's newly developed and patented candle type cake filtration system CakeFil. The factory has been operating candle type precoat filters with traditional design in mud juice filtration stage. It has already challenged the LENZING CakeFil design in pilot scale throughout the last campaign and saw a smoothly running mud juice filtration without any intervention over the whole campaign, whereas the existing filtration required seven filter cloth changes and numerous hot water flushing steps during the same period. In this filtration stage at this particular factory a cloth exchange means emptying and opening seven pressure vessels with a diameter of 3 meters (12') and exchanging filter cloth on 288 candles per unit. Which equals more than 14 000 candles to be manipulated throughout an average campaign. A hot water flushing step additionally means to take the filter out of filtration service for 3 hours. Therefore, factory and corporate management decided to exchange the candle design as well as the way of operation on one of their existing process scale filters for a plant trial. The results of this plant trial will be presented in detail within this jointly developed paper. To date the very young 2023/2024 campaign just started, but the plant trial already shows very promising results as the newly equipped unit did not require a single manual or other intervention whereas the existing filters already called for hot water flushing of each individual filter every other day due to decreasing performance. At the time of presentation, the campaign will be finished and the paper will contrast the existing state of the art filtration system with the performance of the CakeFil in terms of net filtrate flow, downtime, filtrate quality and required manpower and spares. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2024 Sugar Industry Technologists' Technical Conference was held in Vancouver, Canada, and several delegates were awarded for their best paper and poster, as well as achievements in sugar technology. The George and Elenor Meade Award for Best Paper went to Juan Carlos Carbonell for his work on optimizing refinery daily operations. The Frank Chapman Memorial Award for the best poster was awarded to Marlene Beyerle, Alexandra Gimbernat, and Antoine Charbonneau. The ISSCT joint Engineering and Processing Workshop will be held in Berlin, Germany, focusing on innovations in the sugar cane industry. Gillian Eggleston received the 2024 SIT Crystal Award for outstanding achievement in sugar technology. The 2025 SIT Conference will take place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Participants will have the opportunity to visit the beet sugar factory Klein Wanzleben during a one-day tour. All scientific contributions will be shared with participants and published on the ISSCT website. [Extracted from the article]

Over the last decade, experience with raw and refined sugar quality and quantity has greatly impacted the design and concept of sugar refineries. In all those cases client expectations regarding final product quality, energy efficiency, process flexibility and degree of automation were regarded in tailor-made sugar factory designs. This paper will focus on implemented projects that demonstrate how differences in customer demand have influenced refinery designs. Moreover, the paper will reflect BMA's experiences on how to develop a successful project for a new or modernized sugar refinery within necessary project phases, influencing factors on costs and overall time schedule for implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Occupational and operational safety is in the industry a key issue worldwide, including in sugar refineries. Management is responsible for the safety of employees. While occupational safety is only regulated locally, the manufacturers of equipment are also required to implement operational safety. The hazard analysis, which is part of a machine safety assessment, includes the assessment of risks according to the criteria of severity of injury, frequency and duration of exposure and the possibility of hazard prevention. Based on the results, the equipment is designed according to the principles of the assigned safety category. Batch centrifugals in sugar factories turn large masses at high rotation. The energy stored in the operating phases of acceleration, spinning and deceleration has the potential to end catastrophically in the event of an accident. The manufacturers of batch centrifugals have always been aware of the dangers associated with this energy and have developed strategies to rule out any risk to life and limb. This paper describes the current status of measures on batch centrifugals that are suitable for preventing uncontrollable and potentially dangerous operating and machine conditions. Taking into account the interaction of the rotating centrifugal basket with the drive package and the control unit, design measures to increase passive safety, the use of fail-safe components and the implementation of safety-enhancing operating sequences are presented. During operation, regular monitoring, especially of the drum for cracks, is necessary to ensure operational safety throughout the entire service life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Every refinery/sugar factory has a challenge to deliver sugar within the specifications, while averting excessive wash of the crystals. Wash is needed to clean the crystals of the surface film of mother liquor containing ash and colorants, however, excessive wash dissolves good product. Dissolved sucrose sent back in the process for renewed crystallisation requires costly extra capacity, water, and energy. To avoid exceeding the highest sugar colour allowed for sugar going to the bin/silo, it is necessary to work with a safety margin to the target colour set for the daily operation. This paper will discuss how different methods for colour measurement influence the size of the safety margin. After a short overview of different methods, application of the ICUMSA "General Guidelines for Validating Indirect Technologies" will be described. These guidelines may be applied to any kind of indirect measuring technology. The focus will then be on discussing the safety margin for the ICUMSA methods for solution colour and for a real-time method measuring wet or dry crystals online, directly in the production. Further, practical examples of reduced safety margin will be given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article announces the upcoming Australian Society of Sugar Cane Technologists (ASSCT) Conference, which will be held in Townsville from April 15th to 19th, 2024. The theme of the conference is "Profitability, Sustainability, and Adaptability," reflecting the changing landscape of the sugar industry. The conference invites researchers, experts, and professionals to submit papers on topics such as farming practices, technological advancements, and sustainable solutions. The president of ASSCT encourages participation and collaboration to shape the future of sugar cane technology. [Extracted from the article]

With the majority of global companies having the goal to significantly reduce, if not eliminate, their carbon footprint by 2050, all owners have taken a deeper dive into how processes are handled and how the overall carbon footprint can be reduced. Sugar Decolorization with either granular activated carbon (GAC) or ion exchange (IER) is one of these processes. As granular activated carbon is made and reactivated via a thermal process, most might assume this process is very carbon footprint intensive. Calgon, being an OEM supplier and operator of carbon and ion-exchange systems, together with Jord's 50 years of experience in designing and supplying GAC decolourisation systems, we have taken a deep dive into the carbon footprint of both GAC and IER processes. As a standard process, carbon activation does possess a significant carbon footprint, however this has presented a significant opportunity for improvement. By a combination of reactivation, heat recovery, and biofuels as examples, the carbon footprint for decolorization by activated carbon can be driven to near net zero and lower than that of ion exchange. This is due to ion exchange resin being manufactured via petroleum products, and an energy intensive effluent treatment and brine recovery process by comparison. The net CO2e generated from the carbon production and reactivation process can be completely offset with biofuels being used to heat the multiple hearth furnace, leaving a small amount of electricity that can be offset. Our study demonstrates that with adoption of green fuels, GAC has a lower net carbon footprint than IER. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sugar is combustible and presents an explosion hazard if ignited after it is dispersed as an airborne dust cloud. The handling of sugar fines from crystalline sugar can trigger an explosion. The finer the sugar, the greater the risk of an explosion. Additionally, sugar milling designed to obtain fine particles represents a potential ignition source. In sugar handling and production facilities, fines can accumulate on production floors, along conveyor belts, on machinery, in hot rotary dryers and in steel storage and conditioning silos, in dust collectors, as well as on horizontal surfaces. When sugar is moved or disturbed, it becomes airborne and exposed to oxygen. At that point, an ignition source can result in multiple explosions. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has several codes that apply to combustible dust. NFPA 652 (Fundamentals of Combustible Dust) provides the minimum requirements to be met. To protect processing equipment and personnel, a multitude of technical measures is often required. Wet dust extractor systems are designed to prevent combustible dust explosions and are thus safe and reliable. Wet dust extraction systems also typically have a lower initial acquisition cost as well as a lower operating cost than baghouse dry type dust collectors. Wet dust extraction systems offer a reliable safe alternative to conventional "dry" type dust collectors and have been in use for the safe handling of fugitive combustible dust for over 20 years. This paper presents this technology and shows case studies of applications within the sugar industry along with its history of other combustible dust applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ITECA CrystObserver® pan camera has already proven to be an innovative optical technology supporting the study of crystal growth by generating Real Time data such as MA, CV, number of crystals or percent of fines. As well as improving pan stage performance and supporting fast decision- making, the technology provides pan boilers the means for a deeper understanding of crystal growth characteristics and necessary tools to address specific operational needs. Even though the most common use of the CrystObserver® is associated with monitoring Real Time data, its strikes comparative tool, its false grain detection ability or its historical data storage capacity can be applied to several types of applications to help solving problems. A particular example is the automatic washing of the fines once a predefined threshold is reached. This is another step towards more control in the crystallization process, as targeted in the industry 4.0 evolution. In this paper, we focus on various reported uses of the CrystObserver® on C seed graining applications and white pans. We conclude with a detailed description of the most recent and challenging one: on a continuous pan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sugar crystal growth is a non-linear process dependent on the complex interaction of several variables. This causes the development of first-principal models of the process to be exceedingly difficult and often inaccurate. Louisiana Sugar Refining has partnered with SysCAD to develop a machine learning model of crystal growth to incorporate into the digital twin infrastructure being developed at LSR. The collaboration has successfully developed a supervised training machine learning model based on Deep Feed Forward (DFF) and Convolutional Neural Network (ConvNet) models to simulate the crystal growth in vacuum pans. Initially, a proof-of-concept model showed promising results using both DFF and ConvNet architectures, which lead to the expansion of these models to include the entire white and recovery boiling schemes. In this paper we present the concept of using neural network dynamic models, their analysis, and results of predicted particle size distribution parameters compared to real field observations. These fully optimized models will be implemented as standard unit operation models in SysCAD to enhance the larger process simulation model used by LSR to monitor and predict process conditions in real-time. This machine learning technique will also be expanded to develop a concept model for other non-linear phenomena in the sugar industry including colour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews several common non-condensable gas removal systems found at sugar refineries: steam ejector pumps (SEP), liquid ring vacuum pumps (LRVP), and jet and spray barometric condensers (JSC). There are advantages and disadvantages to each type, and what may be optimal for one site may not be for another. The factors that guide a site to select one type over another include: utility costs, reliability and maintenance requirements, capital expenditure and installation factors, and operational performance. In addition, with the increasing focus on sustainability and reducing site footprint, the challenges of retrofitting existing sites to match upcoming equipment and technologies are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The energy transition towards CO2-neutral manufacturing is a major challenge for the energy intensive beet sugar industry. Saving energy is, and always should be, one of the main focus areas. At Cosun Beet Company part of the focus is therefore on reducing the energy consumption in the evaporation by minimizing the evaporation condenser losses. In 2017 Cosun Beet Company installed Thermal Vapor Recompression (TVR) in the evaporation section of the beet factory Dinteloord. The goal of the TVR system was to strongly reduce the steam demand of the evaporation section by reducing the remaining hard to abate condenser losses. Implementation of the TVR system with multiple units of different sized injectors to absorb fluctuations in the factory was quite a new mode of operation. Additional measures needed to be taken to prevent contamination of the condensate system with sugar traces. Apart from that, the implementation of the TVR system went quite smoothly and over the 6 years of operation, it has proved to be a strong, efficient tool to reduce the energy demand. In this paper the reason for choosing TVR instead of MVR will be explained as well as the layout and way of implementation in an existing factory. Further, practical experiences from recent years will be discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advances in cooling technology are providing sugar factories with new options when it comes to the dual objective of upgrading outdated equipment and decarbonizing their existing operations. This paper will explore indirect cooling strategies that producers are taking to reduce their energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and overall carbon footprint -- notably vertical plate-style moving bed heat exchangers (MBHEs) located just prior to storage or bagging. By cooling sugar indirectly via water in a closed-loop system and avoiding the use of highhorsepower fans, indirect solutions such as plate MBHEs only consume an average of 0.4 kWh/tonne of sugar. This near-zero emissions solution provides sugar operators with a 90% reduction when compared with typical rotary drums or fluid bed coolers that require upward of -5 kWh/tonne. The presentation will conclude with real-world examples of how indirect cooling technology is actively decarbonizing sugar operations worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The document titled "The History of The British Columbia Sugar Refining Company" provides information on the history and development of the British Columbia Sugar Refining Company. The document includes abstracts of various presentations and papers related to sugar refining, such as antibacterial properties of silver nanoparticles synthesized from sugarcane bagasse hydrolysates, action plans against degraded color removing efficiency of ion exchange resin beds, steps towards a zero solids discharge industry through innovative co-products, leveraging auto-backflush filters for diagnosis of high particle carryover in sugar refining, sustainable alternatives for syrup decolorization using biochars from sugar crop byproducts, benchmarking on decolorization process in the Vancouver Sugar Refinery, and towards net zero with carbon reactivation for sugar decolorization. The document also mentions a refinery tour and lunch at the refinery. [Extracted from the article]

The March 2024 edition of Sugar Journal focuses on Australia's sugar industry and their technical conference, the Australian Society of Sugar Cane Technologists (ASSCT). Australia's sugar production is expected to increase to 4.4 million metric tons in the 2023/24 marketing year. However, the industry faced challenges in 2023, including flooding from tropical cyclone Jasper and wet conditions that affected the crush and planting. The journal also includes papers from the ASSCT conference and an article on Louisiana's sugar industry. The Sugar Journal website will soon have a new look with more information available. [Extracted from the article]