Progress 10/01/11 to 09/30/12
Outputs
Progress Report Objectives (from AD-416): To conduct large factory trials across the Louisiana processing season to determine how different levels of trash impact upsteam and downstream processing. The trials will provide crucial knowledge on what levels and types of trash are impeding the manufacture of VHP/VLC sugar for the new LA refineries, what the critical level of trash that causes VHP/VLC sugar to be produced over raw sugar, and also provide optimum ground and fan speeds to control the levels of processed trash for VHP/VLC sugar manufacture that is of economical benefit and satisfactory to both parties. Approach (from AD-416): Different harvest treatments from the same commercial field of ripener- treated sugarcane (same variety per trial) will be evaluated. At least 3 treatments of green billets subjected to different combinations of extraction fan and ground speeds on a newer model combine harvester designed for green harvesting. Each harvest treatment will have 2 reps that will be delivered to the factory on the same day; each rep will represent -50 short tons. Four random grab samples (-35 lb) will be collected from each treatment rep in the cane yard, and separated into different tissues and weighed. Factory core lab results will be obtained for each treatment rep as well as the direct analysis of shredded cane (DAC) randomly removed from the factory conveyor belt. Tandem milling rates, etc., and any chokes will be monitored at the factory. After the whole tandem mill has first been purged with part of the treatment supply, composite mixed juice (MJ) and bagasse samples will be collected at the factory. The MJ will then quickly transported to New Orleans and processed across the SRRC sugar processing pilot plant into clarified juice, syrup, massecuite, molasses, raw and affinated VHP sugar. The factory trials will be repeated three times across the season to cover environmental variations. New refineries in Louisiana are requesting sugarcane factories to deliver higher quality raw sugar with low color and ash concentrations. This higher quality raw sugar will allow both growers and factory processors to gain economic premiums from the new refineries. A comprehensive factory trash trial was conducted in 2010 and completed. To complement this study, a sugarcane trash (leafy material and tops of stalks) mulch study was undertaken to determine if trash that is blown off at the factory and stored in piles can be reduced to smaller, manageable levels for transportation. The created mulch which can then be used as fertilizer on fields or sold to local nurseries. Results from which a 6 month preliminary study conducted on the grounds of the Southern Regional Research Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, indicated that an inexpensive and easily available bioactivator (a commercial mix of fungi and bacteria) with either molasses or nitrogen meal warrant further investigation in a replicate study in 2012. As sugarcane trash is also one of the causes of higher starch levels being delivered to Louisiana sugarcane factories in recent years, a factory study was also started on further optimizing the application of amylase to break down starch and to determine how the higher starch levels are affecting starch. Amylase activities (strengths) were found to be lower than in previous years, and this has contributed to the sub-optimal application of amylases. This agreement will not be extended and this constitutes the final report for the this project.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
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Progress 10/01/10 to 09/30/11
Outputs
Progress Report Objectives (from AD-416) To conduct large factory trials across the Louisiana processing season to determine how different levels of trash impact upsteam and downstream processing. The trials will provide crucial knowledge on what levels and types of trash are impeding the manufacture of VHP/VLC sugar for the new LA refineries, what the critical level of trash that causes VHP/VLC sugar to be produced over raw sugar, and also provide optimum ground and fan speeds to control the levels of processed trash for VHP/VLC sugar manufacture that is of economical benefit and satisfactory to both parties. Approach (from AD-416) Different harvest treatments from the same commercial field of ripener- treated sugarcane (same variety per trial) will be evaluated. At least 3 treatments of green billets subjected to different combinations of extraction fan and ground speeds on a newer model combine harvester designed for green harvesting. Each harvest treatment will have 2 reps that will be delivered to the factory on the same day; each rep will represent -50 short tons. Four random grab samples (-35 lb) will be collected from each treatment rep in the cane yard, and separated into different tissues and weighed. Factory core lab results will be obtained for each treatment rep as well as the direct analysis of shredded cane (DAC) randomly removed from the factory conveyor belt. Tandem milling rates, etc., and any chokes will be monitored at the factory. After the whole tandem mill has first been purged with part of the treatment supply, composite mixed juice (MJ) and bagasse samples will be collected at the factory. The MJ will then quickly transported to New Orleans and processed across the SRRC sugar processing pilot plant into clarified juice, syrup, massecuite, molasses, raw and affinated VHP sugar. The factory trials will be repeated three times across the season to cover environmental variations. New refineries in Louisiana are requesting sugarcane factories to deliver higher quality raw sugar with low color and ash concentrations. This higher quality raw sugar will allow both growers and factory processors to gain economic premiums from the new refineries. A comprehensive factory trash trial was conducted in 2010 to determine how different speeds of the extractor fans on two combine harvesters affect trash levels of green billets (short sections of whole stalk of 20-30 cm) from one commercial sugarcane variety as well as factory processing. Fan speeds of 1,050, 850 and 650 revolutions per minute (rpm) were studied on three different days (November 20-22, 2010). A bulk sample of mixed juice was transported to our new pilot plant in New Orleans to simulate the manufacture of products across the factory including sugars. Total trash levels (leaves plus top part of the stalk) were 12.1, 18.9 and 22. 7% for the 1,050, 850, and 650 rpm fan speeds, respectively. Most quality and processing parameters, including color and ash, became progressively worse with increased trash levels and decreased fan speed. Overall, at 650 rpm fan speed, high quality sugar for the new refinery was not commercially attained. Net proceeds to the grower were optimal for both growers and processors at the 850 rpm setting. The progress was monitored via periodic email and phone conversations.
Impacts
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Publications
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Progress 10/01/09 to 09/30/10
Outputs
Progress Report Objectives (from AD-416) To conduct large factory trials across the Louisiana processing season to determine how different levels of trash impact upsteam and downstream processing. The trials will provide crucial knowledge on what levels and types of trash are impeding the manufacture of VHP/VLC sugar for the new LA refineries, what the critical level of trash that causes VHP/VLC sugar to be produced over raw sugar, and also provide optimum ground and fan speeds to control the levels of processed trash for VHP/VLC sugar manufacture that is of economical benefit and satisfactory to both parties. Approach (from AD-416) Multiple juice samples from crusher to mixed juice, taking into account retention time, will be collected at two Louisiana factories across the 2009 season. pH control and trash effects will be determined to reduce expensive sucrose losses. Hundreds of samples were collected across the 2009 processing season at Lafourche Factory to assess where and how much sucrose losses occurred in the factory, and how they varied seasonally. Sampling was repeated every 30 min, five times, to constitute a sampling period. The sampling period was repeated six times across the season on Oct 15, Oct 21, Oct 29, Nov 12, Nov 24, and Dec 15. There was emphasis on early season when cane is immature and trash levels are high. Results are still being analyzed, but so far sucrose losses are mostly occurring in the clarification tank, in the pre-evaporator, and the last two evaporators in the factory. A method to better control and reduce sucrose losses in the clarification tank and pre-evaporator, especially in early season, is to add lime saccharate (lime added to juice) compared to the traditional application of milk of lime (lime is added to water in a suspension). For comparison reasons, seasonal sucrose losses were also studied at Cora Texas factory in 2009. In this study, the focus was only on juices across the tandem mill and incubator tanks, as this is where enzymatic sucrose losses by invertases (an enzyme that converts sucrose to smaller sugar molecules) will occur. Invertase enzymes are more concentrated in the tops and green leaves. Initial crusher juice, recycled juice, mixed juice, filtrate juice, and incubator juice exiting the incubator tanks were collected. Sampling was repeated every 30 min, five times, to constitute a sampling period. The sampling period was repeated seven times across the season on Oct 5, Oct 9, Oct 16, Oct 30, Nov 16, Dec 1, and Dec 14. Samples are still being analyzed. The progress is monitored via periodic telephone conversations, meetings, and presentations.
Impacts
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