Progress 01/01/01 to 12/31/06
Outputs
Work has focused on losses of sugar to improve overall recovery. Efforts have been made to reduce the loss of sugar in bagasse, in filter cake and in molasses. Reduced losses in these 3 areas can be illustrated by the reductions in sugar content in bagasse, filter cake and molasses over the course of the project. Values over the last 5 seasons for these parameters from 2002 to 2006 are listed: Pol % bagasse - 4.03, 3.17, 2.91, 2.98, 2.62; Pol % filter cake 4.38, 4.07, 4.09, 3.33, 2.74; Molasses true target difference purity 10.4, 8.9, 9.9, 8.9, 8.5. Work on improving cane preparation and characterizing mill performance has highlighted problem areas in milling. These have been attended to, and improvements have resulted. Work at Enterprise mill on comparing juice quality from a mill and diffuser has yielded important quality information. Work in the filter station has highlighted some areas that need additional maintenance, and the need for additional filter capacity in
some canes. Attention to the operational details has yielded improvements. Analysis of weekly composite molasses samples from all Louisiana mills has continued. Chromatographic methods of analysis are used, which yield accurate measurements of sucrose, glucose and fructose in molasses. This enables comparison of measured purities with the target purity, representing ideal exhaustion. The difference from target is now accepted by the industry as a reliable measure. Comparisons between mills have motivated the processors through competition, and significant improvements have been made. The change in these 3 parameters over the five-year period can be used to estimate the improvement in sugar recovery. By calculation, this results in an increase in sugar recovery on average of about 4 %. Based on an average crop of 1.4 million tons cane, this represents an increase in sugar production of 56 000 tons/year, or $ 22.4 million per year.
Impacts
On-going work with the Louisiana sugar mills realized a reduction in the losses of sugar in molasses, filter cake and bagasse, and contributed to higher sugar recoveries. The value of the improvement is sugar recovery is estimated at about $22 million per year.
Publications
- L.S. Polanco; P.W. Rein; B.E. White (2006): A comparison of sugarcane juice quality from a mill and a diffuser. Sugar J. 68, 10, 12-20.
- Bento L; Rein P; Sabliov C.; Boldor D.; Coronel P. (2006): C Massecuite Re-Heating Using Microwaves. J. Amer. Soc. Sugar Cane Technol. 26, 1-13.
- Solberg D.; Rein P.W.; Schlorke D. (2006): Online evaporator heat transfer measurement and analysis. Int. Sugar J. 108, 1285, 28-38.
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Progress 01/01/05 to 12/31/05
Outputs
The Louisiana mills molasses survey has been continued. The purity of the molasses produced at each mill every week is analyzed and compared to a target purity. There is a progressive improvement in purities in relation to the target, indicating that the loss of sugar in molasses is being steadily reduced. A comparison of the use of a Coriolis meter against a batch scale on measuring molasses quantity was continued at Raceland mill. It has been established that a Coriolis meter is sufficiently accurate for use on this duty.
Impacts
On-going work with the Louisiana sugar mills is assisting to reduce the loss of sugar in molasses, filter cake and bagasse. Improvements in cane quality in the last season also contributed to higher sugar recoveries.
Publications
- Rein P.W. 2005. The effect of green cane harvesting on a sugar mill. Int. Sugar J. 107, 1281, 498-504.
- P. W. Rein; D. J. Muzzell; N. Dolan. 2005. The Use of a Coriolis Flow Meter for Measuring Molasses Production in a Sugar Mill. J. Amer. Soc. Sugar Cane Technol. 25, 129-142.
- Echeverri L.F.; Rein P.W.; Acharya S. 2005. Numerical and experimental study of the flow in vacuum pans. Proc. Int. Soc. Sugar Cane Technol. 25, 513-520.
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Progress 01/01/04 to 12/31/04
Outputs
The accurate survey of molasses produced in all Louisiana mills was continued. This provides good information to the processors on the degree to which molasses has been exhausted, and shows what room for improvement exists. Collaboration with Raceland mill was continued in an effort to measure accurately the inputs and outputs of the process to correctly quantify losses of sugar in bagasse, in molasses, in filter cake and undetermined losses. Accurate analyses by HPLC of juice, syrup, various intermediate massecuite streams and final molasses was done. An evaluation of two Coriolis meters measuring the molasses flow for factory control purposes was undertaken. Extension of HPLC analyses to weekly composite juice samples at some of the mills was initiated, to help quantify losses. Efforts to improve the factory efficiencies through the use of more instrumentation and instrumentation culminated in an all-day symposium with the processors on the subject.
Impacts
The losses of sugar in nearly all the Louisiana mills has reduced over the last 4 years as the molasses survey has come to be accepted and the understanding of how they represent true losses of sugar in molasses has been accepted. A reduction in average purity since 2002 of 1.5 units of purity translates into an increase in sugar production of 0.5%. Based on an average crop, this represents an increase of 7500 tons of sugar per year, with a value of $4.5 million. Substantial progress in understanding how and where losses of sugar in the process occur has been made at Raceland. It is expected that this will lead to further substantial savings in other loss areas.
Publications
- Rein P.W. (2004): Instrumentation and automatic control. Sugar Bulletin. 82, 7, 11-12
- Rein P.W. (2004): What does it cost the Louisiana industry to process trashy cane and are there any methods to reduce these losses? Sugar Bulletin. 82, 11, 13-17.
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Progress 01/01/03 to 12/31/03
Outputs
The accurate survey of molasses produced in all Louisiana mills was continued. This provides good information to the processors on the degree to which molasses has been exhausted and shows whether room for improvement exists. Collaboration with Raceland Mill was continued, in an effort to measure accurately the inputs and outputs of the process to correctly quantify losses of sugar in bagasse, in molasses, in filter cake and undetermined losses. Accurate analyses by HPLC of juice, syrup, various intermediate massecuite streams and final molasses were done. Extension of HPLC analyses to weekly composite juice samples at some of the mills was initiated, to help quantify losses.
Impacts
The losses of sugar in nearly all the Louisiana mills has been reduced over the last 3 years as the molasses survey has been accepted and the understanding of how they represent true losses of sugar in molasses has been accepted. A reduction in average purity of 1.5 units translates into an increase in sugar production of 0.5% for 2003. Based on an average crop, this represents an increase of 7500 tons of sugar per year, with a value of $4.5 million. Substantial progress in understanding how and where losses of sugar in the process occur has been made at Raceland. It is expected that this will lead to further substantial savings in other loss areas.
Publications
- Rein P.W. (2003): Cane preparation; knifing versus shredding. Sugar Bulletin. 81, 11, 16-18.
- Rein P.W. (2003): The importance of achieving a high crystal content in high grade molasses. Sugar Bulletin. 81, 8, 12-17.
- Madsen II, L., Rein, P.W., and White, B. (2003). Evaluation of a Near Infrared Spectrometer for the Direct Analysis of Sugar Cane. J. Am. Soc. Sugar Cane Technol. 23, 80-92
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Progress 01/01/02 to 12/31/02
Outputs
A program of accurate analyses of final molasses samples from all the Louisiana mills was initiated in the 2000 season, and has been continued for the following two seasons. The data are related to a target purity formula, to give an accurate measure of the losses of sugar in molasses. This is now a valued service to the industry. A new program utilizing HPLC measurements of sugar in raw juice was initiated in 2002, so that a more accurate measure of losses in the factory will be possible. A new program involving weighing of juice and molasses was started at the Raceland mill, to provide accurate information on losses in the washing plant and in the factory in 2002. New methods of cane payment are being investigated together with other groups in the industry, in an attempt to incorporate incentives which will improve the productivity of the Louisiana industry.
Impacts
Audubon Sugar Institute is making available accurate information to the Louisiana mills, which will enable them to control losses more closely and improve recoveries. New measurements generated using HPLC make new information available to optimize operations.
Publications
- Rein, P.W. (2001). Molasses Exhaustion. Sugar Bulletin. 80, 1: 9-10
- Rein, P.W. (2001). Improving Sugar Mill Recoveries and Efficiencies by Optimizing Measurements and Analyses. Sugar Bulletin. 79, 12: 10-12.
- Rein, P.W. (2001). How Do We Arrive at the Optimum Cane Quality Payment System? Sugar Bulletin. 80, 3: 9-12.
- Rein, P.W. (2001). Design of Sugar Factory Equipment to Reduce Losses. Proc. ISSCT. 24: 404.
- Rein, P.W. (2002). Reducing Losses in the Filter Station. Sugar Bulletin. 80, 4: 9-11.
- Rein, P.W. (2002). The Optimum pH for Juice Clarification. Sugar Bulletin. 80, 12:17-19.
- Rein, P.W. (2002). The Effects of Soil in Cane Delivered to the Mill and Options for Dealing With It. Sugar Bulletin. 81, 1: 13-15
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