The papers presented at the Meeting are listed below, linked to an abstract of the paper. In the future it will be possible to request a copy of each paper while reading the abstract.
#815 The On-Line Determination of Purty In Sugar Manufacturing Process Streams
#816 HACCP Based Quality Systems
#817 A Comparison of Boiling Techniques For Batch and Continuous Pans
#818 Optimisation of The Carbonatation Process
#819 New Development in Sugar Cooling
#820 Symposium - A. Environment B. HACCP/GMP/Plant Sanitation [NO ABSTRACTS]
#821 Sustainable Safety in Tate & Lyle Europe
#822 Evolution Of A Refinery Through Automation
#823 An Overview Of The Clewiston Sugar Refinery
#824 Thermal Energy Demand In The Refining Process Of Raw Sugar And Possibilities For Optimisation
#825 New Developments In Sugar Drying
#826 Something Unique And Unconventional - Large Volume Barge Transportation Of Fine Liquor Between Two Cane Refineries
#827 The Specialty Sucrose Market - An Important Niche
#828 An Update On Energy Consumption At AKS - A Standalone Refinery
#829 Physiological Functions Of Sugar Cane Extracts - Growth Promotion, Immunopotentiation, and Anti-Coccidial Infection Effects In Chickens
#830 Membrane Filter Presses For Sugar Refineries - Advanced Technologies To Minimise Old Filtration Problems
#831 Upgrading Sugar Processing Operations With Little Or No Capital Investment
#832 The Production Of Liquid Sugar From Decolorized Liquors In The Sugar Refinery
#833 Security
#834 The New Carbon Regeneration System
#815 THE ON-LINE DETERMINATION OF PURITY IN SUGAR MANUFACTURING PROCESS STREAMS
Les A. Edye, Sugar Research Institute, Australia
A new technology for on-line determination of sucrose concentration in process streams is described. The use of this sucrose meter with other on-line devices that determine refractometric dry substance or density to monitor process stream purity in real time is reported. In pilot scale trials purity was determined in real time using the sucrose meter coupled with a microwave density meter, a process refractometer and a radio frequency probe. The results of on-line purity monitoring trials indicate potential for improving unit process throughput and product consistency in sugar manufacture.
#816 HACCP BASED QUALITY SYSTEMS
Greg Malcolm, Manildra Harwood Sugar, Harwood Island, NSW, Australia
In 1997, Manildra Harwood Sugars decided not to adopt ISO 9000, instead favouring a Quality System that is more specifically focused on food safety. The system is third party certified to the True Quality Standard and incorporates the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) program with the more important elements of ISO 9000.
The implementation of the Quality System has resulted in a more applied approach to production management. This has led to an overall reduction in customer complaints of 32% and a drop of 35% in serious complaints involving foreign matter contamination, whilst maintaining the same level of output.
The culture that has developed out of this quality system is one that can more easily adapt to change. It promotes initiative and refines problem solving skills.
Manildra Harwood Sugars was already some way down the track to becoming ISO certified when the decision was made and this presentation will detail why and how the change from ISO 9000 to True Quality was undertaken, the positive and negative consequences as a result of the move and discuss the alternatives to ISO 9000.
#817 A COMPARISON OF BOILING TECHNIQUES FOR BATCH AND CONTINUOUS PANS
John Thelwall, Fletcher Smith Ltd., Derby, England
In order to optimise the performance of any piece of process equipment, it is important to understand the process objectives and fundamental principles. The purpose of this paper is to compare some of the differences in the boiling techniques used for both batch and continuous boiling. The importance of both mother liquor supersaturation and crystal content are considered in the general philosophy. The process requirements for a typical high purity massecuite are compared against the outputs from a nuclear density signal and both the capacitive and resistive signals from a Duotrac probe.
Continuous vacuum pans can be controlled by two different methods, direct and predictive control, and the advantages of the two methods are briefly discussed. Unlike batch pans, continuous pans are not constrained by a varying massecuite hydrostatic heads, which affects both the heating surface to volume ratio and the boiling characteristic, and there is a better opportunity to improve the crystallisation process. The general growth profile for continuous pans and its division into three separate stages, conditioning, main growth, and thickening are briefly discussed. Continuous pans have a much better opportunity to control the thickening up phase to obtain good massecuite exhaustion, and the importance in the control of the water concentration in the mother liquor.
#818 OPTIMISATION OF THE CARBONATATION PROCESS
M Moodley, PM Schorn, D Walthew, Tongaat-Hulett Sugar, Glenashley, South Africa, and P Masinga, Tongaat-Hulett Sugar Refinery, Durban, South Africa
Refinery carbonatation is widely practised in South Africa and about 80% of the refined sugar produced in South Africa has been clarified/decolourised using this method. Attempts have therefore been made to optimise the carbonatation process with regard to impurity removal. Some of the main factors that have been investigated to improve the decolourisation and filterability of the carbonated liquor are: -
The results from both pilot plant and full-scale tests are discussed.
#819 NEW DEVELOPMENT IN SUGAR COOLING
Ge Boeyink and Denis Piche, Bulkflow Technologies, Inc., Calgary, Alberta, Canada
[not yet available]
#820 SYMPOSIUM - A. ENVIRONMENT; - B. HACCP/GMP/PLANT SANITATION - No abstracts at this time
#821 SUSTAINABLE SAFETY IN TATE & LYLE EUROPE
R. A. Barnes and Dr. R.P. Bacon, Tate & Lyle Europe, Thames Refinery, Silvertown, London, England
[not yet available]
#822 EVOLUTION OF A REFINERY THROUGH AUTOMATION
Elizabeth Harkins, The American Sugar Refining Company, Inc., Brooklyn, N.Y., USA
Refined Sugars, Inc. is a 2000 ton melt refinery in Yonkers, New York. Twenty years ago each processing shift consisted of 27 operators who operated and controlled 13 stations. Most of the controls were either pneumatic or very simple electronic single loop controllers. Currently, there are 11 operators per shift who operate 10 stations. The refinery is controlled by an ABB MOD 300 Distributive Control System that interfaces with Allen-Bradley PLC's and an Ethernet network system. 90% of the refinery is incorporated into this control system.
This paper describes the modifications, decisions and upgrades that were engineered to allow for a 60% reduction in manning while maintaining throughput and quality standards. The paper also discusses the obstacles encountered during the process. While the paper is primarily concerned with automation, process changes that contributed to the overall efficiency of the refinery are discussed. Forethought on encompassing the entire refinery and thinking about the "big picture" were essential aspects that contributed to the success of the evolution process.
#823 AN OVERVIEW OF THE CLEWISTON SUGAR REFINERY
Jack Thompson, United States Sugar Corporation, Clewiston, Florida, USA
U.S. Sugar's Clewiston Sugar refinery is North America's newest sugar refinery. Completed in 1998 with an initial capacity of 540,000 tons per year the refinery has since been expanded to 660,000 tons per year. A fully integrated facility, the refinery utilizes both power and steam from the adjacent raw sugar mill which has a daily average grinding capacity of 24,000 tons of cane per day.
The refinery operates during both the crop and non-crop periods and is capable of processing both Very High Pol (VHP) sugar, produced exclusively for the refinery at the Clewiston Mill, or conventional raw sugar produced at U.S. Sugar's Bryant mill. During the grinding season the refinery refines a portion of the VHP raw sugar directly as it is produced. Excess sugar is dried in a fluidized bed dryer with a nominal capacity of 120 tons per hour.
Dry sugar is stored and refined as required during the off season without affination. Regular pol raws are also refined during the off season using a conventional affination process which makes use of existing factory equipment. Recovery operations are only carried out during the off season and make use of the existing factory pans and centrifugals.
The refining process consists of melting, screening, filtration, and decolorization using granular activated carbon. Carbon is regenerated on site. Triple effect evaporation is used to concentrate the decolorized liquor and the sucrose is recrystallized using conventional batch vacuum pans. The syrup is separated in batch centrifugals with a charge capacity of 2100 kgs of massecuite and the sugar is dried in a single fluidized bed dryer. The sugar is then conditioned, screened and packaged in a variety of formats from bulk rail cars to 2 pound bags.
This paper describes in further detail the refining processes involved with particular emphasis on the synergies available between the raw sugar production and refining operations.
#824 THERMAL ENERGY DEMAND IN THE REFINING PROCESS OF RAW SUGAR AND POSSIBILITIES FOR OPTIMISATION
Gunther Ahring, IPRO Industriprjekt GmbH, Braunschweig, Germany
The efficient use of energy is decisive for the profitability of a refinery. In this paper the single steps are analysed. They are examined regarding energy use and possibilities for optimisation. Here special effort is made concerning the possibilities of realising the measures in existing refineries. At the same time new technological concepts for refining raw sugar are introduced and their effects on the energy demand described. The discussed measures are presented via a mass and energy balance of the whole refinery. For better clarity the results are drawn up in separate tables.
#825 NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN SUGAR DRYING
Burkhard Bartels and Hartmut Hafemann, BMA AG, Braunschweig, Germany
Most conventional sugar drying and cooling technologies are based on the rotary principle. An essential advantage of these machines is their simple and sturdy design, and they are regarded as relatively unsusceptible to sudden occurrence of high sugar moistures or poor sugar quality. Their disadvantages are the comparatively high material and maintenance requirements. Technologically, most rotary machines produce very good drying results, but have an inferior cooling efficiency.
In the nineties, dryers/coolers and coolers practising the alternative fluidized-bed technology became more and more successful. Especially the stationary (non-vibrating) units convinced by their light-weight design, their extremely reduced maintenance requirements and their excellent cooling efficiency. The only disadvantage observed by some operators is the higher susceptibility, especially of combined dryer/cooler units, to sudden occurrence of high sugar moistures or poor sugar quality.
One version uniting the advantages of the technologies described above is the combination of a rotary dryer and a downstream fluidized-bed cooler, which can be quite interesting for a factory planning to increase its capacity.
Latest developments are aimed at reducing the screen bottom surface in fluidized-bed coolers by providing, within the area of the fluid bed proper, additional water-cooled heat exchangers, dissipating much of the sugar's heat from the cooling water and substantially reducing the air requirements. This in turn allows air-carrying components, including the dust separating system, to be much smaller. This effect can even be enhanced by adding the heated cooler exhaust air to the drying air required for the rotary dryer and thus using it twice.
#826 SOMETHING UNIQUE AND UNCONVENTIONAL -LARGE VOLUME BARGE TRANSPORTATION OF FINE LIQUOR BETWEEN TWO CANE REFINERIES
Jeffrey C. Robinson, The American Sugar Refining Company, Baltimore, MD, USA
Confronted with a highly competitive refined sugar market and a critical need to reduce operating and maintenance costs at its Brooklyn cane sugar refinery several years ago, senior management made the strategic business decision to continue producing refined sugar products at this location. As a result, the company (then known as Tate & Lyle North American Sugars, Inc.) was subsequently faced with the dilemma of whether or not to undertake a very large, multi-million dollar capital investment (with cost estimates as high as US $35,000,000) to upgrade the entire wet end of the Brooklyn cane refining process. The original design scope of this potential process renewal project included the unit refining operations of primary and secondary decolorization, press filtration, evaporation, and associated utilities, structures, and process controls.
Since significant capital investment was obviously required to implement such a vast upgrade of the refinery's processes, the merits of several other viable alternative business case options, each intended to maintain partial process operations, were also evaluated. A unique but unproven scheme for supplying the refinery with partially refined liquid feedstock (fine liquor) from its sister refinery in Baltimore was decided upon as the most cost effective solution of all alternatives considered. Numerous concerns such as the optimum barge size, round trip transit time and overall reliability, potential sucrose loss, and the optimum color, density, temperature, and microbial stability of the product had to be addressed. This technical paper details the unique barge design requirements and construction timeline, as well as a review of project justification and the important fine liquor technical parameters which were implemented in this successful project.
#827 THE SPECIALTY SUCROSE MARKET - AN IMPORTANT NICHE
Mary An Godshall, Sugar Processing Research Institute, Inc., New Orleans, La. USA
The sugar industry has three basic areas for economic expansion:
The first two topics, incremental process improvements and by products, have been well covered in recent meeting. The high value specialty sucrose niche, on the other hand, has received less coverage. In recent years, "unrefined," "less refined," "natural" and organic products have developed a strong following. Part of it is due to the appealing descriptions used in marketing campaigns, but a lot of the appeal also has to do with the desire to use less processed foods in the diet. This paper reviews some of the sugar products on the market, the pitfalls and promise of specialty products, and some speculations as to what the future may hold.
#828 AN UPDATE ON ENERGY CONSUMPTION AT AKS- A STANDALONE REFINERY
Jamal Al Ghurair and G. C. Singh, Al Khaleej Sugar Co., Dubai, U.A.E.
Al Khaleej Sugar Refinery has been operating since last seven years at Dubai,UAE. Designed goals on Energy and Water consumptions were largely achieved in 1998-99 after implementation of Plant improvements & modification programme. Performance results along with future energy savings programme were published in SIT-1999 & SIT-2000 conventions .
During last two years following projects were implemented to further reduce energy costs :
Presently AKS is operating at energy usage levels of < 2100 MJ per tonne melt and electrical power consumption < 50 KW per tonne melt. The paper describes the arrangements made to further reduce energy cost and update on energy consumption.
#829 PHYSIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS OF SUGAR CANE EXTRACTS - GROWTH PROMOTION, IMMUNOPOTENTIATION, AND ANTI-COCCIDIAL INFECTION EFFECTS
Kenji Koge, Yukie Nagai, Tadashi Ebashi, Hiroshi Iwabe, Shin Mitsui Sugar Co., Ltd. and Moshira El-Abasy, Maki Motobu, Kameo Shimura, and Yoshikazu Hirota, Development & Research Group, Chigasaki Laboratory, Shin Mitsui Sugar Co., Japan
We presented an outline of various physiological functions of sugar cane extracts (SCE) at the previous meeting (S.I.T., 2001). On this occasion, we will focus on immunopotentiative effects of SCE in chickens.
One week-old male chickens (Dekalb) inoculated orally with SCE (500 mg/kg/day) for 3 or 6 consecutive days showed a higher gain/day in body weight than control chickens without SCE, when evaluated at 2 months of age, suggesting a growth promoting effect.
Immunological effects of SCE were examined in 3 week-old inbred chickens (H.B15: MHC haplotype B15) inoculated orally with different doses of SCE (500-1,500 mg/kg/day) for 1 or 3 days. SCE-inoculated groups showed significantly higher agglutinin responses against sheep red blood cells and Brucella abortus, increased numbers of immunoglobulin producing cells in peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL), intestinal leukocytes (in the cecal tonsil) and splenocytes, enhanced phagocytic activities, a higher relative proportion of CD4+ cells in PBL, and enhanced delayed type hypersensitivity responses to human g globulin.
For the study of anticoccidial infection effects of SCE, chickens (1 or 3 weeks old) were orally inoculated with SCE (500 mg/kg) for 3 consecutive days. Just after the final administration of SCE, chickens were inoculated orally with Eimeria tenella oocysts (2x103/chicken) for initial infection. Three weeks after initial infection, oral challenge infection with oocysts (0.2-1.0x105/chicken) was performed. SCE-inoculated chickens with initial infection showed lower lesion scores and lower numbers of oocysts, schizonts and gamonts in the cecum than any other challenged chickens (even if initial infection was given), in gross and histological examinations after challenge. Gain/day in body weight, antibody responses, and hemorrhages and numbers of oocysts in feces were improved by SCE and/or initial infection.
Taken together, these results suggest that SCE has immunostimulating and protective effects in chickens. SCE is expected to enhance growth of livestock in practical feeding strategies, where natural products instead of medical products are in demand at present.
#830 MEMBRANE FILTER PRESSES FOR SUGAR REFINERIES - ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES TO MINIMISE OLD FILTRATION PROBLEMS
Martin Herrmann and Leopold Briones, Putsch, Germany
[not yet available]
#831 UPGRADING SUGAR PROCESSING OPERATIONS WITH LITTLE OR NO CAPITAL INVESTMENT
Emmanuel Sarir, Carbo-UA Limited, Beverly Hills, CA, USA
[not yet available]
#832 THE PRODUCTION OF LIQUID SUGAR FROM DECOLORIZED LIQUORS IN THE SUGAR REFINERY
Xavier Lancrenon, Applexion S.A., Epone, France
[not yet available]
#833 SECURITY
Richard Baker, The American Sugar Refining co., Inc., Brooklyn, N.Y. USA
[not yet available]
#834 THE NEW CARBON REGENERATION SYSTEM
Jerry R. Elvin, Brimac, Scotland
[not yet available]