Analysis of Sugar Milling Process by Numerical Modeling

Abstract

Abstract

Sugar milling is a process in which juice is extracted from sugar cane stalks. Using only one mill to extract juice yields an unsatisfactory result because the bagasse leaving the mill still contains a lot of juice. Therefore, a milling tandem consisting of at least 5 mills is normally used in the sugar milling process. In order to maximize extraction, juice or water is mixed with input bagasse before being fed to each of the second and subsequent mills. This method is known as compound imbibition. This paper presents a model to simulate the operation of sugar mills that use compound imbibition. In addition to incorporating balances of fiber and dissolved solids, the model accounts for possibilities of non-ideal mixing between bagasse and imbibition water or juice. Operation data of the sugar mills are used to obtain performance parameters of all mills. The model is used to show how imbibition results in increases in both the extraction of dissolved solids and the moisture of bagasse leaving the milling process. However, by adjusting some performance parameters, it is possible to increase extraction and lower bagasse moisture.