Improving the massecuite crystallization in sugar production

Abstract

The article discusses the concepts of continuous vacuum apparatus operation: vertical VKT (VKT – Verdampfungs-Kristallisations-Turm) and horizontal cascade of VKH vacuum apparatus (VKH —horizontal vacuum pan) from BMA (Germany). The advantages and features of the vertical continuous vacuum apparatus VKT are shown, as well as the possibilities for increasing the efficiency of the product department of sugar factories. Thanks to the special design of the crystallization chambers, the low massecuite level above the heating chamber and the use of mechanical stirrers in each chamber, the VKT apparatus can operate without difficulty with a very small temperature difference between heating steam and massecuite, as well as with an absolute heating steam pressure well below 1 bar. With optimal use of VKT vacuum apparatus, a variety of energy-saving schemes can be implemented, for example, double-effect evaporation in the crystallization section. Part of the secondary crystallization steam is used to heat one of the VKT units, which saves the heating steam of the evaporator unit used for this purpose. With an increase in the productivity of the sugar factory, it is possible to quickly equip the VKT apparatus with an additional chamber. The device works continuously throughout the season, especially with products with massecuite purity of more than 94%. The chambers are cleaned without stopping the entire apparatus. The boiling of massecuite of all stages of crystallization in VKT devices ensures a uniform operating mode of the food compartment, allows to achieve an increase in sugar yield and helps to reduce steam consumption at the plant.

The influence of the impact of electrical impulses on the juice outputting of the pulp

“…For example, the electrical energy stored in a capacitor at a high potential gradient, when it is discharged to the pulp, affects the cells of plant tissue within microseconds. At the same time, a significant power develops, many times, by about 3 orders of magnitude, exceeding the power of the action of a current with a voltage of 220 V. This causes a qualitative difference between such pulse action on plant tissue from the action of currents of low potential gradients [1][2][3][4][5]. A study by microphotography and direct visual observation of the dynamics of the action of an electric current on plant tissue cells and a comparison of our results with the data of other authors showed that the nature of the destruction of cell protoplasm by electric impulses is somewhat different than when exposed to an electric current with a voltage of 220 V. Treatment of plant tissue with an electric current low potential gradients leads to cell death, but the protoplasm does not disintegrate, but only loses the ability to retain juice in vacuoles.…”