Molasses processing
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Introduction to MOSEP
Each sugar factory is faced with sugar losses, which are manifested by the transition of part of the sugar into a by-product - molasses. Factories operating according to a standard technological scheme cannot avoid such a phenomenon. Old technologies are not able to isolate all the sugar from the sugar-containing solution, and such sugar becomes part of the molasses, which is called direct polarization sugar. In order to increase production at sugar beet factories, desaccharification of molasses is practiced. One of the well-known processes of desaccharification is the exclusion of ions, which separates compounds by their molecular weight and electric charge. This process is called - ion exchange.
The so-called ion exchange resins are used in this process. First, a fraction containing salts and high molecular weight dyes and saccharides comes out of the resin column; then there is a sucrose fraction, and then a betaine fraction (trimethylglycine, a component of sugar beet), which can be sold as a separate product. The sucrose fraction is processed into a thick juice to obtain a standard sugar-containing solution. Ion exchange processes reduce residual sucrose in molasses by 8-15 percent and increase the overall productivity of the enterprise. This technological process is currently the only solution that can be applied in old-type factories, but it also requires special technological equipment, many costs and complex maintenance.
The turning point of molasses processing is the use of membrane purification technology for sugar-containing solutions. This method extracts all the sucrose from the sugar-containing solution (beet juice) from the very beginning, and the sucrose later crystallizes, and does not enter the molasses. This method allows you to have a production without loss of sugar, getting sugar-free molasses. Thanks to SUSEP technology, which is the basis of a new generation sugar factory, the sugar yield increases by 18-25%, comparing with conventional sugar production using the old technology. The isolation of sugar from sugar-containing raw materials reaches 99-99.8%. Molasses obtained by SUSEP technology is not subject to sugar reduction in the future.
Another thing is with molasses, which is produced by sugar factories using a typical - old technology. All sugar factories of the old type annually produce large amounts of molasses, which, even after desaccharification, using ion exchange technology, still contains a lot of sucrose, but most sugar factories do not use modern technologies, but produce sugar and a lot of molasses with a high concentration of sugar in it. Molasses is cheap in price, but in composition and properties it is a very valuable raw material. Usually, any sugar factory operating according to the old technological scheme produces 3.5-6% (35-60 kg) of molasses from each ton of processed sugar beet. It is also important that sugar beet factories, after processing sugar beet, switching to processing more valuable raw sugar. During its processing, molasses is also obtained, the yield of which is very similar to the yield of molasses as in the processing of sugar beet, but the sugar content is more stable and usually ranges from 45-58% (on average 50%). These are huge volumes, which from the point of view of the sugar content in the same molasses claim only that a huge amount of invert sugar is simply lost in by-products. By weight, an average of 420-500 kg of sugar remains in a ton of molasses. Technologically, any molasses, except its own, since it no longer contains sugar, can be processed into high-quality sugar. The main technological equipment of SUSEP and additional equipment of MOSEP are involved in this process. When processing molasses, technological equipment for the reception and processing of sugar beet is excluded, and additional MOSEP equipment is connected to the process instead. This equipment consists of molasses storage tanks, electric pumps, molasses dissolving device, buffer tanks, automation and other equipment.
The molasses processing process is fully automated. After processing the molasses, the sucrose residue does not exceed 0.7% of its total weight, and the total sugar yield at the sugar factory increases by 18-25%. The duration of molasses processing is unlimited and can last all year round, except for the time required for preventive maintenance.
Practical solutions
Molasses processing requires special processing equipment that completely replaces the acceptance and primary processing of other raw materials in the production process. This means that when the processed raw materials are replaced, the technological equipment used also changes. As a rule, most sugar factories in Europe and Central Asia are designed for processing sugar beet, which is the main raw material, and raw cane sugar is used as an additional raw material. Choosing a similar production model, but replacing cane sugar with molasses, the corresponding technological equipment will also participate in the production process. When processing molasses, the production stage of acceptance and primary processing of the main raw materials (sugar beet) is excluded from the process, which means that during molasses processing, all equipment located before the SUSEP membrane filtration plant, as well as the beet pulp processing equipment, will be turned off. Only the buffer tank used between the diffusion unit and the membrane filtration unit is excluded from the list of equipment to be switched off. The main node of the MOSEP process equipment is a special dispenser - mixer responsible for the quality of the resulting sugar-containing solution. This device is equipped with a sugar meter, as well as other measuring devices responsible for monitoring the remaining components of diluted molasses. With the help of a number of measuring instruments and a special algorithm, the composition of molasses diluted with water is analyzed. The PLC has a program that is responsible for the operation of a proportional valve, which, depending on the composition of the solution, increases or decreases the water supply. WESTTEX has developed a unique software algorithm that guarantees the necessary and constant composition of a sugar-containing solution suitable for optimal sucrose extraction using membrane filtration.
Part of the equipment for receiving and storing molasses is a very complex technical solution, since an assessment of the overall technological process, as well as an assessment of geographical and climatic conditions, is required for ideal operation. The basis of this equipment consists of a receiving and pumping station, flat-bottomed steam-heated tanks, a main pumping station, a buffer tank and a pipeline network. Molasses delivered by road or railway tanks to a sugar factory is heated using special injectors and steam to reduce viscosity and pumped into flat-bottomed storage tanks. Molasses in tanks is heated using steam heat exchangers built into them. Constant heating of molasses reduces viscosity and simplifies its pumping into production. Molasses pumping pipes are also heated, which eliminates the possibility of thickening or freezing of the product inside them and ensures stable supply to the mixer dispenser throughout the working season.
The number and volume of flat-bottomed tanks is selected depending on the installed capacity of the SUSEP process equipment and the planned annual duration of molasses processing. The steam consumption required for heating flat-bottomed tanks, as well as the type and thermal resistance of outer thermal insulation are selected taking into account local climatic conditions.
Recommended packaging types depending on the capacity of the sugar factory:
Factory capacity type:by molasses (TMD) |
Small(10-100 tons) |
Medium(200-600 tons) |
Large(1000-2400 tons) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loose form | - | - | + |
| Soft containers (Big-Bag) | - | + | + |
| PP (woven) bags (15-50 kg) | + | + | - |
| Bags made of PE, PP (1-10 kg) | + | + | - |
| Paper bags (1-10 kg) | + | + | - |
| Stick - pack (3-5 g) | + | - | - |
Basic parameters
MOSEP technology is an additional equipment to the main equipment intended for processing the main raw materials, and is supplied separately. When processing molasses, the SUSEP and MOSEP processing equipment works simultaneously, but only one type of raw material can be processed at the same time. The set of equipment for processing molasses depends on the general basic parameters of the sugar factory and the installed nominal capacity of the plant for processing the main raw materials. In accordance with the specifics of sugar beet and molasses processing, the ratio between the permitted nominal productivity during sugar beet processing and the possible daily volume of processed molasses is 5:1. In accordance with this, each set of MOSEP process equipment includes the required number of storage tanks and provides the volume of raw materials stored in the warehouse for continuous operation for 90 days. Depending on the selected working cycle, the duration of processing of this raw material and the possibilities of provision, the number of storage tanks may be different.
Storage tanks for molasses are designed and manufactured depending on the geographical location of the sugar factory, as well as on climatic conditions. Since molasses is a viscous product, all storage tanks have thermal protection on the outside, and heat exchangers are installed inside, which heat molasses with the help of steam passing through them and reduce its viscosity. Molasses is fed into storage tanks using electric pumps installed at the pumping station. This equipment provides not only the supply of raw materials to the main technological equipment of SUSEP, but also the possibility of pumping from one storage-tank to another. The transfer pump between the tanks is optional and is not included in the general configuration.
The main unit of the mixer - dispenser includes a buffer tank, a molasses heater, a pump feeding molasses into a diluent, a mixer, a pump for supplying filtered water, a proportional valve, a coarse filter of a sugar-containing solution and sensors for measuring the content of solids, as well as sucrose. The device is controlled automatically, using a PLC and special software.
Attention: a pump for draining molasses from tank trucks, railway tanks, as well as a mobile steam generator for heating molasses before draining are supplied separately, depending on the design of the unloading place and other parameters.
Basic parameters:
| Technical specifications | MOSEP process equipment by nominal capacity | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Description: | MEL10-T3V200 | MEL20-T6V200 | MEL40-T8V300 | MEL100-T5V1185 | MEL200-T10V1185 | MEL300-T10V1790 | MEL400-T12V1970 | MEL600-T14V2550 | MEL1000-T15V3940 | MEL1200-T10V7090 | MEL2000-T14V8485 | MEL2400-T17V8485 |
| Processing of raw material (t/24h): | 10 | 20 | 40 | 100 | 200 | 300 | 400 | 600 | 1000 | 1200 | 2000 | 2400 |
| Number of storage tanks (pcs): | 3 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 10 | 14 | 17 |
| Capacity of separate tank (m³): | 200 | 200 | 300 | 1185 | 1185 | 1790 | 1970 | 2550 | 3940 | 7090 | 8485 | 8485 |
| Water consumption (m³): | 1,77 - 2,40 | 3,54 - 4,79 | 7,08 - 9,58 | 17,71 - 23,96 | 35,42 - 47,92 | 53,13 - 71,88 | 70,83 - 95,83 | 106,25 - 143,75 | 177,08 - 239,58 | 212,50 - 287,50 | 354,17 - 479,17 | 452,00 - 575,00 |
| Number of pumps (pcs): | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 5 |
| Power supply: | 380VAC 3P 50Hz | 380VAC 3P 50Hz | 380VAC 3P 50Hz | 380VAC 3P 50Hz | 380VAC 3P 50Hz | 380VAC 3P 50Hz | 380VAC 3P 50Hz | 380VAC 3P 50Hz | 380VAC 3P 50Hz | 380VAC 3P 50Hz | 380VAC 3P 50Hz | 380VAC 3P 50Hz |
| Pump power (kW): | 17,5 | 17,5 | 17,5 | 17,5 | 17,5 | 22 | 25 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 |
| Dispenser power (kW): | 11,5 | 11,5 | 11,5 | 11,5 | 11,5 | 16,5 | 20,5 | 25 | 33 | 45 | 67 | 82 |
| Total power consumption (kW): | 29,0 | 29,0 | 29,0 | 29,0 | 29,0 | 38,5 | 45,5 | 55,0 | 93,0 | 105,0 | 187,0 | 232,0 |
Attention:this table does not specify the pump for unloading molasses and its performance characteristics.
Available models by performance
The daily volume of processed molasses directly depends on the installed nominal capacity for processing sugar beet, as this is related to the performance of membrane filtration. In this case, the SUSEP technological equipment is the leading one, and MOSEP is only an additional one, which allows receiving, storing and primary processing molasses, preparing a sugar-containing solution from it suitable for further processing.
This table shows the basic models of MOSEP process equipment, taking into account round-the-clock production for 3 months (90 days). This means that the delivery package includes flat-bottomed tanks with a capacity that provides a volume of molasses stored for continuous operation for 90 days. If necessary, the number of flat-bottomed tanks can be increased, but in this case the configuration and characteristics of the pumping station will change.
Compatibility of MOSEP process equipment with SUSEP:
| Productivity | MOSEP technology | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| By sugar beet: | Model | Molasses consumption (t/24h) | Water consumption (m³/h) |
| 50 TBD | MEL10-T3V200 | 10 | 1,77 - 2,40 |
| 100 TBD | MEL20-T6V200 | 20 | 3,54 - 4,79 |
| 200 TBD | MEL40-T8V300 | 40 | 7,08 - 9,58 |
| 500 TBD | MEL100-T5V1185 | 100 | 17,71 - 23,96 |
| 1000 TBD | MEL200-T10V1185 | 200 | 35,42 - 47,92 |
| 1500 TBD | MEL300-T10V1790 | 300 | 53,13 - 71,88 |
| 2000 TBD | MEL400-T12V1970 | 400 | 70,83 - 95,83 |
| 3000 TBD | MEL600-T14V2550 | 600 | 106,25 - 143,75 |
| 5000 TBD | MEL1000-T15V3940 | 1000 | 177,08 - 239,58 |
| 6000 TBD | MEL1200-T10V7090 | 1200 | 212,50 - 287,50 |
| 10000 TBD | MEL2000-T14V8485 | 2000 | 354,17 - 479,17 |
| 12000 TBD | MEL2400-T17V8485 | 2400 | 452,00 - 575,00 |
Structural scheme of MOSEP technology
Molasses processing using MOSEP technology differs from sugar beet processing in that the process does not involve equipment for receiving and primary processing of sugar beet, and a pulp processing line is also excluded. This technological equipment replaced to equipment for receiving, storing and feeding molasses for processing, as well as an installation for the preparation of a sugar-containing solution. The prepared solution enters the buffer tank, from where it is supplied to the SUSEP membrane filtration unit using an electric pump and PID regulation. The filtrate is partially thickened at the nanofiltration level, after which it enters the evaporators and crystallizers.
Please note that only one type of raw material can be processed at a time. This is due to the use of different dispensers for different raw materials, which are controlled by analyzers that analyze various components of the prepared solution and work in accordance with various software algorithms.
Detailing the structural scheme of molasses processing plant:
| Production stage: | Acceptance | Primary | Main | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reception and storage | 3 | - | - | - |
| Water supply and waste water | - | 2 | 2 | - |
| Preparation of the solution | - | 4 | - | - |
| Membranes filtration | - | - | 5 | - |
| Juice thickening and crystallization | - | - | 7 | - |
| Output of products | - | - | - | 8 |
Structural scheme:
Wide range of capacities
The range of equipment of various capacities allows you to select it in such a way as to ensure optimal performance of the sugar factory.
Technology compatibility
SUSEP, MOSEP and RAWSEP technologies are fully compatible and complementary to each other and allow the sugar factory to operate all year round.