World class expertise in factory trials, computer modelling, extensive experimentation and design development are a result of SRI’s extensive research into sugar separation and drying.
Our key capabilities and major milestones are:
- Determination of procedures to increase batch centrifugal productivity for the production of high polarisation sugars. SRI has made improvements to the purging qualities of the supplied massecuites and to the purging and washing steps of batch centrifugals;
- Characterisation of the purging qualities of high grade massecuites in terms of the main process variables of mother molasses viscosity, coefficient of variation of the crystal size distribution, and the rotational speed of the centrifugal basket;
- Development of mathematical models for the batch centrifuging of high grade massecuites to allow mass balance calculations of pan and fugal station flowschemes;
- Improvements in the performance of continuous high grade centrifugals for the production of high pol sugar. SRI's work has achieved substantial improvements to the water application rate and reductions in crystal attrition and breakage;
- Development of a design of heat exchanger for reheating C massecuite prior to centrifuging. The SRI reheater design is simple and robust. Software has been developed to determine the appropriate configuration for the reheater to ensure an adequate velocity of massecuite is achieved to enhance heat transfer;
- Specification of the preferred processing conditions for continuous centrifuging of C massecuites. Extensive fugalling trials have been undertaken to determine the preferred conditions in terms of massecuite rate, steam application, and water application;
- Procedures for design and operation of rotary flighted sugar dryers to achieve product sugar at the target specifications for moisture and temperature. SRI has provided specifications for several rotary flighted drum designs, produced as a result of models developed for sugar transport and heat and mass transfer. The models allow prediction of the outflowing sugar composition and temperature; and
- Development of control systems to enhance the performance of rotary drum dryers.
