NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SANTA AGROINDUSTRIAL OPERATIONS II

AGROINDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING

TECHNICAL VISIT TO THE SAN JACINTO AGRO-INDUSTRIES PLANT

I. INTRODUCTION:

SUGAR (Saccharum Officinarum)

Sugarcane has undoubtedly been one of the most important products for the
commercial development in the American and European continents. Sugar is consumed everywhere
world, since it is one of the main sources of calories in the diets of all countries.

Sugar can be obtained mainly from sugar cane and sugar beet.
To obtain it, a long process is required, from the moment the sugarcane seed germinates until
that sugar is marketed nationally and internationally. The following details are provided
process in the factory.

To produce the sugar we use daily, sugar cane is used.

This is native to India. The Spaniards introduced it to America and it developed.

mainly in the Antilles and was introduced to Peru by the Spaniards. It was one of the
main products exported before 1990, covering approximately 117 thousand hectares.
Currently, it only represents 3.4% of GDP, 2.4% of employment, and exports. The areas
The areas designated for this crop have been reduced to 60,000 hectares.

Seasonality of Sugarcane Production

Sugarcane production does not have a defined seasonality, therefore planting and the
harvesting takes place throughout the year, allowing sugar mills to be.
permanently supplied with cane. This characteristic does not allow for the planning of a harvest.

Components of sugarcane.

The trunk of the sugar cane is composed of a solid part called fiber and a part
liquid, the juice, which contains water and sucrose. Other components are also found in both parts.
substances in very small quantities. The proportions of the components vary according to
with the variety (family) of the cane, age, maturity, climate, soil, cultivation method, fertilizers,
rains, irrigation, etc. However, some general reference values may be:

water 73 - 76 %
sucrose 8 - 15 %
fiber 11 - 16 %

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 NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SANTA AGROINDUSTRIAL OPERATIONS II
AGROINDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING

II. OBJECTIVE

Observe and recognize the different equipment used for operations.

sugar production from sugarcane.

III. OPERATIONS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF SUGAR

SUGAR PRODUCTION PROCESS

Sugarcane has undoubtedly been one of the most important products.

importance for commercial development in the American and European continents. The
sugar is consumed all over the world, as it is one of the main sources of
calories in the diets of all countries.
Sugar can mainly be obtained from sugarcane and the
sugar beet. Its production requires a long process, from the moment that
the sugar cane seed germinates until the sugar is commercially traded nationally and
internationally. The process in the factory is detailed below.

FIELD WORK AND HARVEST

The production process begins with land preparation, a preliminary stage of
sugarcane planting. Once the plant matures between 12 and 14 months, people
Those in charge of the harvesting task prepare to cut and collect it through lifting.
mechanic and take it to the sugar mill cane yards.

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NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SANTA AGROINDUSTRIAL OPERATIONS II
AGRO-INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING

STORAGE OF CANE
The cane that comes from the field is shown to determine the quality characteristics and the
content of sucrose, fiber, and level of impurities. Then it is weighed on scales and taken to
the warehouses where goods are stored temporarily or placed directly on the tables
for washing cane to direct it to a conveyor belt that feeds the grinders.

The capacity of the sugar plant is 2500 tons of cane per day, which enter with
12.5-13 ºBrix to the rotating blades for proper conditioning.

Sugarcane Cutting
The choppers are axes placed over the conductors driven by turbines,
equipped with rotating blades at 7000 rpm that cut the stems and turn them into
splinters of 30-40 cm, and a second blade that adjusts it to a size of 10-15 cm.
giving them a uniform size to facilitate the extraction of juice in the mills.

GRINDING
The cane prepared with 80-85% moisture in the choppers reaches a tandem of
mills with a speed of 1300-1400 rpm, each consisting of three rollers
metallic and by pressure extracts the juice from the cane. Each mill is equipped with a
high-pressure turbine. During the passage of the cane through the mill, hot water is added,

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NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SANTA AGROINDUSTRIAL OPERATIONS II
AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING

to maximize the extraction of sucrose contained in the fibrous material, this first juice is subjected to
known as crusher juice which represents 75% of the extraction. This process of
Extraction is called maceration.

The bagasse that comes out of the last milling unit is directed to a bagasse pile so that
follows and then goes to the 2 boilers as fuel, which generate 2000 Kw-day and
producing steam at a pressure of 600 Lb that is used in the turbines of the mills.

HEAVY AND LIMED JUICES.

The diluted juice obtained from the grinding is weighed on scales with load cells to
to know the amount of sap juice that enters the factory. This juice has a pH of 6 -
6.5, which is heated to 70ºC and directed to a sulfatation tower from which it passes to a
tank where a lime solution is found to remove impurities that the juice still has
presents.

CLARIFICATION
Here the juice is pumped and directed through pipes to a sedimentation tank in
where calcium saccharate is added to neutralize calcium phosphate to facilitate the
sedimentation to then go through steam and direct it to a clarification stage.

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NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SANTA AGROINDUSTRIAL OPERATIONS II
AGROINDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING

The juice obtained in the milling stage is acidic in nature (approximate pH: 6 - 6.5), this
it is treated with lime slurry, which raises the pH with the aim of minimizing the possible
sucrose losses. Lime also helps to precipitate organic or inorganic impurities.
that come in the juice and to increase or accelerate its coagulating power, the temperature is raised.
temperature of the slaked juice using a heating tube system. The clarification
from the juice by sedimentation; the non-sugar solids precipitate in the form of a sludge called
the whey and the clear juice remain at the top of the tank. This leftover juice is sent
before being discarded into the field for the improvement of poor soils in matter
organic.

In this operation, a vacuum rotary filter is added for the production of a syrup.
thick with around 75 to 78% water which is recirculated and the rest is produced a
oversaturation in the syrup and in this way it is conditioned for crystallization and thus
a filtered juice is obtained.

The separation of suspended solids is carried out in equipment called clarifiers.

obtaining a clean and bright juice from the top, called 'clarified juice' and
through the bottom of the equipment a mud that contains all the solid impurities (earth, sand,
lime waste and flocculant waste). This sludge is referred to as "cachaza".

FILTRATION OF THE CACHACA

The lees from having been in contact with the juice is a sediment that contains juice, which
it must be recovered. This is done in vacuum rotating filters resulting in:

a) A solid cake of wheat bran, which is used due to its presence of nutrient elements.
to enrich the irrigation waters of the sugarcane crops, and
a dirty juice called 'filtered juice', which is fed to the filtered juice clarifier
to separate the solid impurities present and obtain a juice that can be
recycled back to the process.- The solid impurities separated from the clarified filtered juice
They are sent to the molasses tank.

During the filtration process, pressurized condensed water is fed to carry out a
washing the cachaca cake and facilitating the extraction of the present sucrose. It should be
regular the work of the filters to achieve a polarization no greater than 2.5 in the cake of
cachaça in order to minimize sugar losses in the production process.

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NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SANTA AGROINDUSTRIAL OPERATIONS II
AGRO-INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING

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NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SANTA AGROINDUSTRIAL OPERATIONS II
AGROINDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING

EVAPORATION, CRYSTALLIZATION, AND CENTRIFUGATION.

Here the water from the juice begins to evaporate. The clear juice that has almost half
composition of the raw juice extracted (with the exception of the impurities removed in the
Cachaza is received in the evaporators with a percentage of soluble solids between 13.5 and 15.
% and a syrup or syrup is obtained with an approximate concentration of soluble solids
of 68%.

MATERIAL BALANCE IN EVAPORATORS

This process occurs in vacuum multi-effect evaporators, which consist of a

boiling cell solution arranged in series. The juice first enters the
pre-evaporator and is heated to the boiling point. Once it starts to boil, it generates
vapor that is used to heat the juice in the following effect, thus achieving at least
boiling point in each evaporator.

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NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SANTA AGROINDUSTRIAL OPERATIONS II
AGROINDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING

In the evaporation process, syrup or molasses is obtained. This syrup is purified in

a clarifier. The operation is similar to the previous one to clarify the filtered juice.

To achieve the formation of sugar crystals (sucrose), it is necessary to remove the water.
present in the sweetness, this is done during the cooking of the mixtures in equipment
called "tachos", which are nothing more than single effect evaporators that operate at
empty.

In a three-temple system, three types of cooked masses or temples are produced: the "A"
the 'B' and 'C'. The A grades are the commercial sugar ones and the others are materials for
internal processes that ultimately allow for the production of commercial sugar.

To obtain the C molds, a certain amount of seed (powdered sugar) is fed.

a specific grain size into a tank, then honey A is fed and subjected to
evaporation, continuously feeding honey until the volume of the tank is completed.

Then a series of passes or cuts are made to the seedbeds to finally feed the tank.
honey By concentrating to 96 ° Brix Upon reaching this concentration, the tempering is discharged or
cooked mass (which is a mixture of honey and sucrose crystals) towards the crystallizers
to complete the process of 'exhaustion' of the honeys. To achieve the separation of the
Crystals present in the tempering are used in third centrifuges, equipment that allows
separate the honey from the crystals present in the jars. The separated crystals are
called 'C sugar' and the separated honey 'C honey, final honey or molasses'. C sugar is
add water accompanied by agitation until forming a mass of 93 ° Brix this material
it receives the name of third magma and is used as a seed for the preparation of
second temples.

To obtain the B molds, a certain amount of third-degree sugar magma is fed to

a bucket, then honey A is fed in and it is subjected to evaporation, until the mass produced
should contain approximately 94-96 ° Brix.

Upon reaching this concentration, the tempered or cooked mass is discharged into the crystallizers.
to finish exhausting the honeys. To achieve the separation of the crystals from the honeys, it
they use second centrifuges.

The separated crystals are called 'sugar B' and the separated honey 'honey B'. The sugar B
It is mixed with a small amount of water to make a paste called "magma".
which is pumped to the bottom of containers to be used in the preparation of the molds A.-
If there is an excess of magma, the second sugar is dissolved to obtain a
second diluted, the one that is pumped into the bins.

To prepare the templates A, a certain amount of magma is fed into the tank, then added
meladura and the mass is concentrated until obtaining 92-93 °Brix. Upon reaching this concentration,
download the template or cooked mass to the crystallizers to give agitation to the templates
and prevent them from hardening too much. To achieve the separation of the present crystals
In the temple, first-class centrifuges are used. The separated crystals are called
"Sugar A", which is the commercial sugar, and the separated honey is called "honey A".

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NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SANTA AGROINDUSTRIAL OPERATIONS II
AGROINDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING

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NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SANTA AGROINDUSTRIAL OPERATIONS II
AGRO-INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING

Crystallization is carried out in pans, which are vacuum containers with a single effect. The
resulting material that contains liquid (honey) is carried by hoppers and 7-micron crystals
(sugar) is called cooked mass with 0.1% moisture and is obtained in 72 hours. The
crystallization work is carried out using the three boil system to
achieve the highest concentration of sucrose and greater purity.

The presence of insoluble solids in the molasses represents an unwanted problem, reason
for which the syrup is fed to a flotation clarification system for
minimize this risk and obtain a clearer melt that becomes a material
that significantly contributes to the achievement of high-quality sugar.

The mass goes through the centrifuges at 1750 rpm and 1100 rpm, agricultural machines in the
which crystals will be separated from the mother liquor by means of a centrifugal force applied

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NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SANTA AGROINDUSTRIAL OPERATIONS II
AGROINDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING

to rotary drums that contain inner meshes. The honey that comes out of the centrifuges is
pumps it to storage tanks to then subject it to higher evaporation and
crystallizations in the tanks. After three successive crystallizations, honey is obtained.
final of around 32 – 35 ºBrix is removed from the process and marketed as material
raw (molasses) for the production of alcohols.

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NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SANTA AGROINDUSTRIAL OPERATIONS II
AGROINDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING

Sugar production Jhonatan Lara

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NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SANTA AGROINDUSTRIAL OPERATIONS II
AGROINDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING

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NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SANTA AGROINDUSTRIAL OPERATIONS II
AGROINDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING

DRYING

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NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SANTA AGROINDUSTRIAL OPERATIONS II
AGRO-INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING

Wet sugar is transported by elevators and belts to feed the dryers that
they are rotary elevators in which sugar is brought into contact with hot air
that goes against the current for 60 seconds. The sugar must have low moisture,
approximately 0.05%, to avoid clumps.

The sugar dries at a temperature close to 60 ºC and is passed through the rotary coolers.
inclined that carry the cold air upstream, where its temperature is lowered
up to approximately 40-45ºc to lead to the container.

The dry and cold sugar is packaged in bags of different weights in paper sacks and bags of
polypropylene in presentations depending on the market and is dispatched to the warehouse of
finished product for subsequent sale and trade.

TYPES OF SUGAR

The sugar produced in San Jacinto agro-industries is:

Raw, ground or dark: it is produced with crystals sized 7 microns and preserves
a molasses movie that wraps around each crystal.
Direct white or special direct: they are produced by clarification processes and their
final production is achieved in a single clarification stage.
Refinement: it is crystallized twice in order to achieve its maximum purity.

PACKAGING.

Dry and cold sugar is packaged in bags of different weights and presentations depending on
from the market and is dispatched to the finished goods warehouse for subsequent sale and
trade.

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NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SANTA AGROINDUSTRIAL OPERATIONS II
AGROINDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING

conclusions

The San Jacinto sugar mill was visited, and the processes were identified.
preparation of table sugar.
The different parameters of sugar production were successfully identified.
The different teams responsible for processing were identified.
of sugar, which are standardized and calibrated according to the quantity of
raw material that needs to be processed and depending on the type and quality of sugar that
it is desired to elaborate.

It was confirmed that the bagasse from sugar cane is also used as fuel.
thus replacing commonly used hydrocarbons, generating the reduction of
the costs of the preparation.

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