Wonji/Shoa sugar Factory

Cane ,Harvesting, Transporting & Weighing

 Content of the presentation
1 - Cane Harvesting Methods
2 - Cane Weighing
3 - Importance of Cane Weighing
4 - Cane transporting devices
5 - Washing and Cleaning Cane/Plant
 At the end of this unit training,
the trainees will be able to:
•  Differentiate the different types of cane harvesting process.
•  Compare and contrast the manual and mechanized
harvesting system.
•  Identify and explain the causes of deterioration of cane.
•  Explain the reasons why cane is weigh at weighbridge.
•  Describe the most common types of equipments used for
unloading of cane.
•  Explain the reason why cleaning and washing of cane is
important
•  Discuss the advantage and disadvantage of washing of cane
 Introduction
• Harvesting of cane consists of cutting and loading the
cane on to transport that will bring it to the cane
yard of the factory. Cane deterioration starts
immediately after cutting, Therefore cane
transportation and storage time should always be
kept to a minimum. Unloading of cane is to be
carried out on to the cane table and carrier. The cane
is prepared by the help of sets of cane knives to open
the juice cells in the cane for extraction of juice . The
prepared cane is passed through three/four mills
with water imbibitions at the last mills. It is then
filtered through screen to remove the fiber particles.
In it sending for processing .
 Cont………..
The bagasse coming out the last mill is sent to
boiler to generate steam . Any excess bagasse
after meeting the requirement of the boiler is
stored for factory usages as and when
required at the boiler.
The mills and the cane preparation units are
driven by electric motor/steam turbine.
 Cane Cutting Methods
• Manual (Hand) Cutting and Loading
• Partial Mechanization – First Level
• Partial Mechanization – Second Level
• Complete Mechanization
 Harvesting Methods
• Harvesting operation in the field comprises
following major steps.
 Cutting the cane at the base,
 Removing the tops and trash.
 Stacking the clean cane.
 loading the vehicles.
Cane Transport Systems In – Field
Transport
 cane transporting devices Field to
Factory
 Railways
 Lorrie’s tractors
 Trailers (carts) Wonji/Shoa
 Cane Weighing
• Before going to the unloading plat form, all the
transporters cross the factory weigh bridge.
The exact weight of cane coming to the mill
must be known.
• weighing devices
Type load cells
Capacity 40 MT
size 3m * 16m
 The Composition of sugar cane stock by
weight
• 10-15%------Sucrose
• 11-16%------Fiber+ 14
• 73-76%------Water
• 1-3----------Other non sucrose

• Chemical formula of sucrose C12 H22 O11

 Importance of Cane Weighing
 Payment to farmers and planters .
 Chemical control and determination of factory
performance.
 Statistical information regarding cnae yields
per hectare.
 Transport statistics for determination of the
tones per kilometer costs of the vehicles.
 Cane Storage/cane Yard
Organization of Cane Supply throughout the Day
• A cane sugar factory generally operates continuously.
During the day cane transport is generally carried on for
only 12 hours. From 6:00 am to 6:00 pm so the mill will
not run out of cane, it is necessary that the factory
should receive in 12 hours during a day.
• Cane is stored in the factory storage yard in bulk or in
bundles. In factories having a railway transport system,
cane can be stored in the wagons or containers.
 Cont….
• Loosely stored cane is handled with electro -
hydraulic grabs (range 2.0 – 2.5 m3). Special
models exist for handling chopped cane. Bulk
density of stored cane varies from 200 Kg/ m3
to 400 Kg/m3, depending whether the cane is
stored loose or in bundles.
• For a factory with a crushing rate of 150 TCH,
tonnage of cane to be stored for the night is
about 150 12 + (3 150)
 Cont….
• Disposal of large quantities of wastewater resulting from
the cleaning operation is an important problem. These
cleaning plants remove about 80 % of the extraneous
matter contained in the cane.
• However, sugar lost during the washing process is
important (2 % to 4 % on cane).These cleaning plants are
large and expensive to install. The running cost of a dry
cleaning system is less than the equivalent wet cleaner
and sugar loss is less than in the wet one The dry cleaner
is however less efficient in removing soil, trash and mud
Cane handling and unloading
equipment
 Cane handling equipment
• Cane unloading could be carried out through
 Cranes (Shoa)
 Lifting a bundle of cane
 Self discharging vehicles
> tipping tracks
> tractors
> trailers with nets
 Hydrunloader (Hilo) Wonji/Shoa (NEW)
General Arrangement of Cameco Cane Unloader
Lifting a bundle of cane
General Arrangement of Truck
Tippler
Unloading by Tipping tracks
Unloading by trailers with nets
Unloading by Cranes
Wonji/Sho(OLD)
Hydrunloader (Hilo) Wonji/Shoa
Hydrunloader (Hilo) Wonji/Shoa
specification for Hilo crane
 Construction stationary /mobile
 Lifting height 12.m
 Lifting speed 25m/min
 Capacity 20 MT
 Hydraulic pump pressure 65 GPM ,
 Motor power 37.5KW
 Motor RPM 1490
 Feed table and main cane carrier
Lateral feeding tables
The purpose of lateral feeding tables is to eliminate variations in
quantities of cane being fed to the mill.
• Lateral table slight upward ,inclination 150 (slope).
• The cane table is drive by electric motor as prime mover driving
a gear box and shaft and chain.
• The table is equipped with a kicker and stone remover system.
• Specification of Lateral feeding
• Drag Type , width 8m horizontal length 21.5m , number of
stands 12 , power 45KW, speed 1000RPM
Feed table (Wonji/Shoa)
General Arrangement of Feeder Table Chain
General Arrangement of Feeder
Table
 Washing and Cleaning Plant
• Large amounts of trash, mud sand and stones
are transported together with the cane. These
are removed in cleaning plants. The cleaners
may be of wet or dry type. In the wet cleaner,
the cane is washed through showers in a mud
trough where powerful water jets float the
cane, while the rock and mud collect at the
bottom and are carried away. The trash is also
removed by special extractors, using large
quantities of high velocity air. (Power used is
high
 Cont…
• Disposal of large quantities of wastewater resulting from
the cleaning operation is an important problem. These
cleaning plants remove about 80 % of the extraneous
matter contained in the cane.
• However, sugar lost during the washing process is
important (2 % to 4 % on cane).These cleaning plants are
large and expensive to install. The running cost of a dry
cleaning system is less than the equivalent wet cleaner
and sugar loss is less than in the wet one The dry cleaner
is however less efficient in removing soil, trash and mud.
 Dry Cane Cleaning Plant (D.C.C.P)
• In Ethiopia, 100 % of the cane harvested is manually cut and
mechanically loaded, increasing the proportion of cane trash
loaded with the cane. With cogeneration projects, trash
separation from the cane is financially attractive for a factory
receiving "dirty canes", if the shredded trash is reintroduced
in the final bagasse for energy production. The World Bank
had decided to finance an industrial size pilot Dry Cane
Cleaning Plant (D.C.C.P.)
• Results Obtained
• Efficiency of system 50 – 60 %
• Less wear and tear on mill rollers
• Less loss of sucrose in bagasse and BHR is higher
• Less loss of sucrose in final molasses
 Main components of feeder table
• Steel columns and structure
• Chains, slats, side plates and chutes
• Drive and tail shaft
• Cast steel or Fabricated sprocket wheels with machine
cut teeth.
• Couplings and rubber bushes
• motor (25 BHP TEFC Squirrel cage) and Starter
• Reduction Gear box
• Eddy current coupling/ VFD
Daily and monthly maintenancesLateral Feeder
Table
Daily checks to be carried during operation.
• Bearing temperatures of head shaft, tail shaft and
gear box.
• Lubrication of bearings, gear box oil level. Check
for any unusual sound and vibration in gearbox.
• Inspection of chain. Replacement of damaged
pins, spilt pins should be carried out.
 General cleanliness and neatness.
 Off Season Maintenance of feeder table
• Dismantling of chain in pieces of two meter long and
detach the slats from chain.
• Check the elongation of chain if exceed 5mm per
meter then dismantled into pieces ( all the pin, bushes,
roller and link plate to be completely dismantled)
• Cleaning all the pin, bushes links thoroughly.
• Check the wear and tear of pin bushes links. Pin and
Bushes having abnormal wear and tear need to be
replaced by new ones. Etc.
 Cane Leveller

• Each feeder table is provided with one cane

leveller to maintain the required level of cane
feeding to cane carrier. it rotates in the
reverse direction of the cane flow.
Kicker or tumbler/Cane Leveller
General Arrangement Feeder Table with Leveller and
Cane Washing Arrangement
 Auxiliary and Main Cane Carrier

• Description
• Cane is unloaded into the auxiliary carrier by trucks
or by Two Motion cane-loader(s), Cane then is
transferred to the main carrier. The size of carrier
(length x width x depth) depends on capacity of
plant. The speed control of main carrier and
auxiliary carrier is controlled by ACVFD or eddy
current control followed by ACFC (Auto Cane Feed
Controller), through PLC or DCS
 Cont…
• Auxiliary cane carrier is installed at right angle
to main carrier or in line if the width is similar
to the main cane carrier. Speed variation is
generally in the range of 3 to 7 meters per
minute
 Auxiliary cane carrier
• This is a carrier of the same dimensions as the
main carrier, but with its axis at right angles to
that of the latter.
• It consist of two /three strands of chains to
which are fitted steel slats overlapping by
rounded edge.
• Speed half that of the main carrier.
• The length depend on the two lateral table
width depend on feed roller size .
Auxiliary & main cane carrier
Cane Carrier. (Fives Cail – Babcock)
Main Components of cane Carrier are
• M.S steel Construction Columns ISMC 250.
• Slope plates, inclined plated 6mm thick
• Drive and tail end shaft
• Chains and sprockets
• M.S. Slats
• Redaction Gear box
• Motor
• VFD Drive
General Arrangement of Cane Carier
General Arrangement of a Cane
Carrier
• Carrier Slats and Conveyor or Belts
• The apron of the cane carrier is made of
overlapping corrugated steel slats. The
overlapping of the slat is curved according to a
radius having its centre in the pin centre.
• The rounded edge is necessary to allow the
passage of the slats over the sprockets at the
head and foot of the carrier, and to give the
apron the necessary flexibility
Carrier Slats
• Conveyor or Belts
• These are used extensively overseas and are made of
synthetic rubber. They are used as main carriers for
whole cane and prepared cane. Stainless steel plates
are installed to support the belt where cutting is
done over the belt. A recent development has been
the introduction of air-cushion belt conveyors in two
factories in South Africa. Advantages are a longer
belt life and reduce maintenance, but the initial
installation cost is high.
Effect of Shape of Carrier Head (Straight Head
Specification of Cane Carrier

– Type - apron
– Width - 2134 mm
– Horizontal Distance - 26.5 meter
– Inclined Distance - 23.5 meter
– Inclination - 18 degree
– Carrier Speed - 8 to 12 meter per minute
– Depth of Carrier - 2400 mm
– Chain Type - Roller
– Chain Breaking Strength - 53500 Kg
– Side Plate Thickness - 8 to 10 mm
– Power - 132 Kw
 Daily and monthly maintenances of Auxiliary
cane carrier
Daily checks to be carried during operation.
1. Bearing temperature of head shaft and tail shaft bearing.
2. Lubrication of gear box. (Oil level etc). Check for any
unusual sound and vibration in the gear box.
3. Inspection and replacement of bend / damaged slats if
any.
4. Inspection of slat bolts for looseness and tightening of
bolts.
5. General cleanliness and neatness.
 Off season maintenance of Auxiliary
cane carrier
• Dismantle chain in pieces two meter long each and
detach the slats from the chain by opening the fasters
• Cleaning all the pin, bushes and links.
• Check the wear and tear of pin, bushes and links.
• Lying of chain and slats.
• Inspect all bearings of the driving and tail end shafts.
• Sprocket teeth pitch to be checked any deviation,
reclaimed and set right by welding or machining.
• Align drives with driving shaft coupling . Etc .
 Main cane carriers
• The main cane carrier It use to conveys the cane from
auxiliary cane carrier to the crusher or first mill.
• The carrier comprises three sections
 Horizontal section
 An inclined section
 The head which delivers the cane to the first mill crusher.
 Type Apron , size 40m length and 2300mm width.
 Inclination after chopper 3.50 , number of stand chine 4 .
• The speed of the main carrier is related to the peripheral
speed of the mill. v= V/2
Off season maintenance of Main cane carrier

• Dismantle chain in pieces two meter long each and

detach the slats from the chain by opening the fasters
• Cleaning all the pin, bushes and links.
• Check the wear and tear of pin, bushes and links.
• Lying of chain and slats.
• Inspect all bearings of the driving and tail end shafts.
• Sprocket teeth pitch to be checked any deviation,
reclaimed and set right by welding or machining.
• Align drives with driving shaft coupling . Etc