Drying 2004 – Proceedings of the 14th International Drying Symposium (IDS 2004)

São Paulo, Brazil, 22-25 August 2004, vol. B, pp. 990-997

SUGAR CANE BAGASSE DRYING – A REVIEW

Juan H. Sosa-Arnao¹, Fabiano Marquezi de Oliveira1, Jefferson L. G. Corrêa2, Maria A.

Silva3 and Silvia A. Nebra¹.

1. School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Campinas - Unicamp P.O. Box

6122, CEP 13083-970 – Campinas, SP, Brazil, E-mail: sanebra@fem.unicamp.br
2. Chemical and Food Technological Department. Federal University of Paraíba,
João Pessoa, PB, CEP 58059-970 Email jeffersoncorrea@hotmail.com
3.School of Chemical Engineering, University of Campinas - Unicamp, P.O. Box 6066,
CEP 13083-970 – Campinas, SP, Brazil,

Keywords: Energetic analysis, boiler, air pre-heater, biomass, sugar cane bagasse, dryer

ABSTRACT

The bagasse is the only fuel used in the sugar – alcohol industry in Brazil, the biggest
producer of sugar cane in the world. The sugar – alcohol industry produces, by
cogeneration, electric energy for its own use and for selling. The improvement of the use
of bagasse in the furnaces is an important industrial strategy nowadays. This subject has
become of great interest due to the increasing of cogeneration level in the last years. The
state of art of sugar cane bagasse drying is presented here. This work shows an
improvement of the steam system efficiency due to sugar cane bagasse drying. However,
a trade off between the energy used to dry the bagasse and to pre-heat the boiler
combustion air is necessary. Two types of air heater – dryer arrangement were studied:
the first one consists of a series arrangement and, the second, of a parallel arrangement.

INTRODUCTION

Arrascaeta and Friedman (1984 and 1987) presented the state of art of sugar cane bagasse until 1987.
These works show dryers types and their characteristics. Nevertheless, the recent importance of sugar
cane bagasse drying was not sufficiently discussed in the literature. The goal of this work is the
presentation of a review of the main published drying systems until now and of a study of energetic
efficiency maximization of steam generation by using two types of air heater – dryer arrangement: series
and parallel.

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 SUGAR CANE BAGASSE DRYING STATE OF ART

Industrial Systems

Professor Kerr was the first one that studied drying of the sugar cane bagasse using the exit gases of the
boiler, in 1910. The dryer, made in steel, was 1.2 m x 1.8 m cross section and 6.0 m high. It was in a
countercurrent contact, equipped with deflectors to promote better gas-solid contact. The moisture content
was reduced from 54.3% to 46.4 % (w.b.), raising the steam production (Boulet, 1975).
Between 1910 and 1970, only a small number of papers were published and even few industrial
applications were reported. The reason for the lack of interest in bagasse drying during this period was
the low cost of fossil fuel. Bagasse was not very attractive as an alternative and, even in the cases where
it was a residue, cheap oil was also used. Due to the energy crisis in the 1970`s, efforts have been
concentrated in further reducing the bagasse moisture by drying with waste heat from flue gases, with the
advantages of increased boiler efficiency from about 65% to 70%, decreasing stack particulate and CO2
emission and bagasse saved for other uses.
During the fuel crisis of 1972-73, Furines prepared a feasibility study of bagasse pre-drying with waste
stack gases. He work with three rotary-drump type dryers of maximum capacity to operate with existing
boilers, based on flue gases temperature of 218 ºC. These three dryers processed all the bagasse produced
by a daily grinding rate of 8000 ton of cane and lower the moisture content from 54% to 46% (w.b.),
providing the gases had a temperature of 218 ºC or more. The total fuel oil consumption for 1976 was
1.01 gal per ton of cane, wich compared with an average of 1.62 during the previous two years, showed
an average saving of 0.61 gal/ton of cane (Furines, 1976).
Kinoshita (1991) published four systems using boiler flue gas to dry bagasse installed in Hawaii.
Three of the four intallations were rotary dryers and the other, a flash dryer.
Correia (1983) described the use of a pneumatic transport dryer and its advantages over the rotary
dryer. This dryer was developed in the Santo Antonio factory, in Alagoas, Brazil. He reported an increase
in steam production of 16% by drying the bagasse from 52% to 40% moisture (w.b.). After this, Cruz
Alta sugar cane industry got new installations in Olímpia city, São Paulo State, Brazil. Data used in the
second part of this work were gotten at this industry and reported in Sanches Prieto et al. (2001) and
Sanchez Prieto and Nebra (2002).
Although there main drying agent in a bagasse drying is waste gas, it was published a passive collector
solar drying. It was found that a viable situation for bagasse drying purpose with a relatively low initial
cost as well as low operating and maintenance requirements (Anonimous, 1985).
Massarani and Valença (1981 and 1983) studied intensively the drying of bagasse in a moving bed
dryer. They developed a study from laboratory scale to pilot one. The pilot installation was composed of
a dryer of 0.40x0.50x2 m. These two steps carried to satisfactory results.
Nebra and Macedo (1989) published an industrial equipment. This dryer was designed and built
according to a project developed by the Centro de Tecnologia Copersucar, Brazil. It was a flash drier that
could work with 25 ton bagasse/h. That is the biggest flash dryer reported until now.
Arrascaeta et al. (1987) got a patent of a bagasse dryer that elutriates the bagasse, separating the
particles in different sizes. This dryer could work with 7 ton/h. It was designed, constructed and then
operated from 1983 to 1985. It used fluidized and pneumatic conceptions.
Augustinsky (2004) described the installation of two pneumatic dryers at Brazilian sugar industries in
1984 and in 2004.
Salermo and Santana (1986) worked with a dryer composed of a fluidized bed, a pneumatic duct and
a cyclone. It is important to note that they used the cyclone to separate the phases. This system worked
with 10 t/h of 47% moisture content (w.b.) bagasse. Final moisture content was 35% (w.b.) and inlet gas
temperature, 250ºC.

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 Cárdenas et al. (1994) described a pneumatic dryer in an industrial size. They studied the energetic
and exergetic efficiencies of a boiler-dryer system. They concluded that the use of a dryer improve the
boiler efficiency.

Experimental Systems

Meirelles (1984) studied bagasse drying in a fluidized bed dryer. He observed the necessity of a mixer
to allow fluidization, because of the bagasse cohesive characteristic. By removing the moisture, the
agglomeration decreases and dried particles were elutriated. The diameter of bagasse particles used in
that work was from 0.51 to 1.02 mm. He used a very wet bagasse (71 a 91% (w.b.)).
The researchers from School of Mechanical Engineering and School of Chemical Engineering from
State University of Campinas (UNICAMP) have been working with drying of agricultural residues like
sugar cane bagasse in cyclone (Silva and Nebra, 1997, Corrêa et al., 2004). A review of drying in cyclone
that includes the works of this group is presented at Nebra et al. (2000).
Barbosa (1992) studied the kinetics of sugar cane bagasse drying in a flash dryer. He observed that the
major part of moisture reduction occurred in the acceleration zone.
Alarcon and Jústiz (1993) also worked with pneumatic dryer. That drier reduced moisture content
from 50 a 30% (w.b.) and separated particles with different sizes. The biggest particles were used as raw
material to paper and pharmacy industries and the smaller ones were burned. This is a solution for
countries like Cuba that do not have energetic sources.

Pneumatic Dryer

The simplest type of a stream dryer is a pneumatic dryer shown in Figure 1. Drying takes place in a
vertical tube where hot air flows at a velocity higher than the velocity of the wet particles free falling.
Wet material is introduced at the bottom of the drying tube.

(A) (B) (C)

Blowers
ms

mg
ms
mg
ms
Blowers mg Blowers
Blowers Blowers

Figure 1: Pneumatic Dryer

The systems showed in Figure 1A and 1B were studied by Nebra and Macedo (1989), and Correia
(1983) respectively. The Figure 1C is a standard system showed by Dascalescu (1969). In the work of
Correia, the bagasse flows by passing throught the blower, Figure 1B. This not occurs in the other cases.
The direct contact between the particles and the blower disminushes the durability of the blower because
of friction effects.

Advantages of sugar bagasse drying

Bone dried bagasse presents a gross calorific value (PCS) of 19268 kJ/kg. Because of the moisture,
the net calorific value (PCI) at 50% (w.b.) is only about 7563 kJ/kg. In addition to increasing the PCI, the
reduction of bagasse moisture also reduces the volume of the flue gases. Furthemore, the specific heat of

992
water vapour is almost twice the other gases, and hence the reduction of water vapour in the combustion
gases will result in higher combustion temperature, thus improving boiler efficiency. The reduced
volume of water vapour will also result in a reduced load on the induced draft fans (Upadhiaya, 1991).
Boulet (1975) stated that drying could reduce both air pollution and air demand in the furnace. Nebra
(1985) concluded that pneumatic drying is a good alternative even when using exit gases from pre-
heaters at about 180ºC. Bailliet (1976) stated that the main advantage of drying the bagasse over the air
preheating is the substantial increase in “burnability” of the bagasse. For mills unable to attain a bagasse
moisture below 50% and producing a substantial bagasse quantity, bagasse drying is definitely
recommendable. Paiva Souza et al. (1998) showed that the dryer could safe more energy than the pre-
heater. Arrascaeta e Friedman (1984) and Kinoshita (1991) also stated that bagasse drying in an
integrated system make possible to obtain a lower temperature of the exit gas. According to Edwards
(1981), the use of a bagasse dryer could reduce exit gas temperature from a range of 200 to 390ºC to
about 140ºC and increase efficiency from a 54% to 69%.
The drying systems installed so far are showed in Table 1.

Table 1. Sugar cane bagasse systems

Type and Capacity Energetic Year Industry, place Reference Observations

size source
[ton/h] Gas Other
Counter 1.4 X 1910 Palo Alto Sugar Factory Boulet, W.P. pilot scale
current flow Donaldsonville, Lousiana (1975)
Rotary dryer 30 X 1976 Atlantic Sugar Association, Furines, J.H. Tg,o=218 ºC
Florida (1976)
Rotary dryer 50 X 1976 St. Mary Sugar Co., Arrascaeta and Tg,o = 315 ºC
3.6mx12 m Louisiana Friedman
(1987)
Rotary dryer 35 X 1979 Waialua Sugar Co., Hawaii Kinoshita, Tg,o = 244 ºC
C.M (1991)
Pneumatic 4.52 X 1980 Açucareira Santo Antonio, Correia, Tg,o=220 ºC
dryer Brazil L.E.M (1983)
Pneumatic 12 X 1981 Barra Grande sugar factory Nebra, S.A.
dryer Lençois Paulistas SP, (1985)
Brazil
Pneumatic 9.7 X Cruz Alta Plant, Olímpia, Sanchez
dryer SP, Brazil Prieto, M.G.
(2001)
Rotary dryer 65 1980 Davies Hamakua Sugar Kinoshita, pellets
3.6mx9m 10.7 Co., Paauilo - Hawaii C.M (1991)
Rotary dryer 72 1980 Hilo Coast Processing Co., Kinoshita,
4.2mx9 m Pepeekeo, Hawaii C.M (1991)
Pneumatic Paia Factory of HC&S Co., Kinoshita,
dryer Maui, Hawaii C.M (1991)
Pneumatic 24 1982 Central Azucarero Don Arrascaeta and
dryer Pedro, Batangas, Friedman
Philippines (1987)
Rotary dryer 45 X Central Aidsisa, Bacolod, Arrascaeta and Tg,o=258 ºC
3.6mx12 m. Philippines Friedman
(1987)
Rotary dryer 13 Central Victoria, Bacolod, Arrascaeta and
2.4mx15.7 m Philippines Friedman
(1987)

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 Pneumatic 2 1980 Sugar Research Inst., Edwards, B.P. pilot scale
dryer Mackay, Queensland, (1981)
Australia
Pneumatic 1983 Chun Cheng Sugar Factory, Arrascaeta and pilot scale
dryer China Friedman Tg,o=140 ºC
(1987)
Pneumatic 0.5 X 1983 Central Pablo Noriega, Arrascaeta and pilot scale
dryer Quivicán, Cuba Friedman, Tg,o=200 ºC
(1987)
Through X 1983 Usina Paraiso Alagoas Massarani, G. Industrial
circulation Pernambuco - Brazil (2004) prototype
(moving)
Pneumatic 7 X 1984 Central Pablo Noriega, Arrascaeta and Tg,o=300 ºC
dryer Quivicán, Cuba Friedman
(1987)
Solar 3.18 X 1983 Consuelo factory, Anonimous hybrid
Dominican Republic (1985) active/passiv
e system
Pneumatic 7.5 X 1984 Usina Itajubara – GIJS, Augustinsky, Tg,o=330 ºC
dryer Maranhão – Brazil J. (2004)
Pneumatic X 1992 Ingenio Ñuñorco, Cardenas et al. Industrial
dryer Tucuman, Argentina (1994) scale
Prototype
Pneumatic 28 X 2003 Cia. Agroindustrial de Augustinsky, building
dryer Goiana - CAIG - Açúcar e J. (2004)
Álcool – GIJS, Brazil

ENERGETIC EFFICIENCY MAXIMIZATION OF A STEAM SYSTEM FUELED BY SUGAR CANE

BAGASSE

It is very important to note that one can only take the above advantages if the drying agent is the
furnace waste gas. Another frequent use of furnace exhaust gas is to pre-heat the inlet air of the boiler.
Marquezi and Nebra (2003) studied the two possibilities and optimized the ratio dryer gas flow/pre-
heater gas flow. This study is presented below and its details could be verified in Marquezi and Nebra
(2003).
Two arrangements were proposed, Figure 2 and Figure 3, respectively.

Steam Dried bagasse Steam Dried bagasse

Pressurized Pressurized
water water Boiler
Boiler

Hot air Combustion gases Hot air Combustion gases

Preheater Dryer Preheater Dryer

Wet bagasse Wet bagasse

Cold air Combustion gases Cold air Combustion gases

Figure 2: Paralell arrangement flowchart Figure 3: Sequence arrangement flowchart

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 The results obtained are reported in the graphics below, Figure 4 for the parallel arrangement and
Figure 5 for the series arrangement. A unit fraction (x=1.0) indicates the total flow to the dryer.

89 89.78
Net and boiler efficiency
92
88 88.32

Net and boiler efficiency

90
87 88
86 86
[%]

85 84

[%]
84 82 82.11
83 80
81.38
82 78
81
0 0,5 1
115 165
Flow division
Preheater exit temperature [°C]
Net efficiency Boiler efficiency
Net efficiency Boiler efficiency

Figure 4: Net and boiler efficiencies as function Figure 5: Net and boiler efficiencies as
of flow division. function of pre-heater exit temperature.

Data analysis

Figure 4 strongly indicates that the best option to improve the efficiency of the steam generation unit is
the use of dryer only. The best efficiency (89.78%) was found in a parallel arrangement, with the major
part of gases flowing to the dryer (x=0.9). This high value shows that it is better to use a dryer instead of a
pre-heater.
Figure 5 correspond to a series arrangement of pre-heater and dryer. It shows that the efficiency
increases with the exhaust gas temperature lowering (ηnet=88.32 %). This study was based in a lower
temperature of 120 °C in the pre-heater. It must be considered that a series arrangement with high pre-
heater exhaust temperature result in a pre-heater with shorter exchange area and, consequently, a cheaper
equipment.
The dryer was modeled in an ideal condition: the exhaust gases were saturated. Cruz Alta Plant, from
which were taken all simulated boiler parameters, is composed of pneumatic bagasse dryers installed in
parallel with pre-heaters, and the gases exhaust temperatures measured in these dryers were in a low
value, closer to saturation (Sanches Prieto et al., 2001), this shows as possible the project and construction
of bagasse dryers working closer to that condition.
Considering that the boiler exhaust gases are the only available energy source and that all the own
boiler fuel must be dried, the lowest moisture content obtained was 28%(w.b.). Souza-Santos (1998)
showed that optimum bagasse moisture content in a gasifier inlet must be between 20 and 30 % (w.b.)

CONCLUSIONS

The first sugar cane bagasse dryer was the rotary one. This use was based in the preceding experience
with wood drying. Nowadays, pneumatic dryers are often used because they are cheaper and request small
area. Energetic analysis showed the bagasse dryer is more efficient than the pre-heater. To make a
complete analysis of boiler exit gases use, besides an energetic analysis, it is also necessary a
thermoeconomic analysis.

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors would like to thank FAPESP (Proc. No 03/01757-6) and CNPq (Proc. 142135-2003-8) for
the financial support.

NOTATION

X Flow division [-]

Tg,o Temperature of stack gas [ºC]
ηnet Net efficiency [%]
w.b Wet basis [kg/kg]
mg gas mass flow Kg/s
ms solids mass flow Kg/s

LITERATURE

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