ADAMA SCIENCE AND

TECHNOLOGY UNIVERSITY

SOmcmE
Monthly report -1
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

NAME:nebiyu jaleta

ID. NO:R/1546/05

DEPARTMENT ADVISOR: goytom afera

HOSTING ORGANIZATION: WONJI/SHOA SUGAR FACTORY

HOSTING ORGANIZATION SUPERVISOR: addis

Submission date: 04/11/2015

 Acknowledgment

First of all, I would like to thanks God for the successes of my work. Next our internship
advisor whose name is Goitom Afera that help us how to perform the task, even she is coming to
the factory and visit how would going on the student in their work in addition to this she gave
the necessary document and the way to be effective in our internship duration time.

The factory supervisor whose name is Addis that he has special and attractive way of
communication behaviour and he try to share all his knowledge as much as possible including
loan of documents that helps to our task, even if he has load of work and shortage of time.

Finally I would like to thanks all the factory public management’s officials, the factory
operators and my advisor Goitom Afera
 TABLE OF CONTENT PAGE

Chapter one------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1

1.1Introduction-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1

1.2Background of organization-----------------------------------------------------------------------1

1.3 Vision of the organization-------------------------------------------------------------------------2

1.4 Mission of the organization-----------------------------------------------------------------------2

1.5 products of the organization----------------------------------------------------------------------2

1.6 Current status of new Wonji/Shoa sugar factory--------------------------------------------3
.
CHAPTER TWO
2.Specific Job Information--------------------------------------------------------------------------------4
2.1 Major Duties-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------4
2.2 Technical Duties-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------4

2.3 Responsibilities--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------4

2.4 Main Technical Problems-------------------------------------------------------------------------5

CHAPTER THREE

3. Process Description--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------6
3.1 Nature of the products-------------------------------------------------------------------------------6
3.1.1 Chemistry of sugar-----------------------------------------------------------------------------6
3.1.2Main reaction---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------7
3.1.3 Specification--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------8

3.1.4 Quality of product---------------------------------------------------------------------------------8

3.1.5 Production methods-----------------------------------------------------------------------------8

3.2 Production Process of New wonji/Shoa Sugar Factory------------------------------------------8

3.2.1 Sugar cane harvesting and delivery to factory-----------------------------------------------8

3.2.2 Cane preparation process-------------------------------------------------------------------------8
 3.2.2 .1Objective of cane weighing------------------------------------------------------------------9

3.2.2.2Objectives of cane preparation -------------------------------------------------------------9

3.2.3. Juice extraction process--------------------------------------------------------------------------11

3.2.4. Imbibitions------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------12

3.2.5 Juice weighing on pneumatic balance----------------------------------------------------------13

3.2.6. Juice heating on heaters-------------------------------------------------------------------------14

3.2.7. Sulphitation and lime preparation--------------------------------------------------------------14

3.2.8. Juice clarification process-----------------------------------------------------------------------16

 Chapter one

1. INTRODUCTION

According to the Ethiopian higher education curriculum engineering students has to

be taken an internship to know the practical world that they have studied theoretically .due to
that adama science and Technology University is assigned one semester internship program for
chemical engineering department.

The chemical engineering department kindly requests the student in different factories by
contacting with the organization. According to this I saw the Wonji/Shoa sugar factory from the
beginning of cane growing up to the end of sugar weighing and bagging, production capacity
and raw material used including the working principle for the last 4 months.

1.2. BACKGROUND OF ORGANIZATION

Wonji /Shoa sugar factory was founded in 1962. The factory founded by Ethiopian government
cooperation with Netherland government. At that time these was only one sugar factory in
Ethiopia. But know the new and modernized factory is founded by Ethiopian government with
Indian government.

The land of occupied by wonji/shoa and wonji factory is around 20,000 hectares including the
cane farm land and workers shelter .Now the factory accounts more than 50 years old.
Throughout this year the factory accomplished different improvement in different ways to
increase the production of sugar .Wonji/shoa sugar located in Ethiopia ,Oromia region in east
shoa zone ,about 25 km from Adama city and 125 km from the capital city Addis Ababa.

There are many number of employers under this organization both field workers and factory
workers and also permanent and temporary workers .Generally around 7000 workers
incorporated under this organization .The type of product from this factory mainly sugar and by
product molasses .there is also another form of product which is energy generated from the
factory by steam turbine which gives service for the society around the factory .

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1.3 Vision of the organization

 To create a sustainable and competitive sugar industry.

1.4 Mission of the organization

 The new Wonji/ Shoa as an agro industry striving to create an institution that plays a
major role in the national political and economical transformation which brings rapid
sustainable and equitable growth.
 Create a change and result oriented leader ship and work force development mind set,
ethics and skill
 Satisfy the national sugar demand.
 Participating in the renewable energy sector through the integration of the national
portfolio of cost efficient bio fuel and bio energy assets.
 Expanding and optimizing sugar cane plantation of own and out growers cane to meet
their requirement and creating income for the out growers, sufficient employment
opportunities in plantation.
 Support and facilitate cultural and social development around sugar development
area.
 To bring about technology transfer in sugar development.

1.5 products of the organization

The products from this factory is mainly sugar and as a by product molasses. There is also
another form of product which is energy generated from the factory (electric power) which
sells to ELPHA and gives service for the society around the factory. There is also a type of
product called press mud which is available for fertilizer.

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1.6 Current status of new Wonji/Shoa sugar factory

The factory has the capacity to crash 6,250 tonnes of sugarcane and produce 7,300
quintals of sugar in a day once going operational. The factory will generate 32MW electric
power upon completion the factory will also have an ethanol factory .The factory works 24
hour with three shifts of workers the factory closed for maintenance on the summer for 2-3
months.

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 CHAPTER TWO

2. Specific Job Information

2.1 Major Duties

 Considering the major problem of the process

 Observing the techniques of the machines.
 Readings of the measurements of the operation likes temperature, pressure and time
etc.
 Following the process production of the factory.
 Knowing the quality of the product.
 Identifying products and by products of the factory

2.2 Technical Duties

 The daily technical duties we had during internship period are mentioned as follows:-
 Respecting all the workers of the operation.
 Asking the supervisor what we confuses or not clears for us
 By following the operation of machines and comparing with theoretical knowledge
(what we have learnt in the class) and also discussed with the supervisor.

2.3 Responsibilities

 The responsibilities we had during internship period been put down as follows:
 Punctuality.
 Respecting all the workers from labourers to supervisor.
 Keeping our safety and also the workers.
 Supporting the supervisor when he/she was busy.
 Advising and initiation the workers when there was no supervisor.
 Abide with the rule and regulation of the company.
 Cooperating with the company workers friendly.
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 2.4 Main Technical Problems

 Waste removal problem around the factory.

 At mill house there is a problem on mill rollers
 There is also breaking of knives on fibreizer.

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 CHAPTER THREE

3. Process Description

3.1 Nature of the products

3.1.1 Chemistry of sugar

 There are six classification of nutrition. This are:-

1. Carbohydrate 4. mineral
2. Protein 5. vitamins
3. Fat 6.and water
Carbohydrates are organic compounds that consist of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. They
are classified in to three groups:
 Monosaccharide’s-simple sugars- fructose, glucose , galactose
 Disaccharides-maltose, lactose , sucrose
 Polysaccharides- starch, cellulose, glycogen

Sugar is produced in cane plant naturally in the form of sucrose. The general
composition carbohydrate is ‘Cn (H2O) n’. Sucrose differs from the other sugars by its ability
to crystallize easily.Sucrose,C12H22O11, formula weight 342.3 is a disaccharide composed of
glucose and fructose residues joined by glycosidic bond.

 Physical property of sucrose:

 A white, odourless, crystalline powder with sweet taste.
 High water soluble Crystalline
Table: 1. Physical properties of sucrose

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  Chemical properties of sucrose
 Non-reducing sugar
 Sucrose can be enzymatically hydrolyzed to glucose and fructose by invertase
 At high temperature sucrose decomposes with charring, emitting an odour of caramel
 When heated to 200°C the sucrose loses water forming brown colour compound known
as caramel.
 Sucrose on treatment with concentrated nitric acid is transformed into oxalic acid.
 Sucrose reacts with hydroxides of calcium, barium and strontium to form corresponding
Socrates

3.1.2. Main reaction

Sucrose is produced as glucose and fructose are joined together by a condensation reaction.
In the process a water molecule is eliminated.

Glucose +Fructose sucrose +water

C6H12O6 +C6H12 O6 C12H22O11 +H2O

Liming and acidification reaction

 Liming CaO +H2O Ca (OH)2

 Sulphtation SO2 +H2O H2SO3
 Carbonation CO2 + H2O H2CO3
 Liming and sulphtation
Ca (OH) 2+ H2SO3 CaSO3 +2H2O
 Liming and carbonation
Ca (OH) 2 +H2CO3 CaCO3 + 2H2O
 Liming and phosphitation
3Ca (OH) 2 +2H3PO4 Ca3 (po4)2 + 6H2O

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 3.1.3. Specification

White raw sugar shall confirm with following specification fit for human consumption.
Sugar should be clean, free from any foreign matter, no odour and have sweet taste, a

characteristic of white sugar whether dry or in solution .The final product contains 0.03%
moisture and its temperature is 30°c and its PH value is 5.2-5.6. The final product has two
grades which are fine and coarse and their standard values are in range of 0.6-0.7mm for fine
and 0.85-0.95mm for coarse.

3.1.4 Quality of product

Our aim is producing commercial sugar so its quality is our concern. high grade sugar is
produced. This high grade sugar is known by its sucrose content, its colour and its size. In this
process to produce quality sugar we use raw materials such as syrup, melt and A-light (A-wash)
including different chemicals. Poor quality cane or cane that has been harvested early may have
similar juice content but the sugar levels will be reduced.

3.1.6 Production methods

There are different types of production methods which are applicable in many processing
industries .But production methods used in Wonji/Shoa are both batch and continuous
operations. Batch operation is used for high grain sugar (A-massecuite) and continuous
operation is applicable for low grain sugars such C-massecuite and D-massecuite.
There is also another method of sugar crystal formation by preparing seed in the libratory
from fine sugar and alcohol (ethanol).Then the slurry (alcohol plus fine sugar) to produce C/D
sugar then C-sugar separate from D-sugar and used as seed for sugar production. Finally the
commercial sugar and molasses separated by centrifugal force. The commercial sugar dried in
dryer and cooled by cooler, backing and weighing.

3.2 Production Process of New wonji/Shoa Sugar Factory

3.2.1 Sugar cane harvesting and delivery to factory

Sugar cane delivery transportation can be performed by tractor carts with two-welded carts.
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It is necessary that the cane be weighed at loading cell before it is sent to the process of cane
preparation. Carts are carefully cleaned after each weighing so that an accurate weight of cane is
obtained.
3.2.2 Cane preparation process
The preparation of cane is the most important steps in effecting good juice extraction at
the milling plant and it is the most important factor for factory performance. A good preparation
has a marked effect on the juice extraction results, on the crushing rate capacity and on power
consumed by the mills. Cane preparation is done with the following equipment.
 Feed Table and Main cane carriers
 Cane knives
 Shredder

3.2.2 .1Objective of cane weighing

 For the purpose of material balance

 To evaluate factory’s performance
 To pay payment for sugar cane growers
 To calculate the cane composition
 To calculate sugar loss in bagasse

3.2.2.2Objectives of cane preparation

 To increase capacity by increase of bulk density of feed.

 To assist extraction at the mills by breaking down the structure.
 To render the cane more readily available for the action of imbibitions by breaking
and opening cane cells.

Cane is sent from stayer to feeder table by carrying it with the movable unloading. The
cane which is deposited on feeder table is transferred to main (lateral) table by minimizing with
leveller.

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 Fig 3.1 Main Carrier

Leveller: it is a machine which is designed at the end of inclined feeder table to level the cane
and minimize the cane transferred to lateral table.

Feeder table: it is installed in a manner so that it is at reveres angle of 300 with horizontal and
raises at forward the cane carrier.

Lateral table: it is designed inclined direction with respect to the ground (inclined at 300 from
the ground).It is available to transfer the cane to auxiliary table by passing through the chopper.

Chopper: it is installed at the end of lateral table. It is used to level the cane supplied to the
auxiliary table.

Auxiliary table: it is halted at a horizontal direction to the ground which is used to transfer the
cane to cane knives.

Cane knives: on the way to the tandem, the cane is generally cut and disintegrated by two sets
of knives in preparation for grinding. There are two sets of knives is set with the tips of knives.
The first set is halted 1m above auxiliary table and it is composed of 44 knives and has lower
speed than the second set of knife. The second set is designed 30cm above lateral table. It is
composed of 60 knives and has higher speed than the first set of knife. The knives supply the
cane in very short and pieces. The role of knives is to break the cane to facilitate the
disintegrations of the cells and extraction of juice.
 The cane knives perform two functions and have two advantages:-
a. They favour the capacity of the mill
b. They assist the extraction of the mills by breaking the rind on the cane and so
facilitating its designation and the extraction of its juice
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Fiberizer: this machine is a combined cane knife and a shredder consisting of a rotor with
reduction of sugar cane. It is composed of 8 chambers each composed of 22 knives .Totally
there are 8×22=176 knives in it. It needs high electric power to start up.

Fig 3.4 Fiberizer

Electromagnetic separator: this is a hanging electromagnetic arrangement which remove the

iron pieces going with the cane to mill.

3.2.3. Juice extraction process

Milling process: it is a process by which hydraulic pressure is applied to the prepared cane to
extract as much juice as possible. There are five milling tandem at new wonji/shoa sugar
factory. The crushed cane (fibre) which comes from Fiberizer is sent to mill by belt conveyor
through electromagnetic separator.

Component of mill: Sugar cane mill consists of three rollers arranged in triangular
configuration is driven by one steam engine and a turbine through a set of gears; each roller has
a shaft and a grooves shell.

 The three mill rollers are

1) Top roller 2) feed roller 3) delivery roller

A simple drawing showing some parts of a mill

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 Fig 3.5 Component of mill

Crushed cane enters between a top and feed roller and is compressed. Juice will be extracted
and flows over the top of feed roller and is collected in a juice tray. After the cane has passed the
narrowest point, which is indicated by arrow a, it will expand again. To prevent it from falling
down between the feed roller and delivery roller, a curved disc (trash plate) has been fitted,
which is supported by a beam. Feed roller and delivery roller are in fixed positions during
normal grinding operation. Hydraulic pressure is applied on the top roller and it rotates
anticlockwise direction but feed and discharge roller rotates clockwise.

Trash plate: is found at the middle of top, feed and discharge rollers to transfer the bagasse
which takes out from top and feed roller to move between top and discharge roller properly.

3.2.4. Imbibition

Imbibition is a process in which water or juice is added to the bagasse which is mixed
with it and dilutes the juice present in the bagasse to facilitate further juice extraction.
There are three types of imbibition used at Wonji/Shoa sugar factory.

1) Simple imbibition: where water only is applied to the bagasse which comes out
from fourth mill.
2) Double imbibition: where water is applied to the bagasse from the third mill and
combined thin juice which extracted from the fifth mill.
3) Compound imbibition: where juice only is applied to the various mills. The juice
which extracted from the third mill is used as imbibition to the bagasse from first
mill.The juice which extracted from fourth mill is used as imbibition to the bagasse
from the second mill.

Hot water imbibition

 The reason why we use hot water as imbibition is:-

 There is some slight fuel economy
 Hot imbibition rupture some cells by heat
 The use of condensate from evaporators bodies
 A slight gain of extraction
 A slight evaporation from the bagasse in transit
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 To prevent the bagasse is mixed with imbibition of water before the fifth mill, the juice
pressed out in last mill is diluted and this in turn can be used for imbibition one step forward
in the milling. This is called compound imbibition.
For new Wonji/Shoa sugar factory the imbibition scheme is as follows

Fig 3.6 Compound imbibitions

The juice of the first mill and second mill is not used for imbibition (its sugar content is
too high).it is mixed the mixture is called mixed or raw juice. It is sent to process after screening
to remove fine bagasse particles.

To prevent extraction of gums and undesirable impurities from the bagasse, the temperature
of the imbibition of water should not exceed 800c.

Rotary juice screen (DSM screen)

The mixed juice is fed from the feed box tangentially on to the upper surface of the screen.
The juice flows down the concave surface at right angles to the openings between the wedge
bars.

Operating advantages of DSM

 Less space requirements on the mills

 No chocking of screen
 Lower power requirements
 Less maintenance and no on line adjustment

For the purpose of controlling the growth of bacteria and fungi in cane juice sodium fluoride
is added at the fifth mill juice. It reduces losses of sucrose through inversion.

3.2.5 Juice weighing on pneumatic balance

The mixed juice is fed alternatively in two vertical cylindrical l tanks of a 6000kg of juice.
The tank being filled and emptied a definite volume of juice delivered each time.
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Purpose of juice weighing

Mixed juice weighing is carried out in sugar industries for the following major purposes:
 To determine the weight of bagasse supplied to boiler plant
 To determine the milling plant extraction.
 To determine the boiling house recovery.
 To know the amount of water added at the juice
Now the mixed juice is sent to preheat. Juice heating is started at the first heater.
3.2.6. Juice heating on heaters

Juice heating: - is an important process step for clarification. In new Wonji/Shoa sugar factory,
Multi-pass tubular types of heaters are in use.

Purpose of juice heating in general

 Certain organic constituents are coagulated due to heat application

 Micro-organisms are destroyed and enzymes prevent loss of sucrose by
microbiological activity by heat
 Reaction rate between juice acids and lime accelerated.
At preheated stage the mixed juice is at acidic medium (pH 5.4) and the temperature of mixed
juice is 750.

Kinds of heaters
1. Dynamic type of heat exchanger 3. Plate-plate heat exchanger
2. Shell and tube heat exchanger 4. Liquid-liquid heat exchanger

There are 8 juice heaters at new Wonji/Shoa sugar factory. The first heater is heated up to
750 and it is a dynamic and shell and tube heat exchanger. The temperature of the first heater is
not greater than 750 because sucrose may be inverted and not less than 700 for bacteria killing.
The second heater is up to 980 and it is heated further from first heater. It is a dynamic and shell
and tube kind of heat exchanger.

3.2.7. Sulphitation and lime preparation

1. Action of SO2 gas on juice clarification

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Raw sulphur has 98% purity. Pure raw sulphur is melted by stove (120-1300c) and pumped as

Liquid and goes to furnace, and then it is burned with pure O2.

S (liquid) + O2 (gas) SO2 (gas) (600-7000c)

Now it is cooled in a cooler in a jacketed tube to the temperature of (65-70oc).In the jacketed
tube inside the tube there is SO2 and at the outside there is H2O to cool it.

2. Lime preparation

First CaO or CaCO3 is burned with CO2.CaO/CaCO3 purity is 95%.

CaO +CO 2 CaCO3 , CaCO3 CaO+CO2

CaO+H2O Ca (OH) 2 (exothermic reaction)

Adding SO2 and Ca (OH) 2 to the mixed heated juice

SO2 neutralizes the excess quantity of lime added and precipitates calcium sulphite.
Ca (OH) 2+H2SO3 CaSO3 + 2H20

 Purposes of sulphur addition to mixed heated juice are

 SO2 bleaches juice by acting on the colouring matter
 Used for clarification purpose
 SO2 gas decreases the viscosity of the juices

NB: The lower the viscosity of the juice, the easier to crystallization.

Advantage of sulphitation

 Rapid settling of juice

 Fast boiling of massecuite
 Fast crystallization of sucrose
 Marked improvement of sugar colour
 Better elimination of phosphate and waxes during clarification
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 Juice sulphitation process comprises manipulations with mixed juice, so2 gas juice
temperature in liming tank or sulphitation tank at a temperature of 98-105oc and pH of 7-7.2
with lime pH 8.4-9.2 and SO2 PH=5.4.
The mixed juice sulphitated and liming goes to second heating for further heating at a
temperature of 98-1050c.Now the mixed juice goes to flash tank to remove (get rid of) air or gas
bubbles contained in the juice. The flash tank must offer sufficient contact surface to allow the
evaporation of air and gas bubbles contained in the juice. Next the heated juice goes to Dorr-
clarification.
Flocculants are added to the heated juice to clarify the juice. They are organic materials of
high molecular weight and have carbon structure with high density.

3.2.8. Juice clarification process

Advantages of flocculants in juice clarification

♣ Increases settling rate
♣ Reduce mud volume
♣ Decrease pol in cake
♣ Increases the clarity if clarified juice
♣ Improves flocculation

Dorr-clarifier

The Dorr-clarifier consists of four-compartments that separate the clear juice and mud. It
has a central hollow shaft and the feed, overflow take off and mud withdrawal. After this the
clear juice sent to third heating to a temperature of (105-115) oc. It is plate-plate heat exchanger.
Mud is gone to OC-flirtation.

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 Fig 3.7 Dorr clarifier

Objective of juice clarification

 To remove maximum quantity of non-sugars that affects the recovery of commercial
sugar impurities at earliest possible stage
 To separate soluble and insoluble matter that can be precipitated
 To reduce colour and turbidity
 To produce clear juice of correct PH=7
 To inactivate microorganisms in the juice by heat treatment.

Recovery of clear juice from mud (OC-flirtation)

The clarification process separates the juices treated into two parts:-
A. clear juice which rises to the surface
B. the muddy juice which collect at the bottom
Wonji/Shoa sugar factory uses rotary vacuum filters. It consists of a hollow drum rotating
about a horizontal axis and partly submerged in the liquid to be filtered. OC-filter is used to
separate the juice from mud (filter cake).It is filtered by vacuum which is air sacked by nach
pump

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Three vacuum zones are:-

1. High- vacuum zone 35-45cm Hg used to extract the juice.

2. Low -vacuum zone 15-30cm Hg used to stick the mud onto sieve

3. Non- vacuum zone sack condenser air by nacho pump.

Spray nozzle: used to spray water on sieve.
Catcher: used to catch the juice.
Mud scraper: used to scrap the mud from the sieve.
Agitator: in order to avoid allowing the mud in the filter tank to settle out, they are kept in
movement by an agitator oscillating to and from, pivoted on the axis of the filter, and driven by
a small separate motor. To avoid rupture of the flocculants mud particles, the bagacillo mixture
should be fed by gravity.
Speed of drum: the speed of the drive motor is constant generally 1450 r.p.m.it drives the filter
drum by means of a belt and double worm reduction gear.
Filter cake: it appears dry and porous about 70% of water. Bagacillo is added to the mud to
facilitate filtration.

Fig 3.8 Continuous rotary- drum vacuum filter

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