Energy efficiency in Sugar industry The energy is a scarce resource.

Energy efficiency in an industry not only reduces the cost of the production, but also helps in energy conservation. The energy efficiency in industry is measured by Specific energy consumption (SEC). The specific energy is the total energy in any form- electricity, heat, water and compressed air- per unit of production. The bench mark for specific energy consumption for different industries is not fixed. But every plant can have an internal bench mark based on the best in the country or the best in the world, depending upon their vision. As far sugar industry is considered, there has been a significant improvement in the energy consumption in the recent past. This is due to the implementation of cogeneration scheme. Indian sugar industry is based on cane sugar. The energy saved is ultimately converted to the exportable power. The sugarcane based sugar plant can be divided into three major areas consuming energy. 1. Juice extraction plant 2. Juice processing 3. Cogeneration
Juice Extraction Plant: The process of juice extraction from prepared cane takes place through a combination of mechanical squeezing and dissolution. For the milling of prepared cane, multiple sets of three or more roller mills are used in sugar industry. It has been observed that due to very high power consumption for juice extraction, the industries are changing their process of juice extraction from milling to diffusion. In case of diffusion system also, preliminary extraction (Cane diffusion) and dewatering extraction is required through mills only. So time to time various types of drives get introduced for the efficiency and economy of the mills.

Aerobelts: Air supported belt conveyors are most suitable conveyors for conveying wet/dry bagasse, raw cane, shredded cane, sugar, husk, gravel, coal etc. The principle of conveying system is based on a thin air film below the rubber belt, which reduces the friction between the belt and trough. The air is supplied by a fan which discharges the air into a plenum underneath the belt. The required power for conveying the material reduces drastically (approx 30%) as he system avoids all the conveying rollers, return rollers and guide rollers. The air supported belt conveying system reduces power consumption as well as installation, maintenance and stores inventory costs. These conveyors however require particular attention towards two areas during assembly. 1. The air supported belt seals must be air tight, otherwise, the efficiency will come down 2. The intermediate sections must be perfectly aligned and load must be centred on the belt as there are no troughing idlers to guide the belt.

Diffuser Milling is now an age old concept and the popularity of diffusion technology is well known. Diffusion is a much better process than milling tandem for extraction of juice from prepared cane to reduce power consumption & loss of sugar in bagasse, In fact in current scenario it is a requirement of sugar Industry.

Boiling / process house equipment:

1. Direct contact juice heaters -For juice heating, syrup heating, molasses conditioning with NCG, filtrate heating, melt heating

2. Multi effect evaporators -Falling Film Evaporators, Forced Circulation Evaporators 3. Condensate flash steam system -Heat recovery from exhaust condensate using plate type heat exchanger before sending to boiler feed water tank -Flash heat recovery from the hot condensate of evaporators, vacuum pans and juice heaters to reduce the demand of exhaust steam 4. Vertical continuous pan -For all types of massecuites (Raw, Refined, A, B and C) boiling 5. Mechanical Circulator -For batch pans-increased productivity (15-30%) and lower boiling temperature 6. Superheated wash water system Flash condensate heated with heat of exhaust condensate in PHE is used as wash water in centrifugals thus eliminating use of 7 bar pressure steam and resulting in considerable steam saving
7.

Sugar Melter Operable with water and/or syrup. Full process control for optimum brix output of syrup using microwave technology

8. Radiators -For sugar drying-heating air using surplus hot condensate for boiler-heating primary and secondary air with condensate- Easy to clean type

9. Sulphur burner Electric heaters can be used instead of steam thereby avoiding use of 9 bara extraction from turbine. 10. Spray ponds

Spray ponds can be used in the place of cooling towers for condenser circulating water 11. Automation

Automation ensures consistent quality, avoids reprocessing, avoids overflows and wastages which minimise the specific energy consumption. Cogeneration: We are aware that cogeneration improves the overall efficiency of the sugar plant. No need to explain this. There is scope for improving the efficiency of cogeneration system. Steam generation at highest possible pressure and temperature results in increased power generation. The inlet steam parameters of the extraction condensing turbine should be selected considering the process steam requirement. Increase of inlet steam pressure without corresponding increase in temperature will result in wet steam at extraction. Increase of inlet steam temperature without corresponding increase in pressure will result in superheated steam at extraction and hence lower power generation. HP heaters are used to improve the cycle efficiency. Higher operating pressures of boilers allow higher feed water temperatures.

Loading of boiler and TG plays major role in efficiency. At lower loads, efficiency will be less. Consistent crushing of cane and availability of fuel improve the load factor. Stoppages and restarts will not only result in additional fuel consumption for light up, wastage of steam in warming up of turbine, rolling of turbine, but also in thermal stresses which has impact on the life of the boiler & turbine components. Fuel management and use of coal and biomass fuels will avoid such stoppages. Further, use of coal will help in maintaining uniform load &furnace temperature during shortage of bagasse due to low crushing rate and no crushing. Trippings of unit are to be analysed and rectification measures are to be taken to avoid trippings as these will not only result in energy losses but also will disrupt the crushing. Reliability and health of the equipment are very important to avoid trippings/stoppages. Reliability is achieved by maintenance prevention, preventive maintenance and corrective maintenance (MP-PM-CM). VFDs for fans and pumps will reduce energy consumption during varied loads. Steam leakages are to be arrested. Steam traps are to be maintained properly to avoid unnecessary draining of steam. Insulation is to be maintained to avoid radiation losses. Condensate and flash steam recovery is a major area for energy saving. It saves energy in two ways. 1. Heat energy 2. DM water Vapour condensate (E2 condensate) has considerable heat energy. This heat can be recovered by heating air and water. The

cooled vapour condensate can be used as make up water in cooling tower, with suitable chemical treatment, by which the raw water requirement can be reduced. Areas for energy efficiency improvement: Moisture content in Bagasse. :- Moisture content in bagasse plays very important role in the calorific value of bagasse .Decrease in bagasse moisture will increase the calorific value and in turn increase in steam rate. This moisture carries away considerable heat energy by heating it from 30 deg C to 150 deg C. Bagasse drying will help in reducing this heat loss. Various methods of bagasse drying are available, but the technical feasibility is to be studied before installing such a system. Some of the issues to be addressed in bagasse dryers are the reliability, simplicity, non-interference with the boiler operation and the environmental aspect.

Efficiency of boiler: It is important to calculate boiler efficiency and evaluate all the losses that occur in boiler. These losses are related to the amount of fuel burnt. It is easy to compare the performance of reference levels. The loses that can be evaluated are 1. Heat loss due to the dry flue gases. 2. Heat loss due to moisture present in air. 3. Heat loss due to incomplete combustion. 4. Heat loss due to radiation and convection 5. Heat loss due to unburnt in fly ash(%) . 6. Heat loss due to unburnt in bottom ash (%). *FACTORS AFFECTING BOILER PERFORMANCE*

1. Periodical cleaning of boiler to improve the heat transfers efficiency. 2. Periodical soot blowing to improve heat transfer 3. Draft air control for proper combustion. 3. Excess air control - optimization of excess air, if air supply is less than theoretical requirement it leads to un burnt in fuel and if air supply is more than heat will be convinced by flue gas. 4. Percentage loading of boiler boiler efficiency varies with the boiler loading. 6. Steam generation pressure and temperature fluctuation in steam pressure and temperature leads to energy loss. 7. Boiler insulation: - To reduce radiation losses. 8. Quality of fuels To remain better combustion.

3. FUEL FEEDING SYSTEMS: In fuel feeding system t maintained steam pressure & temperature constant. 1. LOAD MANAGEMENT: All equipment loading to be optimized, especially, boiler capacity, turbine capacity, pump capacity and electrical motors.

2. Boiler Working Parameters: Steam working parameters plays very important role in power generation. Hence it is essential to maintain uniform working parameters to maximize the power generations.

3. Energy efficiency devices for ID, FD fans, Feed water pumps, Transfer pumps.

4. Boiler blow down systems: Blow down is required to be carried out depending on the water quality and boiler pressure. The normal tendency is to be do more blow down that requirement. This result is loss of sensible heat of boiler water. The rate of blow down must be adjusted is such a way that concentration of solids is kept lose to the design level.

5. Steam distribution systems: Steam plays very important role is power generation major areas of energy conservation in the steam distribution systems are Insulation, condensate recovery, steam trap leakages, external steam leakages, internal steam leakages, slash stream recovery and stream pipe sizing and redundancy.

6.

Turbine leading and power distribution turbine efficiency varies with the percentage loading, optimized loading is essential.

7. Condenser efficiency: Pressure drop across the condenser, temperature rise and heat transfer coefficient to be calculated and then compared with the design dates. On comparison it will come to know that whether the condenser tubes one scaled or not. 8. Energy saving devices for cooling tower pumps.

9. Make up water management.

10.

Hot condensate management.

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Energy efficient motor etc.