 Subsider” or “clarifier” is the name given to a continuous settler.

A
continuous subsider is a vessel in to which the juice to be settled
 When the juice has under gone the desired treatment, it must be
allowed to settle in order to separate the clear juice from the
precipitate formed in the body of the juice (Mud).
 This settling is effected in continuous decanters or clarifiers by
sedimentation or centrifugation.
 There are various type of juice clarifiers of different makes and
design , but the basic principle of operation remains the same .
 Some of them known in on the market are :
 Rapidorr-444 clarifier
 Graver clarifier
 Dorr „‟ multifeed „‟ clarifier
 Bach clarifier

 The most commonly used : Rapidorr -444 clarifier

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 It consists of 4 superimposed compartments, each forming a
complete clarifier independent of the others.
 These compartments are feed separately by a rotating central tube
by means of openings situated in the upper part of the compartment
.
 It is provided with central hollow shaft ,rotating very slowly (12 rev
/hr) which carries scrappers mounted on arms connected to the shaft
 At the top of clarifier there is a feed compartment which is half the
diameter of the main clarifier.

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 It consists of the circular baffles at the entry of each
compartments to ensure good distribution of the juice
 At the bottom of each compartment mud trays /boots are
provided for mud collection
 Closer to the roof of each compartments ,circumferential
internal pipes with openings at some intervals is provided for
the clear juice with drawl
 Each compartments fitted with vertical pipes intern fitted with
sliding sleeves and theses vertical pipes allow the clear juice
to pass to an over flow box
 From each mud boots ,mud is tapped through a slanted pipe
connected to the vertical pipes intern connected to the mud
out let box
 From each compartments sample pipes at four different
levels are tapped for laboratory analysis
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 Feed compartment/ flocculation chamber -----------help to dissipate the velocity of the feed
 In the feed compartment, special scrappers /skimmers are provided for the removal of scum ( foam
and some suspended particles) which rise to the surfaces .
 It is therefore ,their removal is very important to maintain the correct juice level in the clarifier
 Central hollow shaft
a. contain feed holes for each compartments
b. carries circular baffles which helps to direct the juice in to the walls of the compartments and
reduces short circuiting of the juice to mud boots
c. Arm mounted scrappers to scrap the settled mud and pushes it to the central mud boot

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 Clear juice is withdrawn by internal clear juice take off coil
placed at the periphery . Coil is placed just below the upper
tray of the compartment. Coil consists of juice take off
vertical nipples
 Clear juice overflow box located at the top of the last
compartment , collects clear juice from all compartment.
 Mud removal pipes are connected with mud boots and mud
over flow box.

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1 Pump /diaphragm / method
 This method has two draw backs :
1. Annual maintenance cost of the pumps is very high
maintenance cost includes spare parts and labour cost
2. Frequent process disturbance due to pumps failed repeatedly
during the operation season
2 Gravity flow method
 This method is very effective and efficient

 This is effected due to the hydrostatic pressure of the inlet juice

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  Milling operations normally stopped for periodic cleaning of evaporators where standby
units are not provided
 Too difficult to entirely liquidate the clarifier
 Hence , it is very important to preserve the juice in the clarifier and prevent its
deterioration to reduce the losses .But this can not be done with out any losses.
 Two kinds of loses
1) Inversion losses, more marked at high temperatures ,above 80 oc
2) Losses due to action of microorganisms , which are more marked at low temperatures,
below 70 oc

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  Losses are:
a) Minimum in the range of 70 to 80 oc
b) Increased when the PH of the juice falls below 7.3

 To reduce these losses to the minimum :

a) The PH of treated juice is raised to 7.5 to 7.8 for 3 to 4 hrs prior to mill
stoppage
b) The temperature of the juice is lower down to 90 oc before sending to clarifier
N.B : To maintain the temperature of the juice in the clarifier at fixed amount say 80 0c
or to prevent heat losses from the juice , the clarifier has to be insulated

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 Filtration

Treated
Clear juice
juice Settling

Muddy juice (impurities)

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 The clarification process separates the treated juice in to two layers or two parts:
a. The clear juice , which rises to the surface & direct to evaporators
b. The muddy juice ,which collects at the bottom and direct to filtration
 Objective of mud filtration
 To separate the juice from the mud to recover as much sugar as possible and hence to reduce the sugar loss in the filler
cake to the minimum
 Preconditions to get good filtration :
 Addition of fine bagasse to the muddy juice to the feed mixer to aid filtration( act as filter aid )
 Heating of muddy juice to temperature around 80 oc so that the viscosity of the mud and especially the gums and
waxes reduces
 Addition of lime on the muddy juice since alkaline juices filters better than acids/ neutral juices.

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 The most common filters in sugar industries are:
1. Filter presses
No recycling of the filtrate rather best treated and send directly
to evaporators along with clear juice (advantage)
Many disadvantages
2. Continues rotary vacuum filters
 Almost universal use in cane sugar industries for the filtration
of mud from clarifiers

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 Composed of a hollow drum rotating about a horizontal axis and
partly submerged in the muddy juice to be filtered
 The periphery of the drum serves as the filtering surface and divided
in to several independent sections
 Theses sections are covered by sheet of stainless steel with fine
perforation and connected individually to a vacuum system by
distributing valve

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 Carries three different sectors.
The first is communicating with chamber where a low vacuum
(15-30 cm of mercury ) is maintained
The second is communicating with chamber where high vacuum(
40 – 50 cm of mercury ) is maintained
The third is with out connection of the vacuum but connected to
the atmosphere

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17
1. As the filter rotates , the section which first enters muddy juice is immediately
connected with low vacuum. These provides an aspiration of the juice which
passes through fine perforations & hence cakes are formed and build up
2. The section next passes to valve sector connecting to the high vacuum. Here it
is necessary to increase the vacuum , since the resistance offered by the filter
cake increases with its thickness

3. When the filter section is about to reach the scrapper, the distributive valve
breaks the vacuum which has held the cake against the filter surface
4. The slightest contact of scrapper detaches the cake from the surface and drops to
a belt conveyor which removes it out side in to the mud hopper

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 Evaporation is the process by which water can be removed from the
juice the concentrate the clarified juice to a brix of 650 brix which
allows crystallization without substantial changes in the
composition/character of solids in the solutions.
 They the amount of water evaporated from clear juice is
calculated from a brix balance at is assumed that there is no
loss of solids between clear juice and syrup, so the amount of
the solids in clear juice should be equal to the amount of
solids in the syrup.
 then the amount of water evaporated (E) is calculated as
follow.
100BJ = S X BS
100BJ = (100 – E) BS
100BJ = 100BS – EBS
then from this
E = 100 (BS – BJ)
BS

Where E = Mass of Water Evaporated

J = Mass of Clear Juice
S = Mass of Syrup
Bj = Brix of Clear Juice
Bs= Brix of Syrup
 . Water as
vapor

Steam
Evaporato
r Condensate
Clear /clarified
juice Concentrated juice

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 The function of evaporator is to remove water from the clear juice so as to concentrate
the clear juice having 15 o Brix to 60 – 65 o Brix

 This is done by multiple effect evaporator(as per the reilaux principle)

 That is: 1 ton of steam evaporates as many tons of water as the effects

 For example : for a quadruple effects ,1 ton of steam evaporates 4 tons of water .Its use
by far decreases the amount of steam required and the associated fuel consumption of a
single effect steam.

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 Multiple effect evaporator is made possible by
decreasing the pressure in the successive effects.
 Therefore, the vapor coming out of the effect could
be used for evaporating the next effect
 To attain pressure variation in successive effects , a
barometric condenser and vacuum pump or ejectors
are utilized on the last effect
 Long tube vertical evaporators which is also known as climbing film or kestner
evaporators

 Standard or Robert's type evaporators

 Falling film evaporators

 Coil type evaporators

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 It works on the three main principles known as Rellieux's principles:
 First principle
In multiple effects each pound of water supplied in to the first
body will evaporate one pound of water in each body in series .
With „‟ N‟‟ effects one pound of steam evaporates „‟ N‟‟ pounds
of water.
 Second principle
 If a weight of vapor „w‟ is bled from effect „M‟ of N effects and
used in place of steam for a given duty , the saving of steam is
equal to M/N x w
 Third principle
 In any apparatus in which steam /vapor is condensed ,it is
necessary to with draw continuously the non condensable gas
which is unavoidably left in the heating surface compartment
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principles of evaporator
1st principles
 in multiple effect evaporators, each kg of steam supplied to the 1st
body will evaporate 1 kg of material in each body in series.
2nd principles
◦ it was deals with the practice of vapor bleeding from each vessels a
weight of vapor “w” was bleed from “m” of “n” effect and used in place
of steam for given formula
the saving in steam =

Where, w = wight of vapor which was evaporated from any m effect

m = number of effect (1st, 2nd, 3rd……)

n = total number of effect

But also the total amount of water evaporated from each vessel was calculated as following

Exhaust condenser
1 2 3 4

Steam heater pan heater Vapor

Syrup

From This
1st Effect Supplied Steam = X 1st Effect Evaporator = X
2nd Effect Supplied Steam = X-a 2nd Effect Evaporator = X – A
3rd Effect Supplied Steam = (X-a) – B 3rd Effect Evaporator = X- A-B
4th Effect Supplied Steam = X-b-c 4th Effect Evaporator = X-a-b-c
From This The Total Amount Of Water Evaporated Was Given By
V = 4x-3a-2b-c

3RD PRINCIPLES
• In any apparatus in which steam or vacuum is condensed, it was necessary with drawn
continuously the non-condensable gases which left in the heating compartment
 .

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◦ Saving steam required for :

The evaporation and concentration of clarified juice in second

,third and fourth effect

Heating juice in heaters and pan boiling

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 The Standard or Robert type evaporator with
central down take consists of vertical
cylinder, built on to the tabular calandria
across which the heat exchange takes place.
 This cylindrical body terminates at a ‘’ save
all’’ to separate the juice droplets which may
be entrained with vapours from the juice

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 The heating element in an evaporator is the
calandria which consists of :
 a large number of vertical tubes with open
ends
 Upper and bottom tube sheets /plates
 Vertical baffles to force the steam to follow a
certain path as it condenses

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 It used to collect the concentrated juice in

order to remove it from one vessel to the

following vessel .

 It can be located at the centre or at the

periphery and can be of round shape

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 For separating the entrained sugar droplets and
returning them the boiling juice in the same vessel
 Located at the top of the vessel
 Save alls are various shapes and types although the
design principles remains the same
 The main principles of save all are sudden change of
vapour direction , impingement on the surface or
centrifugal cyclonic action

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 All evaporators are equipped with sight

glasses

 To observe the working of evaporator and to

see what is happening inside it.

 It is circular sight glass made of thick glass

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 To boil the juice at a lower temperature , a desirable vacuum is

maintained in the vessels of the multiple effects by connecting the last

evaporator with barometric condenser

 Vacuum is created due to great reduction in volume of the low pressure

vapour

 The out going vapour from the last body of evaporator is condensed in a

condenser to which cold water is supplied by the injection pump

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 For the purpose of obtaining a larger temperature

differential between steam /vapour and boiling

juice

 For the reduction of boiling point temperature

 To prevent inversion and destruction of sugars

 for steam economy

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 There are several methods of feeding juice to the successive

vessels:

1. From the bottom of one vessel to the top of the calandria of

the following one

2. From bottom to bottom

3. From top to bottom with Chapman circulation

4. By lateral or annular down take

5. From bottom to bottom with level regulator

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.This system consists of simply closing of the lower opening of the centre well by a
funnel which forms the out let point for the juice passing to the next vessel.

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 The entering juice is directed to wards the bottom
of the tubes near the periphery of the calandria due
to the circular deflector attached to the bottom of
the funnel and hence it will pass several times
through the tubes before reaching the centre well.
 Prevents short circuiting of juice from one body to
another with out making a pass through the
calandria tubes

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 In operation , the tubes of a multiple
effect become fouled in two ways
 on the outside , a deposit of oil carried
steam is formed
 Inside , scale derived from the juice are
deposited = the most troublesome
deposit

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 Calcium salts of phosphates, sulphates ,
oxalate and calcium carbonate. The
phosphates decreases while the sulphates
increases from the first to the final vessel
 Metallic oxides of magnesium ,aluminium and
iron
 Silica

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  In order to increase the performance of evaporators and to
increase the production capacity, the evaporators should
be cleaned i.e to remove the scales formed
Method of removal of scales
a) Mechanical
 Done with scrapers
a) Chemical
 Done with boiling of caustic soda solutions

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