The Digital Sugar Mill

Seminar on Sugar & Ethanol Automation

The Importance of Mill House Automation

Khalid Hayat Khan

Chief Operating Officer

Faran Sugar Mills

The Importance of Mill House

Automation

Agenda

Introduction to Mill House Operation

Efficiency of Mill House

Drawbacks of a Manually Operated Mill House

Drawbacks of a Manually Operated Cane Feeding System

Consequences of Manual Cane Feeding System

Automated Cane Feeding System & Mill House Operations

System Architecture

Advantages of Automation

Real-Time Monitoring

Conclusion

3

Introduction to Mill House Operation

The initiation point for all sugar processes is the Mill House

Efficiency of Mill House directly affects:

Increase in crushing capacity

Juice extraction efficiency

Reduction of moisture percentage in bagasse

Bagasse Pol loss

Low wear and tear

Low energy consumption and low torque

Efficiency of Mill House

1. Increase in sugar production

As an industry average, assuming 6000 TCD capacity, automation is able to save 1.8 tons of sugar per day. (Assuming 95.51% extraction efficiency)

2. Efficiency of Boiler operations 3. Reduce Load on Motors and Power House

Reduced bagasse Pol & moisture

results in improved quality of

combustion

Reduce energy consumption & improves steam

regularity

Regular cane feeding results in

improved crushing capacity

Reduce degenerative effect

on expensive electrical

equipment

Drawbacks of a Manually Operated Mill House

6

Unmonitored Parameters

Lots of guess work increases chances of error Inability to save records or study trends Leads to poor decision makingMore stoppagesMore energy consumption

Human Error

Human Response Time leads to Irregularity in Cane Feeding

Drawbacks of Manual Cane Feeding System

Consequences of Manual Cane Feeding System

Non-uniform juice extraction

Average Bagasse Pol value increases, causing

losses

Irregular moisturecontent reduces Boiler

efficiency

Leads to Irregularity in Power Consumption

Causes undesirable Torque occurred on Electrical equipment

Irregular Feeding

Automated Mill House Operations

9

Automated Mill House and Cane Carrier

Reduces Human Error and Response Time

Integrated Mill House Operation

Cane Carrier Speed, & Mill Chute Level

Automation Control Philosophy

System Architecture

Advantages of Automation

Regularity in Cane Feeding

Increase in Crushing Capacity

“On average, an automated

millhouse will increase crushing

capacity by 5%.”

Increases Process House Efficiency

Due to regulated and

uniform supply of juice and

steam pressure

Allows real-time monitoring of

entire operation

Quicker response time

Empowering end-user to make

better decisions based on reliable

data

Reduced margin of error due to guess

work

Real-Time Monitoring

Advantages of Automation

Reduced Fluctuation

Steam and Power Fluctuation

Regulated feeding of all tandem mills

Increases overall equipment efficiency

and utilization

Reduced need of personnel monitoring

Man power can be allocated for other

important functions

Conclusions

Regularity in cane feeding is the key to operational efficiency.

Global practice of automated systems is the surest way to achieve uniformity and control over all critical parameters.

Reduction in product losses and Increase in crushing capacity are worth the justifiable investment, resulting in a smooth payback over a short period of time.

Continued aftermarket support is critical in ensuring sustainable return on investment in automation.

Question & AnswersThank You for Your Valuable Time