Modeling and simulation of clarification in the Cristino Naranjo Sugar Agroindustrial Company using the Sugar software

Abstract

Simulators are an effective tool for finding optimal operating conditions and their control. The objective of this study was to use the Sugar process simulator to model and study the clarification stage at the Cristino Naranjo Sugar Agroindustrial Company in the province of Holguín in Cuba. The study carried out started from an analysis of the restrictions present in the technological flow and the main parameters to be taken into account, in order to obtain a productive cycle with the efficiency and productivity demanded. The material and energy balances were made with the historical data of the 2015-2016 to 2019-2020 harvests using Sugar International and the critical points of the process were detected and analyzed. The critical points detected are: the flow of steam supplied to the primary and secondary heaters, the milk of lime, the bagasse, and the flow of washing water. The values of the operation variables that allow it to operate efficiently are: in the case of the primary and secondary heaters of 17 232,6 kg/h and 13 866,0 kg/h respectively, for the lime milk it was 4,849.4 kg/h, bagacillo 2 159,6 kg/h and washing water 5,960 kg/h.