First year operation of a mechanical detrasher system at a Louisiana sugarcane factory -- impact on processing and value-added products

Authors: Eggleston, Gillian; Lima, Isabel; SCHUDMAK, CHARLIE - Cora Texas Manufacturing Company; HULLET, RODDY - American Biocarbon Ct, Llc; WAGUESPACK, HERMAN - American Sugar Cane League; BIRKETT, HAROLD - Audubon Sugar Institute; GAY, JOHN - St Louis Planting Inc; LANDRY, AL - Al Landry Growers; FINGER, ATTICUS - American Sugar Cane League

Submitted to: International Sugar Journal
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/21/2019
Publication Date: 8/1/2019
Citation: Eggleston, G., Lima, I., Schudmak, C., Hullet, R., Waguespack, Jr., H., Birkett, H., Gay, J., Landry, A., Finger, A. 2019. First year operation of a mechanical detrasher system at a Louisiana sugarcane factory -- impact on processing and value-added products. International Sugar Journal. 121(1449):682-691.

Interpretive Summary: A new mechanical detrasher (dry cleaning) system has been established at a Louisiana sugarcane factory, and its first commissioning year was in 2016. Three separate factory trials were conducted from Nov 9 to Dec 13 during the 2016 processing season. It was unequivocally shown that the prototype mechanical detrasher was capable of not only removing (P<0.05) all trash types from cane supplies of green billets but also reducing and stabilizing the variations in trash amounts to be processed. Overall, the mechanical detrasher removed between 34.3 to 53.2% total trash (growing point region + green leaves + brown leaves) with as little as 7.2% total trash processed at the factory. Even when the detrasher was operational at only 60 to 70% total capacity, with every 1% decrease in total trash there was a 3.04 to 4.02% increase in the factory processing rate. Furthermore, at 7.2% total trash the factory would reduce the processing season by 5.1 days when compared to the normal average 18% total trash amount processed. The prototype detrasher caused a general improvement in most quality parameters in the mixed juice. Further trials are required to evaluate the detrasher at improved capacity up to 100% across the whole processing season to cover variations in sugarcane varieties, varying trash levels, loose versus attached trash, and different environmental conditions. The segregated trash material as well as excess bagasse from the mill are thermo-chemically converted via pyrolysis into biochar in a torrefier unit and pelletized. Pelleted biochar is a value-added material that has applications from fuel to soil amendment and remediation.

Technical Abstract: A new mechanical detrasher (dry cleaning) system has been established at a Louisiana sugarcane factory, and its first commissioning year was in 2016. Three separate factory trials were conducted from Nov 9 to Dec 13 during the 2016 processing season. It was unequivocally shown that the prototype mechanical detrasher was capable of not only removing (P<0.05) all trash types from cane supplies of green billets but also reducing and stabilizing the variations in trash amounts to be processed. Overall, the mechanical detrasher removed between 34.3 to 53.2% total trash (growing point region + green leaves + brown leaves) with as little as 7.2% total trash processed at the factory. Even when the detrasher was operational at only 60 to 70% total capacity, with every 1% decrease in total trash there was a 3.04 to 4.02% increase in the factory processing rate. Furthermore, at 7.2% total trash the factory would reduce the processing season by 5.1 days when compared to the normal average 18% total trash amount processed. The prototype detrasher caused a general improvement in most quality parameters in the mixed juice. Further trials are required to evaluate the detrasher at improved capacity up to 100% across the whole processing season to cover variations in sugarcane varieties, varying trash levels, loose versus attached trash, and different environmental conditions. The segregated trash material as well as excess bagasse from the mill are thermo-chemically converted via pyrolysis into biochar in a torrefier unit and pelletized. Pelleted biochar is a value-added material that has applications from fuel to soil amendment and remediation.