Design, Manufacture, Erection and Testing of A Model Bagasse Dryer

Abstract

The bagasse is a by product in Sugar cane factories. Most of Sugar cane factories use bagasse as a fuel in their boilers for raising steam which is used is driving their machinery and for processing. Bagasses from the mills contain about 50 % of its mass as moisture which must be evaporated before combustion. Part of the energy released by burning the moist bagasse is lost in evaporating the moisture. Of the flue gases are used in a dryer, a good portion of the energy lost is recovered. For this the research is directed for designing, manufacturing, erecting and testing a dryer to partially dry the bagasse. The model was erected in the heat engine laboratory of the faculty of Engineering of the University of Khartoum. It is 60 x 60 x 225 cm. Exhaust gases of the Perkins Diesel Engine are used. The engine speed was adjusted to give the temperature of the flue gases as measured in Assalaya Sugar Cane Factory. The wet bagasse was fed through a hopper at the top of the dryer and hot gases are fed from the bottom i.e the flow is counter. The moisture content of the used bagasse was evaluated before testing and after a study state was maintained a sample was used for reevaluation of the moisture content and the dryness calculated. The achieved dryness is 75.24 %. The saving in bagasse is calculated and was found equal about 1.387 x 105 tonnes per year. The heat of this size of bagasse is equivalent the heat in 24966.889 tonnes of furnace and according to the present prices it is worth 9.4 million Sudanese pounds.