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A TRAINING COURSE ON THE PRINCIPLES

OF SUGAR MILLING

1. INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this course is to discuss the basic principles of operation of five and
six roll sugar mills. Emphasis will be placed on the basic calculations that need to
be carried out to establish the settings that should be used between rolls and for
chutes to get the most effective performance from a milling unit.

To enable calculations to be carried out it is important that we have clear

definitions of the geometric and operating terms that are commonly used.

2. DEFINITIONS OF GEOMETRIC TERMS

 MEAN DIAMETER OF ROLLER (Refer Figure 1)

This is the diameter at the midpoint of the grooves in the roller:

Mean Diameter = Outside Diameter - Depth of Groove

 WORK OPENING WO, FOR FEED, DELIVERY AND PRESSURE

FEEDER (Refer Figure 2)

This is the distance between the mean diameter of each pair of rollers. This
includes any operations lift for mills which are hydraulically loaded -

Wof = feed work opening

Wod = delivery work opening
Wopf = pressure feeder work opening

 SET OPENING So FOR FEED, DELIVERY AND PRESSURE

FEEDER (Refer Figure 2)

This is the distance between the tips of the teeth on each pair of rolls.
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The value can be positive or negative depending on whether the tips are
open or in mesh.

So = Wo - lift - half the depth of the grooving on each roll

 WORK OPENING OF TRASH PLATE Wotp

This is the distance between the mean diameter of the top roll and the top of
the trash plate, at the mid point. This includes any operational lift of the
top roll.

 MILL RATIO is the ratio of the feed work opening to the delivery work
opening Wof/Wod.

 VOLUMETRIC RATIO is the ratio of the work opening of the pressure

feeder to the work opening of the feed roll multiplied by the ratio of the
surface speed of the pressure feeder to the surface speed of the top roll.

Volumetric Ratio = Wopf x Spf

Wof Sf

 PRESSURE FEEDER CHUTE OPENINGS (Refer Figure 3)

Inlet - The distance between the top and bottom plates of the
pressure chute measured at the projection point of
intersection with the bottom of the grooves in the top and
bottom pressure feeder rollers.

Outlet - The distance between the top and bottom plates of the
pressure feeder chute measured at the end of the chute.

 CONTACT ANGLES

The feed chute contact angle is the angle between the top and
bottom pressure feeder rolls and exit of the feed chute.
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The pressure feeder chute inlet contact angle is the angle measured
between the pressure feeder roll centres and the projected point of
contact of the nose of the feeder chute with the bottom of the
groove.

The pressure feeder outlet contact angle (Figure 3) is the angle

measured between the centre line through the top and feed rollers
and the projected point of contact between the top of the trash plate
and the mean diameter of the teeth on the delivery roll.

The trash plate contact angle on the delivery roll is the angle
measured between the centre line through the top and delivery roll
and the projected point of contact between the top of the trash plate
and the tip of the teeth on the delivery roll. This is illustrated in
Figure 4.

It is calculated using the formula:

Cos Ø = A2 + C2 - B2
2AC

A= Dtop + Ddel + Wo d
2 2

B= Dtop + Wo + ½ trashplate divergence

2

C= ØDdel
2

Note: D mean is used for the calculation of A, B and C.

 ROLL SURFACE SPEED is calculated at the mean diameter of the roll.

S= Π Dm N
60

Where S = roll surface speed m/s

Dm = mean roll diameter m
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N= roll shaft speed rev/min

3. MILLING PARAMETERS

 ESCRIBED VOLUME

The escribed volume is the volume passing a given section of a mill in a

unit of time. For the pair of rolls shown in Figure 5, the escribed volume at
the nip Ve = A x L x S.

A= opening between rollers (m)

B= roll length
(m)
S =roll surface speed (m/s)
Ve = escribed volume (m3/s)

At a chute entry or exit the speed of the blanket that needs to be considered
is the horizontal component of the roll surface speed which is the speed at
which there would be no slip. For the chute configuration shown in Figure
3 the escribed volume at chute entry or exit is given by -

Ve = S Cos Ø h L

Where S = speed of roll (m/s)

Ø = contact angle (deg)
h = height of blanket (m)
L =length of roll (m)
Ve = escribed volume, m3/s

At a trash plate the escribed volume is calculated using the mean setting of
the plate plus half the groove depth plus lift* as the work opening, and the
speed of the top roll at mean diameter. (* not applicable at NAT&L – fixed
top rolls)

At the entry or exit to a chute the speed of the bagasse blanket at contact is
the component of the peripheral speed of the roll in the direction of the
chute. This is illustrated in Figure 6.

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 COMPACTION

Compaction is the basic way of measuring fibre density at any point in the
milling train and is perhaps the most important parameter in reviewing how
hard a mill is working.

Compaction is calculated as -

Comp = Qf/Ve
Where Comp = compaction kg fibre/m3
Qf = mass rate of fibre kg/s
Ve = escribed volume m3/sec

Fibre rate is the basic parameter which remains constant through the milling
train and is determined as -

Qf = (Qc x f)/360

Where Qf = fibre rate kg/sec

Qc = crushing rate tonne/hr
f= per cent fibre in cane

It is important to note that compaction does not take into consideration the
juice in cane or bagasse.

Mill ratio and volumetric ratio have previously been defined in terms of
work opening and speeds. They are readily defined in terms of compaction
and this is the manner in which practising engineers usually calculate them.

Volumetric Ratio = Compaction at feed roll

Compaction at Pressure Feeder

Mill Ratio = Compaction at delivery roll

Compaction at feed roll

 FILLING RATIO

Filling ratio is a non-dimensional expression of fibre rating and is the ratio

of compaction of fibre at a point to the no void density of fibre. This is in
effect the proportion of an opening that is filled by fibre. Whilst it has been
used extensively in research studies it is not commonly used in everyday
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milling studies. The no void density of fibre has been established by

University studies to be 1530 kg/m3. Filling ratio is determined as -
Cf = Comp
1530

 PREPARATION

High levels of cane preparation are a pre-requisite of good milling

performance. Preparation can be measured in several ways, by bulk
density, mean particle thickness, and by the percentage of cells that have
been broken. Whilst all of these have been used in the past, the Pol in Open
Cell (POC) measurement is now the one most used. Its measurement
involves the mixing of a sub-sample with water, rotating in a drum for a
fixed time, and measuring the pol of the extract. A sub-sample is also
disintegrated with a fixed quantity of water and the pol of extract
determined. The POC is determined by rationing the pol’s of the extracts
obtained. The method is described in the BSES Methods Manual.

 REABSORPTION

When the no void value of bagasse exiting the delivery roll is compared to
the delivery roll escribed volume it is found that the value is always greater
than unity. This ratio is called the reabsorption factor. The phenomenon
by which this occurs is known as reabsorption. There is debate as to the
mechanism of reabsorption - forward slip of bagasse through he nip or
internal shear, but the reabsorption factor can be used as a measure of
milling performance. The lower the value the better the mill performance.

The calculation of reabsorption factor is outlined in Appendix 1.

4. CALCULATION OF OPERATIONAL SETTINGS FOR A MILL

 COMPACTION AT THE DELIVERY NIP

Compaction at the delivery nip is the basic consideration when setting up a

milling train. The selection of levels of compaction depends on several
factors - the strength of mill rolls, the available torque, the degree of
preparation of the cane, the variety of cane and the surface roughness of the
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roll. When extraction is plotted against compaction it can be seen that

extraction initially increases with compaction but tends to flatten out at
higher levels - typically 550 - 600 kg/m 3 for a No. 1 Mill and 880 to 930
kg/m3 for a final mill. The limit to achievable compaction depends on how
well surface roughness of the rolls is maintained so that the increase in
reabsorption does not overcome the beneficial effects of increase in
compaction.

For reasonable levels of preparation 85 POC the compactions in Table 1

would be considered typical at the delivery nip.

Mill Number 4 Mill Tandem

Delivery Roll Compaction
kgf/m3
1 520 - 560
2 620 - 660
3 720 - 770
4 820 - 880
Table 1 - Range of Typical Delivery Roll Compactions

These can be modified to allow for limitations in power or roll or gearing

strength.

 COMPACTION AND CONTACT ANGLES FOR THE TRASH

PLATE

The trash plate is a vital component of the three roll mill. Its effectiveness
depends on its ability to give good drainage and deliver a good feeding
blanket of material into the delivery squeeze. Most of the operational data
available on trash plates is empirical and based on practical engineering
experience. A high compaction allows a low contact angle to be maintained
but can inhibit drainage. A high contact angle increases the requirements
for a positive feeding force to the delivery nip to get the bagasse ‘up the
hill’. The compactions and contact angles in Table 2 can be used as a
guide for good operational performance. Trash plates are set up with
divergence to assist smooth movement and gradual release of pressure
across the plate. A typical divergence is 18 - 20 mm.

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Mill Number 4 Mill Tandem Max. Contact

Trash Plate Compaction at Mid Angle (o)
Point (kgf/m3)
1 200 33
2 225 33
3 250 33
4 280 30
Table 2 - Typical Trash Plate Compactions and Contact Angles

There will be occasions where due to speed limitations that there may be a
desire to consider increasing the recommended angles. Should this be done
the need to maintain good surface roughness is essential. Trash plate
contact angles above 36 degrees should be attempted only by the brave!

 COMPACTION AT THE FEED ROLL

For a given delivery squeeze the top roll load in a three roll mill is
governed by the mill ratio since this in turn governs the squeeze at the feed
roll and the force between feed and top roll. Where strength and torque are
adequate the lower the mill ratio within reasons the lower will be the
bagasse moisture since this reduces the drainage duty on the delivery roll.

For mills equipped with heavy duty feeders a design mill ratio of 1.6 to 1.8
would be considered normal and for light duty feeders a range of 1.9 to 2.3
would be considered normal. In practice the lowest ratio consistent with
stable operation should be used.

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5. PRESSURE FEEDERS

Pressure feeders are fitted to mills to enhance both the feeding capacity and
extraction performance specially at higher crushing rates. They have been
classified historically into two types - heavy duty and light duty.

 HEAVY DUTY PRESSURE FEEDERS - These were developed in the

early 1950's and consist of a pair of rolls of similar construction to mill rolls
driven by gearing integral with the main mill gearing and attached with a
robust chute to convey bagasse from the discharge of the pressure feeder
nip to the feed rolls of the mill. They are designed to express significant
quantities of juice at the nip.

 LIGHT DUTY PRESSURE FEEDERS - Were developed in the early

1960's initially to enhance throughput of existing three rolls mills. They
consisted of two hollow rolls in a relatively light frame with roller bearings
and driven by simplex roller chain. As initially designed they did not
express juice although most remaining units have been strengthened and do
express some juice.

 Both the heavy duty and light duty feeders were driven in a constant ratio to
the mill. In more recent times the introduction of more appropriate drives
has led to suitable independently driven pressure feeders of heavy duty
construction being installed.

 DESIGN FACTORS FOR HEAVY DUTY PRESSURE FEEDERS

The basic design parameters as set by manufacturers of heavy duty pressure

feeders are:

· The setting of the nose scrapers should be at least 50 mm greater

than the distance between the bottom of the grooving of the pressure
feeder rolls. This equates to contact angles of typically 18 to 22
degrees.

· The divergence of the pressure feeder chute should be at least 3.5 o

(60 mm/m).

· The chute contact angle on the delivery roll should not exceed 40o.

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· The longitudinal centre line of the chute should be as symmetrical as

possible with each pair of rolls.

As well as geometric considerations practical operating experience has

highlighted the importance of a gradual fall off in the level of compaction
between the entry and exit of the chute as a build up in compaction can lead
to over pressurisation and ultimate failure of the chute. A reduction of 8
kgf/m3 across the chutes is considered desirable.

The following compactions in Table 3 could be considered as a guide for a

four mill tandem.

PF Chute Inlet Compaction

Mill Number kgf/m3
1 130 - 150
2 140 - 160
3 150 - 170
4 160 – 180
Figure 3 - Typical Pressure Feeder Chute Inlet Compactions for Heavy Duty
Feeders

To comply with the guidelines above there will sometimes be some

conflict. The consideration of divergence and contact angle should be
given highest priority followed by the reduction in compaction along the
chute.

 DESIGN FACTORS FOR LIGHT DUTY FEEDERS

The design factors for light duty feeders whilst they follow similar
principles as those for heavy duty pressure feeders are more flexible as
compactions are lighter. It is possible to run light duty feeders with contact
angles up to 45o. Mills filled with light duty feeders are set to operate with
wider mill ratios than with heavy duty feeders as a wetter material is
presented to the feed roller.

In order to get greater capacity, feeder rolls can be run faster and this can
lead to reverse compactions in the chutes. Some degree of reverse
compaction is tolerable provided that the compaction at chute exit is always
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less than at the pressure feeder nip: Reverse compactions up tp 30 kgf/m 3

can be tolerated but these can lead to chain breakages.

The compactions in Table 4 can be considered as a guide for light duty

feeders

Mill Number Fibre Compaction kgf/m3 Inlet

2 110 - 130
3 120 - 140
4+ 130 – 150
Table 4 - Typical Light Duty Pressure Feeder Compactions
·

INDEPENDENTLY DRIVEN PRESSURE FEEDERS

The introduction of independent drives for heavy duty pressure feeders has
been made possible by the developments of high torque hydraulic and
electric drives. Whilst basic design principles remain the same the
flexibility of relative speed variation between mill and pressure feeder
enables a greater level of control for variations in fibre characteristics.

6. GROOVING

Good feedability at a mill requires an adequate grip on the blanket and a good
coefficient of friction between the roll and bagasse. Grooving provides this as well
as providing good drainage of juice when it is expressed from the blanket.

The feedability provided by the grooving is enhanced by artificial roughening of

the tips of the teeth by use of hard facing electrodes.

Drainage is enhanced by the use of juice grooves machined into the bottom of the
teeth especially in rolls that have the higher juice loadings such as pressure feeders
and feed rolls.

There is little absolute data on the relative performance of different grooving and
most data is based on practical observations and relative performance data.

Normal mill grooving has a 35o angle with a 35 mm pitch for Mills 1 and 2 and 25
mm pitch for later mills. Pressure feeder grooving is typically 40 o angle for a No 1
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Mill and 35o for later mills, with pitches to 50 mm. There is significant
experimental evidence to illustrate that finer pitch gives better moistures at lower
rates but pitches of less than 25 mm are not favoured due to the significant efforts
that have to be put into artificial roughening.

7. MILL FEEDING

 OPTIMUM FEED DEPTH

The ability of a mill to feed is a dominant consideration in the operation of

a mill. The amount of material that can be fed into a mill is the product of
the escribed volume at the entry to a pair of rolls and the density of that
material. The rate is calculated on the assumption of no slip between the
bagasse blanket and the roll or within the bagasse blanket.

Consider the geometry of the feeder entry without an underfeed roll (Figure
7),

As a blanket of thickness ‘h’ approaches a pair or rolls its speed is governed

by its thickness since at any point on the feed arc the approach velocity can
not be greater than the resolved component of the peripheral speed in the
normal direction to the line joining the roll centres. This is V Cos Ø where
Ø is the initial contact angle. The volume of material per unit time per unit
roll width is equal to the product V Cos Ø d and since any increase in d will
produce, a decrease in Cos Ø it is apparent that a point could be reached
beyond which Cos Ø may be decreasing at a faster rate than d is increasing.
At this point V Cos Ø d will cease to increase and begin to decrease the
value of d corresponding to this point will be an optimum. It can be shown
mathematically that optimum feed depth is ½ (Wo + D) where Wo is the
work opening. There is no point in attempting to run with a feed depth
greater than this optimum.

 FEED FIBRE COMPACTIONS AT THE FEEDER MOUTH OR

FEED CHUTE EXIT

The level of compaction at the exit of a feed chute has a dominant influence
on the potential performance of a milling unit. For vertical or non vertical
chutes the compaction that can be achieved depends largely on gravity and
thus depends on the height of the chute. As chute heights increase the
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magnitude of these frictional forces increase such that from a practical point
of view there is little benefit in chute heights above three metres.

Other factors that influence compaction are the level of preparation and the
position of the mill in the train.
Figure 8 shows a general relationship that exists between chute height,
compaction and position of the mill in the train. It must be emphasised that
the relationship illustrated is a generic one and can vary significantly from
factory to factory and from season to season. By plotting a mill's calculated
compaction however, against this template it is possible to monitor closely
performance and help identify problems.

Figure 9 shows the relationship between feed chute setting and crushing
rate for a No. 1 Mill at two levels of feed chute compaction and clearly
illustrates the importance of obtaining a good compaction. It is important
to note that in order to control the mill the operating setting for the chute
must be less than the optimum setting.

Figure 9 was developed for a 2140 mm long No 1 Mill operating at 230

mm/sec with a fibre per cent cane of 15 per cent. Optimum chute setting
was 624 mm

8. UNDERFEED ROLL CONFIGURATIONS AND FEED CHUTES

In the evolution of milling to achieve higher capacities an 'underfeed' roller was

added to the three roll mill to assist in turning the blanket to achieve a deeper feed
to the mill. Most pressure fed mills are now fitted with an underfeed roll to
enhance feeding capacity still further. Most feed chutes are near vertical - typically
85o and the underfeed roll provides a 'live' surface to turn the blanket to be
symmetrical to the pressure feeder nip.,

Because of the larger centre distance of the pressure feeder roll and underfeed roll
compared to the top and bottom pressure feeder rolls this configuration provides an
enhanced optimum feed depth so that the material fed to the pressure feeder can be
increased without an increase in roll speed.

Whereas with small underfeed rolls it was common to operate at a higher

peripheral speed than the top pressure feeder roll, it has been established best
performance is achieved with underfeed rolls of approximately the same diameter
as the top pressure feeders roll.
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A typical relationship between the optimum setting of the underfeed roll as a

function of pressure feeder roll setting is shown in Figure 10.

The relationship between the compaction at the entry to the pressure feeder to the
compaction in the feed hopper is called the "effectiveness". A detailed discussion
of the estimation of effectiveness is beyond the scope of this course. Effectiveness
can vary from 1.0 where no underfeed roll is fitted to 1.7 where optimum settings
are used on underfeed rolls of equal diameter to the top pressure feeder roll.

9. CALCULATION OF COMPACTIONS THROUGH THE MILLING TRAIN

When analysing the performance of a milling train or determining the settings for a
new mill or new operating conditions it is necessary to calculate the basic
parameters for mill performance such as compaction, contact angles and chute
divergences. Determining the settings the first time involves an interactive
approach to get the best results, whereas checking the settings of an existing mill
can be done directly. Because the calculations used in both cases are the same we
will use as an example here, the calculations involved in checking the settings of a
No. 1 Mill.

EXAMPLE DESIGN CONDITIONS - NO 1 MILL

Given the mill data in Table 5 calculate the compactions and contact angles
throughout the mill. The exercise will be restricted to the first mill only.
However, for completeness, data is supplied for the four mills in a train.

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INPUT DATA #1 #2 #3 #4
CRUSHING RATE (T/H) 320.00 320.00 320.00 320.00
FIBRE % CANE 12.9 12.90 12.9 12.9
MILL SPEED (RPM) 2.7 2.52 2.41 2.30
RATIO PF: TOP 1.1 1.10 1.10 1.10
RATIO UNF: PF 1.13 1.13 1.13 1.13
OD. PFA. (MM) 1067.00 1067.00 1067.00 1067.00
OD. PFB (MM) 1067.00 1067.00 1067.00 1067.00
OD. TOP (MM) 1039.00 1043.00 1044.00 1049.00
OD. FEED (MM) 1043.00 1048.00 1053.00 1052.00
OD. DEL (MM) 1050.00 1056.00 1051.00 1042.00
OD. UNF (MM) 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00
MILL ROLL LENGTH (MM) 2140.00 2140.00 2140.00 2140.00
DEEP GROOVE PFA (MM) 35.00 35.00 35.00 35.00
DEEP GROOVE PFB (MM) 35.00 35.00 35.00 35.00
DEEP GROOVE TOP (MM) 35.00 35.00 35.00 35.00
DEEP GROOVE FEED (MM) 35.00 35.00 35.00 35.00
DEEP GROOVE DEL (MM) 35.00 35.00 35.00 35.00
DEEP GROOVE UNF (MM) 35.00 35.00 35.00 35.00
TRASH PLATE DIVERGENT (MM) 20.00 20.00 20.00 20.00
TOP ROLL LIFT (MM) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
SETTINGS (MM)
DEL SETTING 37 29 23 17
FEED SETTING 81 67 55 47
PF SEEDING 142 127 113 107
PF CHUTE INLET SETTING 267 250 240 242
PF CHUTE OUTLET SETTING 395 371 351 348
TRASH PLT SET 157 143 131 123
TRASH PLT TOE SET 147 133 121 113
TRASH PLT HEEL SET 167 153 141 133
UNF SETTING 488 464 439 429
@FEED CHUTE AT BASE 761 749 736 731
RATIOS
MILL RATIO
VOLUMETRIC RATIO
PLT WO/FEED WO
COMPACTIONS (KG/M 3)
DEL
FEED
PF
PF CHUTE IN
PF CHUTE OUT
TRASH PLT
COMP PF CHUTE CHANGE
ANGLES

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PF CHUTE INLET
PF CHUTE OUTLET
TRASH PLT

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10. CALCULATION OF MILLING PARAMETERS

 FIBRE RATE

The determination of fibre rate is basic to all milling parameters as it is

constant through the milling train.

Fibre rate = 320 x 12.9

360
= 11.47 kg/sec

 CALCULATION OF DELIVERY COMPACTION

- Mean Diameter Top Roll = 1039 - 35

= 1004 mm

- Mean Diameter Delivery Roll = 1050 - 35

= 1015 mm

- Mean Diameter Feed Roll = 1043 - 35

= 1008 mm

- Top Roll Speed S = 3.14 x 1.004 x 2.7

60
= .142 m/sec

- Delivery Work Opening Wod = 37 + 35

= 72 mm

- Roll Length L = 2140 mm

- Escribed Volume = S L Wod

= .124 x 2.14 x .072
= .02188 m3/sec

- Compaction = 11.47
.02188
= 524 kg/m3

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 CALCULATION OF FEED COMPACTION

- Feed Work Opening Wof = 81 + 35

= 116 mm

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 - Escribed Volume = S. L. Wof
= .142 x 2.14 x .116
= .0352 m3/sec

- Compaction =
11.47
.0352
= 325 kg/m3
 CALCULATION OF PRESSURE FEEDER COMPACTION

- Mean Diameter Top PF roll = 1067 - 35

= 1032 mm

- Mean Diameter Bottom PF Roll = 1067 - 35

= 1032 mm

- PF Roll Speed Spf = Π Dm n

= 3.14 x 1.032 x 1.1 x 2.7
60
= .160 m/sec

- PF Work Opening Wopf = 142 + 35

= 177 mm

- Escribed Volume = S L Wopf

= .160 x 2.14 x .177
= .0606 m3/sec

- Compaction = 11.47
.06 06
= 189 kg/m3

 CALCULATION OF MILL AND VOLUMETRIC RATIOS

- Mill Ratio = Delivery Compaction

Feed Compaction
= 524
325
= 1.61
- Volumetric Ratio = Feed Compaction
PF Compaction
= 325
189
= 1.72
 CALCULATION OF TRASH PLATE COMPACTION

- Trash Plate setting = 157 mm

- Trash Plate Work Opening = 157 + 35/2

= 174 mm

- Escribed Volume = S L Wotp

= 1.42 x2.14 x .174
= .0529 m3/sec

- Compaction = 11.47
.0529
= 217 kg/m3

 CALCULATION OF TRASH PLATE CONTACT ANGLE

(Refer to Figure 4)

A = ½ (Mean Dia Top Roll + Mean Dia Delivery Roll) +

Delivery Work Opening
= ½ (1004 + 1015) + 72
= 1081

B = ½ (Mean Dia Top Roll) + Work opening of trash plate + half

divergence
= 502 + 174 + 10 = 686 mm

C = ½ Mean Diameter of Delivery Roll

= ½ x 1015
= 507 mm

Cos Ø = A2 + C2 - B2
2AC
= 10812 + 5072 - 6862
2 X 1081 X 507
= .871

Ø = 29.4O
 CALCULATION OF PRESSURE FEEDER CHUTE INLET
COMPACTION AND CONTACT ANGLE

· Contact Angle
Diameter of pressure feeder
rolls at root of tooth = 1067 - 2(35)
= 997 mm
PF Chute Inlet setting hi = 267 mm
Distance between roots of
PF teeth = Wo + depth of tooth
= 177 + 35
 = 212 mm

Cos Ø = D + W - hi
D
= 997 + 212 - 267
997
= .945
Ø = 19.1o
· Escribed Volume at Inlet

Peripheral Speed at root = Π Drn

= 3.14 x .977 x 1.1 x 2.7
60
= .152 m/sec

Escribed Volume = Sr Cos Ø h L

= .152 x .945 x .267 x 2.14
= .0821 m3/sec
Compaction = 11.47
.0821
= 139 kg/m3

 CALCULATION OF PRESSURE FEEDER CHUTE OUTLET

COMPACTIONS AND CONTACT ANGLE

· Contact Angle
Mean Diameter of top roll = 1004 mm
Chute Outlet setting = 395 mm
Cos Ø = Dm+ Wof- ho
` Dm
 = 1004 + 116 - 395
1004
= .72
Ø = 43o

Peripheral Speed at mean dia = Π Dm n

= 3.14 x 1.004 x 2.7
60
= .142 m/sec

- Escribed Volume = Sm Cos Ø ho L

= .142 x .722 x .395 x 2.14
= .0867 m3/sec

- Compaction = 11.47
= .0867
= 132 kg/m3

 CALCULATION OF COMPACTION DROP ALONG PF CHUTE

Compaction Drop = Inlet Compaction - Outlet

Compaction
= 139 - 132
= 7 kg/m3

 CALCULATION OF PF CHUTE DIVERGENCE

Divergence =
Height out - Height In
395 - 267=
128 mm =
Assume length of PF Chute 1.5 m =
Divergence 128__ =
2 x 1500
= .043
= 2.5o
 CALCULATION OF REQUIRED COMPACTION AT ENTRANCE
TO THE PRESSURE FEEDER ROLLS

- Optimum feed depth = ½ (Wo + D)

= ½ (177 + 1032)
= 605 mm

Contact Angle Cos Ø = ½ (Wo + D)

D
= 605
1032
= .586
Ø = 540
 Escribed Volume = S x Cos Ø x ho L
= .160 x .586 x .605 x 2.14
= .121 m3/sec

Compaction Required =11.47

.121
= 94.8 kg/m3
To determine the compaction required at the base of the feed chute it will be
assumed that the feeding arrangement has an effectiveness of 1.65.

Required Compaction at base of

feed chute = 94.8
1.7
= 56 kg/m3

11. ROLL LOADS AND TORQUES

The principal factor in setting mills is the level of compaction that is required at the
delivery squeeze to achieve a given performance for mill. Generally the
compaction is determined by strength considerations of the top roll load and the
power of the prime mover although factors such as maintenance of surface
roughness in some cases limit the maximum loads used.

The relationship between roll load compaction and torque was extensively studied
using the experimental mill at the University of Queensland in the early 1960's.
This work established the basic relationship

R = Pr L D (Cf - 0.1)
where R is Roll Load (N)
Pr is the proportionality constant (Pa)
L is the roll length (m)
D is the roll diameter (m)
Cf is the filling ratio at the nip of the two rolls

In practice values of Pr are derived from measurements on operating mills.

The University experimental work also established the relationship between torque,
milling geometry and filling ratio.

This relationship is

G = Pr (Wo/D) 0.5 Cf 0.21 R

where G is the roll torque (Nm)
Pn is the roll torque factor (m)

Relationships were also developed for pressure feeder torque although these are
considered to be less accurate.
 Operating power and load curves can be developed for a specific size of mill,
however it must be considered that the characteristics of the cane and preparation
also affect the absolute values predicted. The form of the relationship between
compaction, milling torque and power for a 2.14 m mill with a heavy duty pressure
feeder is shown in Figure 11.

12. FACTORS AFFECTING MILLING PERFORMANCE

Whilst the level of compaction and speed of operation are dominant factors in the
performance of an individual mill, factors such the level of cane preparation, level
of maceration and number of mills in the train play an important part in the overall
performance of the milling train.

The effect of preparation level on the performance of a No. 1 is typically that for
every unit of increase of POC the No. 1 mill extraction increases by approximately
0.5 units at a nominal preparation level in the range of 83 to 88 POC. The overall
extraction of a 4 mill train would be expected to increase by approximately 0.05
unit per unit increase in P.O.C.

An increase in the level of maceration applied will have a beneficial effect on the
level of extraction achieved. An increase in maceration per cent fibre from 200 to
300 would be expected to increase overall pol extraction by approximately 0.5 to
0.6 units. The law of diminishing returns applies with an increase from 450 to 550
maceration per cent fibre giving only a 0.2 unit increase in extraction.

The number of mills in a milling train also significantly influences the level of
extraction. Obviously the level of extraction achieved by adding an extra unit
depends on the strength of the individual milling unit. In one series of trials carried
out bypassing existing intermediate mills in a six mill train the decrease from 6
mills to 5 mills dropped the extraction by 0.5 units and the reduction from 5 to 4
units dropped the extraction a further 0.75 units.
13. MILLING TRAIN CONTROL

There are two main objectives for the control of a mill in a milling train.
- To control the loads on the mills to ensure a high crushing load is
maintained, which should deliver good extraction.

- To control the crushing rate through the mill.

For a conventional five or six roll mill with a single drive load can be controlled by
the mill roll hydraulics, but there are a range of control systems that have been
developed to control the load in a more controlled way. These rely on a sensor to
detect the load and a controller to act to limit the load. The range of sensors that
have been developed since the mid 1960's includes the measurement of pressure
feeder torque, turbine chest pressure or pressure feeder chute deflection. Use of
chest pressure is satisfactory for a No. 1 mill which runs at constant speed but has
restricted application on intermediate mills which are independently speed
controlled and suffer chest pressure disturbances due to change of speed.

The 'standard' form of control for six roll mills that developed during the 1970's
and early 1980's was, for rate control:

· A chute height monitor consisting of eight probes in the side of the chute
which could be arranged in a way that they could sense the height of
bagasse in the chute and depending on the change give a control signal, to a
device to maintain the set points.

In the case of a No.1 Mill this was invariably the feeder carrier which
would change speed or for an intermediate mill the signal could cause the
drive (invariably a turbine) to change speed.

For torque control the sensor (being a torque or chest pressure sensors)
moved a flap in the feed chute controlled by a hydraulic ram which in times
of high torque would restrict the depth of feed to the mill. It is important to
note that the set up of this flap is important as the maximum opening must
be less than optimum feed depth (Refer Figure 9).

In more recent times with the introduction of more cost effective drives
especially with new installations the use of a variable speed drive on the
pressure feeder has more readily been adopted as a control device.

Independent drives on all rolls have been gradually introduced on new

installations since the mid 1980’s. Early installations had the independently
driven pressure feeder speed used to directly control the mill torque and a
flap to control the pressure feeder torque. This system suffered from poor
response to rate changes. Modifications to this system included changing
the torque control to drive the ratio of pressure feeder speed to mill speed.
Where all rollers are independently driven the control of pressure feeder
torque overload is effected by increasing feeder speed. Whilst some control
of chute height is lost the mill torque is maintained and pressure feeder
torque is controlled.

An advantage of these drives is that their speed control is infinite and the
mill can hold its torque at very low speed. A second advantage of these
drives is that a wide range of crushing rates can be achieved without a
change of settings.

The author is grateful to Harvey Flanders who has offered advice on the
operation strategy at NAT & L where the pressure feeder speed is ratio
controlled to the speed of the mill with torque control for the mill drives
being able to be biased up and down to maintain a preset maximum torque.
If the mill drive on any roll reaches the preset maximum torque then the
pressure feeder drive will shut off via a controllable time delay and this is
repeated till the mill torque stays below the preset limit on the pressure
feeder rolls stop.

The control of six roll mills with independent drives is being studied on
many fronts at the present time and advantage will be taken during the
course to have open discussion on this topic.