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ECOSTATIC CANE PROCESSING SYSTEM PROTOTYPE PHASE
Citation:
Webb, R. AND M. Goldman. ECOSTATIC CANE PROCESSING SYSTEM PROTOTYPE PHASE. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/2-77/121.
Description:
The overall objective of this project was to demonstrate a systems environmental management approach, from field to final product, for the processing of raw cane sugar. Specific sub-systems which were to be developed and demonstrated as part of this systems approach were: (a) harvester-cleaner-transporter, (b) dry cane cleaner, (c) juice washing of dry cleaned cane, (d) soil and wastewater disposal, (e) cane trash wet cleaner, and (f) fibrous wastes burned for the generation of commercial electrical power. While the systems approach is a viable one for waste reduction, it suffers from the weakness that if one sub-system fails to operate as expected it directly affects the successful operation of all or part of the total system. In this study the failure of the harvester-cleaner-transport system led directly to the failure of the juice washing and trash cleaning concepts. In addition, it hampered the successful operation of all the other sub-systems. Failure of the harvester-cleaner-transport system led to modifying the dry cleaner so that it could be used as a wet cleaner. Water used in this cleaner was screened and recycled back to the cleaner; ultimately being rescreened and disposed of on land via infiltration trenches. Generation of commercial power from fibrous wastes was the most successful aspect of the study. However, oil was necessary as a supplemental fuel due to inadequate supplies of bagasse.