ROCK AND SAND REMOVAL SYSTEM FOR CANE PRIOR T() MILLTNG

D.E. du plmy
Tcchicl Scrvices ad Dcrelopme Dept.
TrNvel Sugr Lrd CfSB), Matelane, Sourh Aftic
ABSTRACT
Ficld<ut ed lodcd sugrcE c.o ar times be mtorious for te amount of rocks, sd ard other ertra*ous
rtter it contirls. This matrial, ifnot removed prior to processing, causs exteNive.rrge to ce pmcessiDg

equiFrc od cillry

plant th associted high Daiotemce cocts erd loss of production tirne, rs well ai
coffiibtifg gedy to urous procrssig plobleos iD the factory. This fnper dscribes e opertitrg primipte
of rock reoovel sysem (RRS), devloped to rE nove lrge proponion of rock, sad ed other forcign
maleril ftom cr o continuous tnsis prior to processirg. Some basic ifomatiotr is lso giveo or the aDourt
of rDck and satrd rmoved, pol savings ed mixed juic claity.

Kywords: Rock removal, jce qulity, extrous matter.

TNIRODUCTION
Trsvl Sugar Ltd C[SB) is miller-cum-plfrcompny, which operes two cE sugar mills in tbe Esstem
Tr.sval l.o*veld rEgion sotth of Xruger Ntiooel Prk. The older of the two mi||s is sitrated at Malelae,
while the ewcr o (lhe Komati mill) is siturtd c- 25 hr soutb of Komtifrooft. This mill hs x crushing
cpacity of 5400 TCD.
As is the plc'tic in nost of the Sotth Afiice srrgr idstry, ce desrined for e Komti mi[ is firsx bund
to Educe the amouft of leaves rd trsh. Thi6 is then follo*d by nnual brvestitrg with trshing d topping,
pcki4 in *idrgws and i&6eld loading iDto 25-t ce tructs by meos of push-pilers. During tle
's esign

ni

tal this method of h'rringt @gether with fte fct tt e podon of the cre origioa;s
ftom e\r,ly planted fields, would result in lege mourts of rock ard sand beirg delivered to the mill along wiih
tle cne.
phase it was expccfed

As a reslt of this, it ws foreseer r a rock ftrnovl system (RRS) of some fofm \r,old heve (o be eoployed
o miDioize demge to cae prepretion equiment, boilr plrt ad other processing eq!neot by rocks, sand
trld other cxtrrnrs nreriel

INTfiL

NF,SEARC-H

hspdion of eqlpnrtf in Murfths and R6r on

Durig a sit to Mauriius rd Runion fu JDe 192, e operiing priiples of
smdrd her:

RRSS were studied as

B{lfon(k, Rlllon. The system basc[y cosisb of two inclid steel deck cotrveyors, witb levelers.
Whole stict c{ togefer witb any rocts is loaded o o tbe 6st inclined conveyor/feeder teble with
35-40" slope. This cDe is thcn trars?orted by etrs of boveeck chis aDd slts to tbe top of tbe tbte,
were it hrmbles dof'tr onto the dccl of the recoDd iclined conveyor. This conveyor is of t[ moving{eck
type, ad its ngle of incline is slighdy less thatr tbt of the first oDe. CiveD their nss ad shpe, the
rocts mll rerwlrd down te deck, thmugh two hevy-duty cwtitrs of rubber shects aDd rtrtl strips,

2U

til erd of de deck. The oprtor then stop6 the itrtate, climbs
olo t[e deck Dd naluelly rcmoves the rock. Cane lying on the deck of the secood cooveyor is
erdiDg up egai$t a catrh pate lowd the

trsported up towad th top of the deck ard is coDbed bck by a leveler set only bout IOO nm above

thedeck-

Disdvrtages of this system e:

Nocontiruousoperatioo

Serd ed strull rock removal Dot

opti l

sls feeder rable feeds cre o o a horizo al movirg deck

coveyor. Any lxrge rrck ftllitrg otrto ttis secod table mkes $rfficient ose !o le.t tlle @ator. who
lhen switches to rmther fecd tble while tbe stoDe is mn,qlly removed.

Mde, Mfts. An above{eck chi rd

Othcr sJsftc in u6e. A sqrdy on systeos in se in other Frts of the world rcveled informtion or the
following typs of separtion equipnert:

Pduntic spsralioD. Orc of tbe firs1 roch ad sed rmoval plafls fored part of a cane dry
clearing pltrt and ws istalled t lphoehoe Sugar Co. in Hawaii itr 1970. This planr,
oper@d on lhe pmatic mfrcept, chieved sepatior by mssing high-velocity air atrl
lmugh lhe falling ce, septing the compore s by mes of tbei differing trjectories.

Sbker trble. Cae is trasportd onto a vibting sbter table eloDgted operiqs (2.5 In
x 100 mm). Cse stlk fll trough the operings onro suitble coNeyor whil lrge rocts ( >
100 mm) ae left o top of the table. Tbe slightly iDclircd table with its upwrd ard sidewxys
bralory Dotion directs these rocks itrto a gutter sinutd on the lower edge of the tble. Srxll
rcks d saDd ftll itrto a chut sihrated below e shaker tble. A conveyor utrde.Eth lhe chte
then cies all rocks, sad ad lo6t cx ao a rclaimer, where the c.e is reclaimed ard srnd arid
n'cks are rcmoved-

All

dnm. This cocept is similar to tte urit et Komai except dut at tbe bse of the
iclired feeder rble ad drum iersctiotr, logitudiDel screw coDveyot pcks up the rocks and
moveys em to the ed of e fted table to discherge them through tle sides of the machine. A
reclaiming plant redirecb ny losa cne itrto the system while rEoving rocks and strd.
Revolving

these sysles

re repodedly slrbject to opertiol ard mitelIafte Foblerns iD vrying degrees.

DESIGN REQUIREMENTS AND SFECIIICATIONS

The folowings requireets u,erc to bc itrcoported iDto the desigtr of the Komati RRS, bsed on desirable
parameters obtied

iom tbe initid reserch:

Continuous operation mther thar $oF.stert operlio

Removl of the maximum possible xlrourt of rocls, sand and orher
l,ow powr coDsumptiotr
Urifom oric atiotr of the caDe
onto the nain canier
For whole stict cae
Robust cotrstuction

Fse of maioteolce
Coneoient disposl of removed

rock

atrd srd
225

ertrHus

materil

Ability to bc by-passed
Simple

ir

cse of m1frlfctiooirg

co6lmctio
DEVETPMENT OF TI|E SYSTEM

gased otr these rcqreDents

ad siog vaious mvel

corcepts.

RRS was desiged comprising two

se?ration slges:

PsmrJ s.prtlor fie. Developed prior to mll comrissioriog,

this cosists of a sl(Ded feeder table,

a horizotrtel, riDed roleting dm, curved riper plte atrd a belt conveyor for reDroviry roch trd sand
ftom the mechiDe. A rll-6cle *orking pmtotype v/s bilt at the Mlele ill to test initil ides and
nirimize polentil comrnissioing problens t the Komli mill.

Developmeot work cons-rstcd

naily of

the following espects:

Optimiz tionof cD flow pam over the tied drum

Optimiz tion of lh tire pttem on the dr
@iiztiotr of the ergle of lhe iclird slid pate
Opaimizatior of the tid dnim's roitioDal s?eed
ExFriehtior with tb mck erit door al ec ed of lhc dim

The

-..- \17.

o%9

wes

prototype
extremely

successfil es a

mears of
studying

flow

cle-

patterns

over the

drum

and rock
separtion
problems.

Secondry
sepraaion
stge. This was
designed nd

iNtalled

subse-

quena to mill
sraup wbeo it
becaDe evidert
tht n utrc{pt-

ably hish

perceotage of
long-stalk cae
Figurc

l.

ws beitrg

Pdrary

sepamaed out
long wirh the

scparrion syslem.

rocks and sand.

seperator is
comb6 (nt loger cene stalks fiom ihe

This

simple in desigr, cor6isting of a snell toorhed crding drum, wlich

cootinuous strEam of sepxrtd mtedl tbt leves prirnry spdration sige.

XOMATI MILL
RRS

Whole-stick ce.
tnspoft d to tbe Eill

d
tfucks with

by nears of 25-t

WW

side-tippig biDs,is

utrlod by mee6 of
e bydrarlic Euct
tippler, wh ich
discharges the ce
onlo er l1{ wide
moving slat feeder
ible (Fig. 1A). lt is
ther com/eyed to the

top of the feedef tble

nd fed otrto m
iclircd slide ple
(B). A scnicher (C)
situtd bove the

ted

sbft

of

Figrr

2.

Scoodey s@aretiotr system,

fteder tble comb6 out

ry budles of cE

to eosure udfolm icless of cane on the slide plet.

Prifi'y saprtio
o the slide plie s conifously preserted to the revolvirg tiDed &un (D) trd are corbed
up aod over the drm Dd inlo the nain cae crier (E). The p6ttm in which the tis ae attacbed to the dflm
is such tbt c.tre goes over c drum $ile very lrgc rock ar directed to the rock exit doors (F) at each ed
of the dnm. These lrge roch lie or the bdtom end of the sling table ard e pmgressively combed towfid
te etrds of lhc dnm, wherc tey eit through suitable doors. These doors re situted in e sliditrS plate d
tilt open ) permit erit of lI rock o e chute, which directs them irto bin at grood level.

The cee $lks

Smaller rocks ( < 35O mm), pebbles, sd aDd or unwted mtrial pass do$,n into e gp between
ad the curved wiper plate (G) od ar discbgEd oo a belt orvyor (H) below the drm.

the drum

Provisio is mde for aly jmmed rrts Dd other erareous material to be clearcd iomaticelly by means
diverging openiws ad utmatic adjostment of e crved Fr plte.

of

The rlrum diemeter is lagest in the cefer rd Scts progrcssivety s-ftraller towd the eDds, thereby creting a
divergent opeirg betweer the drun surfrc ad lte wiper plae. This also fcilitates cle{itrg jmmred rocks.
The wipcl plte coNisls of t$/o blves, cch s&ported t th bottoor by a hydrdic cylider. By reglaring the
operating pres$re in te bydrulic systm, e point ar which
lhe wipcr plte will give wy cfi be set. In the evert of a jem the pI plte moves awy ft@r th drum nd
it is clared autoEaticlly.

Scondry spration
s pased out of the mchie or the belt conveyor (H) cosi$s mainly of sller roctl, pebbles,
tsh, short ce stlk as wll s longer c stalk llut need to be reclairnd i order ) keep sucrose

Materil that
sd,

221

minimm. To tlis
sldts ws devised.
losses to a

eDd a secordary septioD mecharism

tht sepntes and rcclaims these longer

The belt coveyor is e 00-rm wide belr rlrn t higft 6ped. A tootbed cditrg durt G) is sitated slightly lower ,
tbr lhe belt, e sho distarr ry ftom thc hcd pulley of e treli conveyor. The tri:ctory of the extmus
materiel leeving th belt is such tbt it dos rot reach ttc crditrg drun bt hlls onlo secood belt @rveyor (J),
which coNeys it o a bir. lrger crc sllts, however, hidge the gap between the head pulley |d e crding
alrum ad arc ccmbed over ito a chute tat dirEc6 them
ooto a rEclaim coNeyor (K), *ich in tu dcposiG lhetrr back orao e oraitr cre carri (E).
Ttre desigtr of the sy61en is such tbl mimr positional adjuslmerts to lhe crdirg drum ae possible in order to
ehieve atr opiimum compromise betwen cary-over of crc stlks atrd rejectiotr of uwan@d ateria.l.

OBSERVATTONS DI'RING OPERATION

Rod( nd srd

rqmrl

The RRS bs been in opertion for oly one ort ctshitrg se$or atrd about 400,000 t of cne hve been
processed. It hs mt yet been possible to deEfmine the total mgurt of extrereos maleril plesent fu tt
icoming caE so s to calculte atr bsolute seportio figre. Hoq,ever, limited mfr f rats hav
ben caried ot otr the material lha is separEd ftom the cne.

On lhe basis of ese tests, it pFrs al e rnlcril separetd ot efter lrr pdmary sepalation stge
noun6 to qL 0.5S on cec. This mtriel comisls of bout 30% coe rd 70 % ocl$, sad nd other
ofgdc mtf.
Usitrg rhese ralios it ca! be deductd thet the mck ard satrd renoved ftom lhe cer amourts to about 0.35
o cre of 3500 t pcr illion t of cre.
Pol sYin;s
when corryaritrg pol mouts lost with
ed wilhout RRS, the follorvitrg
tooDages werc obraid per millioo t of

Teble

1.

PerfoIaee of

Rl

Removel Syslem

Withot

RRS

(tos)

Wirh RRS
(tons)

c Clble l):

Fil@r ckc gererted

38.000

3.000

Clrtty of mix.d jutce

Pol lo6t itr filter ceke

380

30

The percent suspeded solids itr nixed

jice for lhe Mlelarc mill is 0.O7

while tbat for Komaai is 0.04. a
rerction of 43%. This crn largcly bc
amibuted to lhe fact thet Xoneti bs
tbe RRS s bodr mills rcceive simi!
car ed have similar crue preportio
extction equrpmct.

Separted strrfi fiom RRS

(0.5% cre)

5.000

Amoutrt of cxne itr sepeeted

1.5m

strel (30%)
Pol lo$ in seperred strem

Totel Pol l-o6t

Percentage Saviry

Gererl Obsrvatiors

It is evidei tht the nachir is

etrmely successl es a sall
i(rk ed sd reover.
228

180

380

2ro
45

> 90 % of all lage rocks ( > 350

itr ihe cne arE removed.
UDidiectional otientaotr of the ca otuo the maitr ce carie is not achieved due to e combing action
of ttc tined dm.
Cme bdles ere combed out inoo morc or less homogencous mt on the min cane caier.
The pdmary 6efraration system does rct hmdle cane billets well. These pss out along wirh sma]l rocks;
ed depediry on iheir legt!, eier get rectaimed or rejected in the secondry separaor.
Oprtiotr of the mchi is simple ad li,rtetrce is erpected to be minimal.

m)

It is estimated tat

The

Seco ary Sepxration Systen, showing

Beh Conveyor H t the bottom, a piece of

tre passing over the CardinS Drum I a
Reject Belt Corveyor J going out to\rrds

e rishr.
Figre 3. A vie\r on the Primy
Separation Sistem from e
C lotate Control Room.
showiog the Feeder Table A
o the left, the Inclined
Side Plrle B aDd the Rock

Removal Dnrn D.

CONCLUSIONS

It

is erpected tbat the machine will coDtribute gre y to

reducing th \er rud rcar on bives and sbledder hammers
with the associated decrese in meitrtef:me costs due to its rock
removal capebilities. Decressl stops on the cane preparation
lin

ll

iicrcse time efficiency ad thereby benefit

the

subsequent ertraction processes,

Removal of clayey ad/or orgadc soils will contribute to rcducing processing prcblems lhroughout the factory.
As mertioned, this has ber experieced at the mud frlter statiotr with low amouts of lter cake being gene.ated.
Erosion of boiler tubes and other seclioos ir co.ltel wi lhe flue gas will be gratly rcducrd because of the lIge
amourt of send removed. This is expectfd to lower nainlenance costs sigrificandy,
Tbe machine istlled at the Kotnati mill is cortimrously beirg improved so its full potential will ooly b realized
later. However, results of tesls conducted thus fer are extremely promisitrg.

TSB has patented e system and loots forwrd to its se

229

the suger industry

t large.

ACXNO}VI.aI,GME{TS

Tbts.r. E b

Mcs!6 A.H.

Wi6-,

& Asscid, Drtt , for tcir

T.

dor

eold.Io [r

Etfc.

C-AJ. dc Jger d c.P. H.itrShof TSB rd H-T.

itr &sigig d dcvclopig rhc RRS.

lt li. Mocrc

of TSB fur Fnission ro Fblis i5

Joc

of

Bd

p@r,

NEFEf,ENCES

lchf

t99), A cvlufion of thc s.pndo

dn SMRI Tbicl R.tort No. f2t.

B.W.

McBlhoe, B.A. & I4wis, D.K. Oyt2). R@f

trd possible utiliz.rio of all thr co$rincds of tbc $bolc cre

@ovd piloi pl.na

for drycle.ing. JouEl S.ri6 of th. ExFritretrt

StffuG HPltA. P{cr No. 3!5.

rs lcii. Nov.
Fri6, 199+95 ae.

sug Miig

1994).

LIIIMINATIOI{

Motrl y eidy of lborrory rtporb for Soulhcr Africr SWr

IIES OCEF,S ET DII SAf,.T A

()IllATI

D-E. d Plmy
Taai(d Scwic6 d Devclopocd DGD
Tnsvl Su8 Limitcd, Malcle,
Rprblic of Sott Aftic

la cs

reqr6 l $crrric coticDred sovtrt

dc Sslcts, du ssble et des ulierEs ctrrngcrcs.

pa\,!d cEr d6 daFrs *riar. Cal

Ccs Dtiarts
problcm.r l hicatio.
plodlrctiotr
et
clse
das
de

@rcs

On

&6it I'opcdion d !,@

dore ulsi

K(i

les quaitcs alcvces ct lcs

InlOCIoN

DE

rfE

e cour dc

porr ctrlcvcr lcs galcrs, la sble t

l'aracrier, rcftit lc EDp6

rurts

oaricres atrgErts. Otr

efttr l'6i.

IOCA Y AIENA EN TSB'S INGEMO XOMATI

D.B. tu Plooy

Tccicl Scrviccs Dd DevaloDoeot Dcpotert

Ti.n6vl SWr Lnibd, MelebE,

Relrblic of 50th Aftica

tESUr,@l

f cft

crd

cortadr y cfgL quc sa llcv utr irgptrio rarcsrro Fr scr proaa6d, cs a veced [otori por l
ftr y otrs oarcris ctt tfu $E cotraic.

ad dc picdas,

Si ste

rei D

cs

r@vido tas

y cquipG arilirs co

106

dc pocrs l cf, cusa exterisos dos l equipo procrsdor d ce

d@s codoc fc Dednienlo y pdids da ti.mpo de ploduccir.

co6i$ie6

230

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