Cane sugar is being manufactured at the rate of 500 kg/hr from sugar canes that have the following composition (% by weight): Sugar = 16%
Water = 25 %
Pulp = 59 %
The canes are crushed in a mill to mechanically extract the juice and the cellulosic residue (called bagasse) is discarded. The juice containing 13 percent sugar and 14 percent pulp is filtered on vibrating screens to remove the pulp. The resulting clear syrup containing 15 % sugar (rest water) is first concentrated to 40 % in an evaporator and then fed to an evaporator-crystalliser where further water is removed and sugar crystals separate out. Bagasse discarded from the mill contains 80% pulp and solids retained on the screens 95% pulp. Calculate:
a) Mass of canes required per hour
b) Mass of water removed in evaporator per hour
c) Composition (% by weight) of solids retained on screens
d) Percentage of sugar lost in bagasse