A Pilot Scale Batch Pan

The existing small scale batch pans used for research in the South African sugar industry have limited capabilities for simulating industrial operations. In particular, these pans have been designed and used primarily for determining equilibrium conditions and have not been designed to achieve the rates of crystallization which are achieved in full scale pans. Operating an existing laboratory scale pan under closely controlled conditions also produced much wider crystal size distributions than are obtained in industrial scale pan boiling. To address these limitations and provide a facility to study crystallisation under closely controlled conditions which simulate industrial scale pan boiling, a new pilot scale batch pan has been designed and constructed. Features included in the design of the pan are, a steam heated calandria, the use of standard diameter pan tubes (100mm), a variable speed mechanical stirrer and a high level of instrumentation and control. The design of the pan is described in terms of the experience gained on the small laboratory scale pan. Some performance data from the pan are presented.