Concentrated sugarcane juice production by concatenated stepped solar distiller

This study aims to produce high brix concentrated sugarcane juice (CSJ) and distilled water as byproduct by using modified concatenated stepped solar sugarcane juice distiller (MCSSSJD). The modified concatenated system consists of three stepped solar distillers in series having reflectors and glass cover cooling arrangement. For comparison, a simple concatenated stepped solar sugarcane juice distiller (SCSSSJD) has also been tested parallelly. Thermo-enviro-economic performance of MCSSSJD has been analysed and compared with SCSSSJD. Fresh sugarcane juice having initial brix value (degrees B) of 14.5 is fed to both the concatenated systems at 50 ml/min flow rate. The MCSSSJD produced final CSJ of 33.1 degrees B and distillate amounting 4.55 kg/day which is respectively 15.73 and 17.22 % higher than that of SCSSSJD. The energy and exergy efficiencies of MCSSSJD are evaluated to be 55.18 and 18.09 % which are respectively 8.10 and 32.29 % higher than that of SCSSSJD. The convective and evaporative heat transfer coefficients of MCSSSJD are 39.62 and 42.13 % higher than that of SCSSSJD. The MCSSSJD mitigated 57.68 tons CO2 which generated 17.46 % more carbon credits than that of SCSSSJD in lifetime. The MCSSSJD have lower daily production cost, higher total productive cost and 5.88 % shorter economic payback period.