Optimization of heat economy by sugar production in the Aarberg sugar factory

This paper summarises the technological development in the Aarberg sugar factory between the years 2009 and 2013. The aims of this paper and in general the improvements in heat utilization are derived from previous work of the last 25 years. The technological development focusing on the reduction of primary energy by processing will be presented in further steps. First of all, a model of the entire process will be compiled, based on detailed mass and enthalpy balances, which are correlated to up-to-now technological state of the processing. Permanent comparison of measured process values with the results of a computer simulation increases the precision of erected model. The accuracy of established simulation varies around 3%(rel). So compiled process model of the entire manufacturing can be later on used for the formulation of possible process improvements (for a so called What-if analysis). Hypothetical technology changes, derived from available process simulation, can be used for reconstructions and improvements in the factory. The achieved improvement is the result of an already 5 years long close cooperation between the sugar factory and the consulting engineers and can be expressed in terms of fresh steam consumption: the total reduction reaches 12.5%(rel).