Method for sugar beet sugar production with improved quality of the finished sugar

Abstract

A beet sugar production method for improving the quality of finished sugar comprises the following steps: Evaporated and concentrated sugar syrup is fed into a seed crystallizer, heated under low vacuum until saturated, then cooled to allow the syrup to enter the supersaturated metastable region, and finally, alcoholic sugar paste is added at a constant temperature of 64°C. The cooking time is controlled at 45–60 minutes, maintaining a supersaturation coefficient of 1.05–1.10 to prevent natural crystallization. After the material is cured at a constant temperature to repair the crystals, it is cooled to 18–20°C, and crystallization is achieved through stirring and precise temperature control using PID control, yielding primary seed sugar with an average particle size of 50 μm and a particle size deviation ≤3%. Concentrated sugar syrup is added, and the mixture is kept at a constant temperature of 30–35°C for 3–4 hours to produce crystal seed sugar with a particle size of 120±5 μm and a crystal integrity ≥95%. The crystal seed sugar is quantitatively added to each stage of the sugar boiling process, with segmented temperature control and matched with limited steam pressure to complete the boiling process. This invention features a standardized process, eliminating reliance on manual experience, effectively improving the quality and stability of the finished sugar, and achieving high production efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the technical field of beet sugar production methods, specifically to a beet sugar production method for improving the quality of finished sugar. Background Technology

[0002] In the traditional sugar-making and boiling stage of sugar beets, the process generally relies on manual experience to cultivate seed crystals in the boiling tank. There are no unified standards for the process and no precise control of the process. As a result, there have long been a series of common problems in the industry, such as poor crystal quality, low production efficiency, high energy consumption, and insufficient stability of finished products.

[0003] The seed crystals prepared based on manual experience exhibit severe dispersion in particle size, resulting in large fluctuations in seed crystal size and quality. Over 30% of the crystals deviate from the standard particle size, leading to inconsistent sugar particle size and poor appearance in the finished product. This process is highly dependent on the skill level of the operators, making it difficult for novices to consistently produce qualified seed crystals. Furthermore, the seed crystal preparation process is not standardized, and the crystallization kinetics lack precise control. The nucleation and growth rates of crystals are uncontrollable throughout the seed boiling and crystal growth process, resulting in significant batch-to-batch differences in sugar quality and extremely poor product consistency. This fails to meet the requirements of large-scale standardized production, leading to uneven crystal development, deformities, and frequent crystal aggregation, resulting in low purity, easy moisture absorption and clumping in the finished sugar, and difficulty in consistently controlling product quality and storage stability. Moreover, the traditional process utilizes steam inefficiently, with a single-pot sugar boiling cycle of up to 8 hours. This prolonged boiling time results in significant ineffective energy consumption, high raw material sugar loss, low beet sugar extraction and conversion rate, low production efficiency and raw material sugar yield, and high overall operating costs.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need in the existing technology for a sugar-making method from sugar beets that can improve the quality of finished sugar without relying on manual experience, adopt a standardized preparation process, improve the quality and stability of finished sugar, and consume less energy, have a higher sugar yield, and higher production efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the existing technology and provide a beet sugar production method to improve the quality of finished sugar.

[0006] The objective of this invention is achieved through the following technical solution: a beet sugar-making method for improving the quality of finished sugar, comprising the following steps: 1) Syrup pretreatment: ① The concentrated syrup after the evaporation process is transported to the seed crystallization tank for seed boiling and concentration. The seed boiling process is maintained under a low vacuum condition of -500 to -700 mbar. The syrup is heated and evaporated to remove water, and the syrup concentration is gradually increased to a saturated state. At this time, the syrup temperature is 108℃. After saturation, the temperature is quickly reduced to 55℃ to make the syrup enter a supersaturated state. After the supersaturation coefficient enters the metastable region, the temperature is raised to 64℃ and the syrup temperature is kept constant at 64℃. The syrup is then added to the alcohol syrup for later use. ② Control the entire boiling time of the syrup to 45-60 minutes, and keep the supersaturation coefficient of the syrup stable at 1.05-1.10 throughout the process to prevent the syrup from crystallizing naturally. 2) Crystallization preparation of primary seed crystals: ① The material is kept at a constant temperature and stabilized for 55 minutes to complete the repair of the crystal surface. The supersaturation coefficient of the sugar solution is kept stable within the metastable range throughout the process. Then, the circulating cooling water system is turned on to perform gradient cooling of the concentrated syrup. The initial temperature of the cooling water is 25℃, the cooling rate is controlled at 0.8~1.2℃ / min, and the final temperature is reduced to 18~20℃. ② The stirring speed of the crystallization seed tank is kept constant at 80-100 rpm. The cooling curve is precisely controlled by the PID temperature control system to ensure that the syrup temperature drops steadily and large and drastic temperature fluctuations are strictly prohibited. Under the conditions of 80°Bx saturation and 90%-92% purity, the syrup steadily enters the supersaturated state and begins to crystallize as the temperature continues to decrease. Under low temperature conditions, the sucrose molecule movement rate slows down, the crystal growth process is gentle, and the crystal shape is regular and complete, finally producing a primary seed with an average particle size of 50μm and a particle size distribution deviation of ≤3%. 3) Secondary crystal growth from seed crystals: ① The prepared primary seed culture is transported to the syrup receiving box, and concentrated syrup with a concentration of 65-70°Bx is added according to the seed culture to syrup wet base mass ratio of 1:8. ② The crystal growth environment temperature is controlled at 30-35℃, the stirring speed is 80-100rpm, and the crystal growth is carried out at a constant temperature for 3-4 hours; so that the average particle size of the seed crystals grows from 50μm to 120±5μm, the crystal integrity is ≥95%, and the standardized seed crystal preparation is completed. 4) Seed crystal application and sugar boiling control: ① Add 0.8-1.2 kg of standardized seed crystals per cubic meter of sugar solution and evenly add them to the first, second, and third sugar boiling processes; ②Segmented control of process parameters during the sugar boiling stage: temperature of the first stage of sugar boiling is 65-70℃, the temperature of the second stage is 55-60℃, and the temperature of the third stage is 45-50℃, with a matching steam gauge pressure of 0.08-0.12MPa; to ensure that the seed crystals grow uniformly and stably in each stage, and the proportion of crystals in the final finished sucrose that deviate from the standard particle size (medium particle size 0.450-1.25mm) is within 5%.

[0007] The beneficial effects of this invention are: 1. This invention effectively optimizes seed crystal preparation and crystal growth control, significantly improving the uniformity of finished sugar crystals. The proportion of crystals deviating from the standard particle size has been reduced from over 30% to less than 5%. Crystal regularity is significantly improved, and the finished sugar exhibits excellent drying properties after separation, effectively avoiding moisture absorption and clumping during storage and transportation. This greatly enhances the product's physicochemical quality and appearance, strengthening its core market competitiveness.

[0008] 2. By optimizing the precise crystal control process, the sugar boiling cycle can be significantly shortened, and production efficiency can be improved. At the same time, the crystallization conversion effect is improved, and 2 to 3 more kilograms of finished sugar can be produced from 100 kilograms of sugar beet raw materials. The sugar loss in the process is reduced by 1% to 1.5% compared with the traditional process. The utilization rate of raw materials and the sugar yield are significantly improved, bringing considerable economic benefits to enterprises.

[0009] 3. This invention abandons the traditional production model that heavily relies on the personal experience of operators, reduces the impact of subjective differences in human operation on seed quality, and allows even operators with no prior experience to prepare qualified standard seed crystals. Simultaneously, it enables standardized batch pre-production of seed crystals for on-demand use, avoiding the uncertainties of on-site temporary cultivation, significantly reducing the difficulty of process operation, unifying production standards, and ensuring consistent quality across different batches of products.

[0010] 4. The method of the present invention does not require continuous high-temperature heating throughout the entire process, which greatly reduces heat energy consumption; at the same time, it improves the recycling rate of molasses and controls production costs from multiple dimensions such as energy consumption and material loss. The overall production cost can be reduced by 10% to 15%, and the cost reduction and efficiency improvement advantages are prominent.

[0011] 5. This invention can effectively improve the resource utilization rate in the sugar beet production process, reduce raw material and energy waste, and align with the industry development trend of energy conservation, emission reduction, and green production. This invention can promote the standardization and refinement of sugar beet production processes, enhance the overall technical level of the domestic sugar beet industry, and promote high-quality development of the industry. Detailed Implementation

[0012] The present invention will now be described in detail. Example

[0013] A method for improving the quality of finished sugar from sugar beets includes the following steps: 1) Syrup pretreatment: ① The concentrated syrup after the evaporation process is transported to the seed crystallization tank for seed boiling and concentration; the seed boiling process is maintained under a low vacuum of -500mbar, the syrup is heated and evaporated to remove water, and the syrup concentration is gradually increased to the saturation state, at which time the syrup temperature is 108℃; after saturation, the temperature is rapidly reduced to 55℃ to make the syrup enter the supersaturated state, and after the supersaturation coefficient enters the metastable region, the temperature is raised to 64℃, and the syrup temperature is kept constant at 64℃, and then put into alcoholic syrup for later use; ② Control the entire boiling time of the syrup to 60 minutes, and keep the supersaturation coefficient of the syrup stable at 1.05 throughout the process to prevent the syrup from crystallizing naturally. 2) Crystallization preparation of primary seed crystals: ① The material was kept at a constant temperature for 55 minutes to complete the repair of the crystal surface and keep the supersaturation coefficient of the sugar solution within the metastable range throughout the process; then the circulating cooling water system was turned on to perform gradient cooling of the concentrated syrup; the initial temperature of the cooling water was 25℃, the cooling rate was controlled at 0.8℃ / min, and the final temperature was reduced to 20℃. ② The stirring speed of the crystallization seed tank is kept constant at 80-100 rpm. The cooling curve is precisely controlled by the PID temperature control system to ensure that the syrup temperature drops steadily and large and drastic temperature fluctuations are strictly prohibited. Under the conditions of 80°Bx saturation and 90% purity, the syrup steadily enters the supersaturated state and begins to crystallize as the temperature continues to decrease. Under the low temperature environment, the movement rate of sucrose molecules slows down, the crystal growth process is gentle, and the crystal shape is regular and complete. Finally, a primary seed with an average particle size of 50 μm and a particle size distribution deviation of ≤3% is obtained. 3) Secondary crystal growth from seed crystals: ① The prepared primary seed culture is transported to the syrup receiving box, and concentrated syrup with a concentration of 65°Bx is added according to the wet mass ratio of seed culture to syrup of 1:8. ② The crystal growth environment temperature is controlled at 30℃, the stirring speed is 100rpm, and the crystal growth is carried out at a constant temperature for 4h; so that the average particle size of the seed crystals grows from 50μm to 120±5μm, the crystal integrity is ≥95%, and the standardized seed crystal preparation is completed. 4) Seed crystal application and sugar boiling control: ① Add 0.8 kg of standardized seed crystals per cubic meter of sugar solution and evenly add them to the first, second, and third sugar-cooking processes; ②Segmented control of process parameters during the sugar boiling stage: temperature of the first paste 65℃, the second paste 55℃, and the third paste 45℃, with a matching steam gauge pressure of 0.08MPa; to ensure that the seed crystals grow uniformly and stably in each stage, and the proportion of crystals in the final finished sucrose that deviate from the standard particle size (medium particle size 0.450~1.25mm) is within 5%.

[0014] This embodiment significantly improves crystal regularity, resulting in excellent drying properties of the finished sugar after separation treatment. It eliminates moisture absorption and clumping issues during storage and transportation, greatly enhancing the product's physicochemical quality and appearance. Compared to traditional processes, this invention shortens the sugar boiling cycle and increases production efficiency. Simultaneously, the crystallization conversion effect is improved, yielding an additional 2 jin of finished sugar from 100 jin of sugar beet raw material, while reducing sugar loss by 1% compared to traditional processes. Example

[0015] A method for improving the quality of finished sugar from sugar beets includes the following steps: 1. Syrup pretreatment: ① The concentrated syrup after the evaporation process is transported to the seed crystallization tank for seed boiling and concentration; the seed boiling process is maintained under a low vacuum of -700mbar, the syrup is heated and evaporated to remove water, and the syrup concentration is gradually increased to the saturation state, at which time the syrup temperature is 108℃; after saturation, the temperature is rapidly reduced to 55℃ to make the syrup enter the supersaturated state, and after the supersaturation coefficient enters the metastable region, the temperature is raised to 64℃, and the syrup temperature is kept constant at 64℃, and then put into alcoholic syrup for later use; ② Control the entire boiling time of the syrup to 45 minutes, and keep the supersaturation coefficient of the syrup stable at 1.10 throughout the process to prevent the syrup from crystallizing naturally. 2. Preparation of primary seed crystals by crystallization: ① The material was kept at a constant temperature for 55 minutes to complete the repair of the crystal surface and keep the supersaturation coefficient of the sugar solution within the metastable range throughout the process; then the circulating cooling water system was turned on to perform gradient cooling of the concentrated syrup; the initial temperature of the cooling water was 25℃, the cooling rate was controlled at 1.2℃ / min, and the final temperature was reduced to 18℃. ② The stirring speed of the crystallization seed tank is kept constant at 80-100 rpm. The cooling curve is precisely controlled by the PID temperature control system to ensure that the syrup temperature drops steadily and large and drastic temperature fluctuations are strictly prohibited. At a saturation of 80°Bx and a purity of 92%, the syrup steadily enters a supersaturated state and begins to crystallize as the temperature continues to decrease. Under low temperature conditions, the movement rate of sucrose molecules slows down, the crystal growth process is gentle, and the crystal shape is regular and complete, finally producing a primary seed with an average particle size of 50μm and a particle size distribution deviation of ≤3%. 3. Secondary crystal growth from seed crystals: ① The prepared primary seed culture is transported to the syrup receiving box, and concentrated syrup with a concentration of 70°Bx is added according to the wet mass ratio of seed culture to syrup of 1:8. ② The crystal growth environment temperature is controlled at 35℃, the stirring speed is 80rpm, and the crystal growth is carried out at a constant temperature for 3h; so that the average particle size of the seed crystals grows from 50μm to 120±5μm, the crystal integrity is ≥95%, and the standardized seed crystal preparation is completed. 4. Seed crystal application and sugar boiling control: ① Add 1.2 kg of standardized seed crystals per cubic meter of sugar solution and evenly add them to the first, second, and third sugar boiling processes; ②Segmented control of process parameters during the sugar boiling stage: temperature of the first paste is 70℃, the second paste is 60℃, and the third paste is 50℃, with a matching steam gauge pressure of 0.12MPa; to ensure that the seed crystals grow uniformly and stably in each stage, and the proportion of crystals in the final finished sucrose that deviate from the standard particle size (medium particle size 0.450~1.25mm) is within 5%.

[0016] This embodiment significantly improves crystal regularity, resulting in excellent drying properties of the finished sugar after separation. It eliminates moisture absorption and clumping issues during storage and transportation, greatly enhancing the product's physicochemical quality and appearance. Compared to traditional processes, this invention shortens the sugar boiling cycle and increases production efficiency. The crystallization conversion effect is improved, yielding an additional 3 catties of finished sugar from 100 catties of sugar beet raw material, while reducing sugar loss by 1.5% compared to traditional processes.

[0017] Finally, it should be noted that the above content is only used to illustrate the technical solution of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Simple modifications or equivalent substitutions made by those skilled in the art to the technical solution of the present invention do not depart from the essence and scope of the technical solution of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for improving the quality of finished sugar from sugar beets, characterized in that... Includes the following steps: 1) Syrup pretreatment: ① The concentrated syrup after the evaporation process is transported to the seed crystallization tank for seed boiling and concentration. The seed boiling process is maintained under a low vacuum condition of -500 to -700 mbar. The syrup is heated and evaporated to remove water, and the syrup concentration is gradually increased to a saturated state. At this time, the syrup temperature is 108℃. After saturation, the temperature is quickly reduced to 55℃ to make the syrup enter a supersaturated state. After the supersaturation coefficient enters the metastable region, the temperature is raised to 64℃ and the syrup temperature is kept constant at 64℃. The syrup is then added to the alcohol syrup for later use. ② Control the entire boiling time of the syrup to 45-60 minutes, and keep the supersaturation coefficient of the syrup stable at 1.05-1.10 throughout the process to prevent the syrup from crystallizing naturally. 2) Crystallization preparation of primary seed crystals: ① The material is kept at a constant temperature and stabilized for 55 minutes to complete the repair of the crystal surface. The supersaturation coefficient of the sugar solution is kept stable within the metastable range throughout the process. Then, the circulating cooling water system is turned on to perform gradient cooling of the concentrated syrup. The initial temperature of the cooling water is 25℃, the cooling rate is controlled at 0.8~1.2℃ / min, and the final temperature is reduced to 18~20℃. ② The stirring speed of the crystallization seed tank is kept constant at 80-100 rpm. The cooling curve is precisely controlled by the PID temperature control system to ensure that the syrup temperature drops steadily and large and drastic temperature fluctuations are strictly prohibited. Under the conditions of 80°Bx saturation and 90%-92% purity, the syrup steadily enters the supersaturated state and begins to crystallize as the temperature continues to decrease. Under low temperature conditions, the sucrose molecule movement rate slows down, the crystal growth process is gentle, and the crystal shape is regular and complete, finally producing a primary seed with an average particle size of 50μm and a particle size distribution deviation of ≤3%. 3) Secondary crystal growth from seed crystals: ① The prepared primary seed culture is transported to the syrup receiving box, and concentrated syrup with a concentration of 65-70°Bx is added according to the seed culture to syrup wet base mass ratio of 1:

8. ② The crystal growth environment temperature is controlled at 30-35℃, the stirring speed is 80-100rpm, and the crystal growth is carried out at a constant temperature for 3-4 hours; so that the average particle size of the seed crystals grows from 50μm to 120±5μm, the crystal integrity is ≥95%, and the standardized seed crystal preparation is completed. 4) Seed crystal application and sugar boiling control: ① Add 0.8-1.2 kg of standardized seed crystals per cubic meter of sugar solution and evenly add them to the first, second, and third sugar boiling processes; ②Segmented control of process parameters during the sugar boiling stage: temperature of the first stage of sugar boiling is 65-70℃, the temperature of the second stage is 55-60℃, and the temperature of the third stage is 45-50℃, with a matching steam gauge pressure of 0.08-0.12MPa; to ensure that the seed crystals grow uniformly and stably in each stage, and the proportion of crystals in the final finished sucrose that deviate from the standard particle size is within 5%.