Mobile Cane Juice Extractor In-Field Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Sugar cane juice extraction methods result in significant raw material loss due to transportation delays and mechanical harvesting damage, and existing solutions are costly and complex to maintain.
Innovation Solution
A mobile cane juice extractor with a wagon having an upper deck for cutting and juice extraction, and a lower deck for juice storage, featuring rotating feeders, compression rollers, and a filtration system, allowing in-field processing and minimizing pulp reintroduction into the field.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual labor and machinery are used to harvest sugar canes, then harvesting can be performed, but the cut cane loses sugar content due to transportation delays and mechanical damage
Solution Approach 1:
The juice extraction process is performed immediately in the field after harvesting, before the cane is transported to a processing plant. This preliminary action eliminates transportation delays and prevents sugar content loss that would occur during transport of cut cane.
Solution Approach 2:
A mobile juice extraction unit is introduced as an intermediary between the harvester and the processing plant. This intermediary device performs cutting and juice extraction in the field, eliminating the need to transport cut cane to a remote processing plant.
2Productivity
If a trailer with complex systems is used for juice extraction, then juice extraction performance is improved, but maintenance and upkeep costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The juice extraction system is divided into separate functional modules: a cutting station with rotating feeders, compression roller sets for juice extraction, and a filtration system. This segmentation allows each component to be simple and maintainable while collectively achieving effective juice extraction.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses gravity to move cane through the cutting station and compression rollers, and natural filtration through the chute and filtering system. This reduces the need for complex mechanical systems and lowers maintenance requirements while maintaining effective juice extraction performance.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Maximizes juice yield by reducing material loss and simplifying maintenance through in-field processing, while being cost-effective and efficient in raw material utilization.
Implementation Method 1
Each set of rollers is configured to compress the cut cane down to smaller dimensions to thereby extract the juice
Implementation Method 2
The chute includes a filtering system to filter out pulp and other debris
Data Source
AI summary
The cane juice extractor includes a wagon that may be hitched to or towed alongside a harvesting machine or combine for application in-field. The wagon includes a frame having an upper deck and a lower deck. The upper deck includes an inlet side where harvested cane may be fed for juice extraction and an outlet side for disposing the pulp. Rotating feeders feed the cane to a cutting station on the upper deck. The cutting station comminutes the cane into billets that are carried by an endless belt through a series of compression roller sets. Each set of rollers compress the cut cane down to smaller dimensions to extract the juice. A chute disposed between the upper and lower decks collects the juices and funnels them into a juice storage tank on the lower deck. The pulp is expelled from the outlet side to the field.