The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1869-08-04
RiIlieux Sugar Train.

Editor Of the Hdlcdiida Gdzette-Dedr Sir:
In the manufacture of sugar upon our isl
ands, it yet remains to be practically demon
strated, that the trash may be relied upon to
make fuel sufficient for the working of
the sugar house. No trains put up on our
plantations, have as yet been worked except
by large consumption of wood to supple
ment the trash, in the furnaces. 1t has been
stated that on Cuban plantations and else
where, trains are in use capable of taking off
many crops of sugar with no other fuel than
the trash, and l have heard the same fact
asserted by eye witnesses, but, in the light of
our own experience and unsatisfactory ex-
periments, have been incredulous.
1t has not been my fortune to witness the
working of trains that can get along with
only thrash fuel" but have fallen in with
gentlemen, who are familiar with the Rilli-
eux train, who have worked it upon planta-
tions, and who assure me, it can take off a
crop, without the aid of coal or wood or any
other fuel, than the dry trash.
The RIllieux train bears the name of its in
ventor, who was practical sugar boiler and
engineer in Louisiana. 1t has been before
the public since 1S4S period sufficiently
long to prove its wants, and to improve
upon its first practical defects. Messrs. Mer-
rick d Son, of Philadelphia, are the sole
manufacturers, and TO them am indebted
for explanations and prices. This train as
now put up, aims not only at producing su-
gar, at minimum cost, but of the highest
grade, pure, white, refined; the whole or
part of the process being available, at the
option Of the planter, as he may desire to
make good muscovado, or white refined.
Professor McCulloch said in his report,
first made, directly from vegetable juice,
sugar of absolute chemical purity, combined
with perfection of crystal and color" The
complete process consists of DELEGATION with
lime, Qualification by bone black, boiling
down in vacuum pans, and liquoring or syrup
ing in pneumatic pans, for refined sugars,
drying by centrifugals for molasses sugars.
The juice delivered from the mill is received
in the defecator, treated with lime, and
brought to the boiling point. 1t is allowed
time to settle, is drawn off and passed
through the bone black filters. 1t then goes
to the first vacuum pan, and is boiled down
to fifteen degrees Beaume, thence to the Sec
ond vacuum pan to be reduced to twenty
eight degrees. 1t passes now to the syrup
CHARTERS, when it is boiled and skinned, and
again to the filters from which it issues, q
pure decolorized syrup, for concentration in
the third vacuum, or strike pan. This pan
is emptied into steam heater, If its contents
are designed for syruping, or into coolers if
for muscovado sugar. The train is worked
by steam throughout; the defecators, syrup
CHARTERS and strike pan, by live or direct,
and the two boiling vacuum pans by exhaust
steam. A full size No Rillieux apparatus,
with capacity of 1900 lbs of sugar in "a
hours, requires two boilers, Sc inches by 80
feet, having two II inch hues, third boiler
of the same capacity, is required for the mill
and centrifugal engines.
The economy of fuel, by using this train,
is secured by substituting for open kettles
heated either by direct fire, or steam, two
vacuum pans, heated by the exhaust steam
of the engines. Vacuum pan No /, to which
the defeated juice is transferred, is opera
ted BY the exhaust of the mill, air pump and
centrifugal engines. In boiling this pan, all
the exhaust steam is condensed, but large
amount Of vapor is given out by the boiling
juice, which being conducted into vacuum
pan No 2, has sufficient heat to boil its con-
tents, and reduce the juice to twenty-eight
degrees The result is explained by the fact
that No. 2 Is full vacuum pan, whereas No.