The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1888-05-22
TEE DIFFUSION PROCESS.
New Method of Extracting the
Juice from Sugar Cane.
It's Working at KeaIia-Gcneral
Description OF the Plant
Mechanical Difficulties
Encountered

Within the past few months Col. Il.
= 5ralding, manager of the NIallee
sugar Company, has imported from
Germany and erected at Kealia,
Kauai, d costly plant for extracting
the Juice from the sugar cane. When
obtained the juice is converted into
the different grades Of raw sugar by
Tie same appliances as are used for
Juice expressed by roller mills.
a representative OF the GAZETTE
had the pleasure OF seeing the diffusion
process in operation within, the past
few days at Kealia. The machinery
is housed in building of corrugated
iron erected Tor the purpose, equal to
three stories in height, but floored in
only two, The space of the third being
required Tor loftily hung gear For
Ihe purpose of description the plant
may boz divided into three parts
namely: cutting, carrying, and diff
NANH-.l--s lAG AeAAAN 10 AhllltQ VII " ACtu-
ing travellers the same as for a roller
mill, but il requires probably more
handling to feed TO the cutters than to
The rollers.
There are three cutting machines.
Each of these receives the cane
through SIX sloping tunnels, with a cap
3city et ten or fifteen. sticks Of cane at a
time. fed endWise TO the knives. -Four
n 1. i
o. q swiftly revolving and upright
spindle They therefore cut laterally,
but the cane being fed obliquely is
sliced into thin chips, diagonally
across the grain.
IT. chips fall from the cutters into
recc Vers on the lower floor, whence an
endle ss system OF toothed carriers con-
Vey them ain ost to the summit of the
building, there elmptying them into
long funnel, the delivery end of which
can be swung over the upper mouth of
any ol the twelve diffusion tanks re-
quiung To be filed. While talking of
carrying appliances, mention may be
mace of another system tlat carries
the chips when their sacch arine mat
Ter is exhausted, from the tanks to the
old maceration mill The chips are
passed through the latter machine to
squeeze all the water out of them and
thus render them fit for fuel.
There are twelve diffusion tanks,
with am estimated capacity of about
500 gallons each, the exact quantity
MOI having been ascertained as yet.
More tanks may be added TO the sys-
TEN ii necessary. The twelve are
ranged in about three-quarter are of
a circle, with room for four other tanks
between the ends of the row Iron
pillars and iron and wooden joists sup
port the tanks. The dome-shaped top
covers of the tanks and apparatus for
opening and closing the covers, and
appliances for controlling, regulating
and drawing off the liquid contents,
etc, are I'll Just above the second floor,
while the main portion of the tanks
show beneath, their bottoms being five
or six feet above the ground floor.
Cl0se-1itting bottoms on hinges sustain
the contents of the tanks or release
them when desired, being held hard in
closed position by counterpoises of 500
or 500 pounds ut the ends of levers
about five feetin length Between the
tanks are heaters through which the
liquid currents pass from one tank to
the next
Having seen the plant the next thing
Is Its operation, or the diffusion pro-
cess. The tanks are filled one by one
with cane chips from the cutters. Diff
fusion is to proceed in ten out of the
twelve tanks simultaneously but in
graduated stages of completion. Of
the remaining two tanks, one is re-
ceiving chips from the cutters, the
other being emptied of exhausted chips
10 take its turn next in order for fill
ina. There is therefore a circuit for
the process of diffusion constantly
throughout the ten tanks. Water of
temperature OF 1876 to zoe degrees
must he below the boiling points
admitted AZ the base of the freshly
filled tank. The hot water is forced
upward through the mass OF chips,
and, leaving ut the top of the first,
descends through a heater to the bot
tom of the next tank, and so on
through the whole battery. 1t should
be stated here, however, that the juice
NAV he forced through the system by
either water or compressed air, there
being an air compressor set up ready
Ion producing the latter power when
desired The circulation goes on
through the series of diffUseIs until
the water from the one started with
stands al zero, or becomes destitute of
a trace OF saccharine matter, or sugar !
Then that one is switched OF the cir
cult. the one flling in the meantime
Is switched on, the first one taking its
place at the filler. and so the process |
goes on without Interruption. 1t will |
of course be understood, being impos- /
sible To explain infinitely without dia- |
grams, that there are ducts for the cir |
cUiation of the juice, hot water orcom- |
pressed air, with apparatus for draw /
ing oil test samples of juice, releasing /
vapors, ascertaining temperature and |
conducting liquids OF all kinds where
ever wanted. From the diftusers the /
Juice goes to the CHARTERS as from the
rollers in the grinding process, and ii /
IS not the purpose OF this description
To follow il there.
A few words on results expected and /
n = I ~