CANE SUGAR. 



elements which may be arranged as a line or circular battery. The pipe line 

 W represents the water main connected to the overhead tank, and that marked 

 J the juice main. Let it be cell No. 1 that is the first to be filled with chips ; 

 the three or four last cells of the battery are first filled with water. To do 

 this the cock W9 is opened, and water flows into cell No. 9. When No. 9 is 

 three-parts full the top door is closed, and as soon as water escapes through the 

 air vent the valve W 9 is closed. No. 10 is now filled, but in a different 

 way ; the valves J9 and J 10, are opened and also W 9. Water then flows from 

 cell No. 9 up juice heater No. 9, through the valves in the juice main J9 and 

 J10, down juice heater No. 10 and up into diffuser No. 10. It will be seen 

 that water passes through two juice heaters and enters the cell from the bottom ; 

 in this way the air is free to escape. This method of filling a cell is termed in 

 French meichage. Cells Nos. 11 and 12 are then filled in a precisely similar 

 manner. During the passage of the water through the juice heater it is heated 

 and enters the cells at a temperature of about 200 F. 



By this time cell No. 1 will have been filled with chips, and is now ready 

 to receive hot water from cell No. 12. The water is passed into cell No. 1 in 

 the manner described as meichage, as soon as juice passes out through the air 

 vent. The direction of the flow of water is reversed by closing the valve J 12 

 .and opening the circulation valve C12, so that the flow is now from top to 

 bottom. 



In the meantime, cell No. 2 has been filled with chips, and the operations 

 described in connection with cell No. 1 are carried out in a precisely similar 

 manner. "When five or six cells have been filled with chips in this way, those 

 that were at first filled with water are emptied. To do this, the hydrostatic 

 pressure is replaced by air pressure from the air compressor, the water connect- 

 ions being shut off. When cell No. 6 has been filled with chips and water, the 

 first charge of juice is drawn. To do this the direction of the flow is changed 

 in this cell from top to bottom, the circulation valve is opened and the juice 

 valve shut; at the same time the valve connecting the juice main to the 

 measuring tank is opened. The juice from cell No. 6 will flow along the juice 

 main under either the influence of hydrostatic pressure from the overhead tank 

 or air pressure from the air compressor. When the proper amount of juice has 

 been drawn, the valve leading from the juice main to the measuring tank is 

 closed, and cell No. 7 is filled by meichage. The chips in cell No. 1 are now 

 exhausted, the door at the bottom is opened and the chips are discharged on to 

 a carrier, which conveys them to a mill where they are crushed and passed on 

 to the boiler wall for fuel. 



After the first charge has been drawn from cell No. 6, a charge is drawn 

 from cell No. 7, and so on from each cell of fresh chips until that cell is 

 reached which was the first to be filled with chips. The first round of the 

 battery is now complete, and the regular routine recommences. Two cells are 

 always out of circuit, one filling and one being prepared for fresh chips. 



230 



