STEAM DRYING. 189 



COST OF PLANT IN RELATION TO ITS CAPACITY. 



For the United States a plant preparing 100 tons of resid- 

 uum per diem would cost at least $45,000. On the other 

 hand the average cost for drying cossettes, in eight German 

 factories, it not more than 17.4 pfennig per 100 kilos of pressed 

 cossettes, notwithstanding the fact that among these factories 

 there was one that worked very poorly during the period of 

 observation. In certain exceptional cases this cost has not been 

 more than 14 pfennig. 



The steam drying method for the complete desiccation of Steam drying. 

 cossettes is said to be a new departure, and has met with great 

 success in Austria. The plant recently built is for a 900-ton 

 factory, and cost about $80,000 in that country. All calcula- 

 tions made, it is estimated that even if the dried cossettes sell 

 for $2 a ton the daily profits will be $200. The daily con- 

 sumption of coal is about 100 pounds per ton of beets handled 

 at the factory. In this steam method there is no danger of the 

 residuum being burned by overheating, as is frequently the case 

 by other modes of drying. It is claimed that nearly all the dry 

 substances contained in the original beet are to be found in the 

 final dried residuum (?), averaging 90 per cent, dry substances. 

 The residuum cossettes, after being pressed in a Klusemann or 

 Bergreen press are carried by a moving apron and emptied into 

 a trough with revolving horizontal agitators, and heated with 

 exhaust steam circulating in a jacket. The residuum is kept 

 for a considerable time at a temperature of 40 to 45 C. , and is 

 subsequently run into special presses very much of the same 

 design as Klusemann. To each press there is attached an 

 apparatus not unlike a meat chopper in its general construction, 

 and after this subdivision of the fibre, the residuum is carried 

 by an endless screw to the dryers, each of which is about 5 feet 



