THE CUBA R E V I K 'A 



"Mercedita de Pascual" (Enrique) — Electrified Crushing Plant 



has already been given, will also he completely electrified, and indications point to 

 the fact that in all new large mills in Cuba electricity will be tlie motive power. 



Among the advantages claimed for the electric operation of sugar mills are 

 the following : (Greatly decreased operating expenses due to practically the entire 

 elimination of the necessity of purchasing fuel with which to supplement the bagasse ; 

 a great decrease in maintenance charges due to the very much lessened need of 

 overhauling and repairing the various motive units after and during each crop ; a 

 considerable increase in production due to the possibility of increasing the per? 

 centage of imbibition ; and a much greater ease of operation and flexibility of con- 

 trol with consequent greater reliability of service. 



The above advantages refer to the electrifications of the accesories of the sugar 

 mills as already referred to. With special reference to the electrification of the 

 crushing and grinding plants, the following advantages may be cited. In very few 

 sugar factories do we find each set of mills operated by an individual steam engine, 

 as we frequently can find combination of two and even three mills operated by one 

 high powered engine. When electrified, however, each mill is operated by its in- 

 dividual motor, and in this way the velocity of each mill can be changed 'to better 

 suit the quantity of cane which it is desired to pass through the rolls and to cor- 

 respond to the percentage of fiber in the cane and the percentage of water of 

 imbibition that is used. Also when electrified any mill can be cut out from the 

 system at any time when found necessary, and the rest of the plant can go on 

 operating as usual. In a similar manner the risk of breakage is very much lessened, 

 or, it might almost be said, entirely removed, as the momentum of the crushers 

 combined with the force of the electric motor moving the same is not sufficient to 

 cause breakage if through any circumstances excessive accidental resistance is oc- 

 casioned. This, of course, is not the case with steam driven mills, as the power 

 of the engine, especially if two or more mills are operated by the same motor, com-i 

 bined with the momentum of the large fiy wheel always found in such installations, 

 is more than sufficient to cause breakage under the above circumstances. Further- 

 more, a small additional motor is sufficient to serve as replacement for the motors. 

 Also the dimensions of the gears and pinions in all the motors can be the same, thus 

 causing these to ))e interchangeable, facilitating repairs or replacements, something 

 which cannot be the case with mills operated by steam engines. Minor economies 

 also are brought about through the consumption of much less oil than can be the case 



