Design and operation of crystallisers and SRI-designed massecuite reheater at Farleigh Mill

In 1997, an upgrade of the Farleigh low grade station was undertaken. The aims of the projected works were firstly to improve the station throughput rate and secondly to facilitate the de-manning of the station. These aims were to be achieved by the rearrangement of the massecuite flow path through the existing crystallisers, pressurisation of the low grade centrifugal feed manifold, and by the installation of a new crystalliser unit and a new SRI-designed massecuite reheater. The reconfigured crystalliser arrangement is capable of treating high viscosity massecuites and achieving good exhaustion. The new massecuite reheater performed to expectation and in conjunction with the pressurisation of the feed manifold allowed more consistent feed to be presented to the low grade centrifugals resulting in an improvement in rate and product quality. Through the resulting Simplicity of operation, station monitoring facilities and integration into the Bailey Des system, supervision requirements were reduced, which allowed the successful de-manning of the station to be undertaken in September 1998.