BY E. R. BEHNE.

During the last season the automatic control and measurement of

mixed juice was achieved for the first time in a
ill. Experiments were made over the two previ
e were unsuccessful because of unsatisfactory electrodes
chambers. The type of assembly supplied by the makers
demanded clear, sediment-free liquid, consequently the work of previous
seasons was practically confined to the development of a means of
g the juice efficiently and without appreciable loss of time.
types of filter using numerous kinds of media were tried, but
ally it became patent that that mode of attack was do0
, and that success d nded on the introduction of a
uld treat satisfact the dirty juice, and thus elimi
necessity for filtration.
Such a! system was deve hainovsky in Java, and early
1935 season an inst ion based on similar principles was
sed. This gave very promising results. A more elaborate and
e apparatus was designed and built. AS was anticipated, this a

proved entirely successful and performed satisfactorily for the re-

mainder of the season.
Since, then, the vital problem of providing a positive and reliable
measuring unit had been solved, attention could be turned to the (for
ntrol purposes) equally imp
e smaller the time lag, the more
, so the first problem was to d
nate all avoidable timc losses.
between the alteration of the quantity of
chart. This resulted in the pen hunting b
lime was being applied as the juice ente
the sample for the control was being taken from the mixed juice pipe,
about 30 feet after the mixed juice pump. Bp moving the point of
application of the lime as near to the outlet of the tank as possible,
and by taking the juice sample from the cock on top of the pump, this
lag was reduced to 13 seconds. Although this still represents a con-
rable lag, nevertheless excellent control was obtained ; and since
ther reduction would entail considerable alterations in the juice
system, it was considered to be quite satisfactory. The mixed juice
tank and its connections are shown diagrammatically in Figure 1.
The steps taken in the development of the present control have
now been indicated, and, before discussing the result, it is necessary
to give a description of the apparatus.
The system may be divided into three units, viz. :-
(l) the liming gear,
(2) the recorder controller,
(3) the electrode assembly and flow chamber.
X1 5
 ar.
This consists essentially of a weir box with a mechanically-operated
automatically-controlled plate which divides the curtain of lime
ing from the weir into two parts-one going to the mixed juice,
and the remainder returning to the lime supply tank. The diagram in
re 2 illustrates the arrangement.

The milk of lime is fed into the back of the weir box by an ordinary
bucket elevator, which ~ n u s thave sufficient buckets to maintain a
uniform flow. Sever es in the box assist in elirni any
. The division plate the end of a small trolley can
run on steel rails back and forth across the face of, and immediately
116
 below the weir. The position of the plate is altered by means of a
rack and pinion operated by a motor through a double worm reduction
ar and chain and et drive. A friction clutch on the pinion
aft allows the mot e to be thrown out and the lime division
manually controlled. en driven mechanically, the speed of the
plate is such that it traverses the face of the weir (two inches) in about
two minutes.
Attached t o the end of the trolley remote from the plate is a long
izontal arm with two small projections, one of which de
er of one limit switch when the plate travels beyond the
of the weir, and the other a second limit switoh when it o
the left end. Each limit switch cuts out its corresponding relay and so
stops the weir motor. This safety device prevents breakage should
the flow of juice or lime be accidentally interrupted.
The measured quantity of lime flows through an outlet in the
bottom of the trolley, into a chute which leads to the mixed juice tank.
A second and adjustable divisio late is attached to the outside
division plate to trap a third portion, which is run
er tank. This plate is ed a t its base and may be set
in any desired position by means of a rod and thumb screws.
The direction of the motor is controlled by the recorder thro
ys, and runs only when the is outside the desired ran
the motor does not run CO uously, but, by means of
ter in the recorder, is made to stop and start every two seconds.
The period of two seconds is just sufficiently long to allow the motor
t o come to rest before it r es its next impulse due to the interruptor
again making contact. ce the motor may be reversed without
difficulty.
The whole gear is strongly built and mounted on a rigid angle
iron frame-all switches and relays being housed in suitable pro-
tecting boxes.

The instrument is a Leeds & Northrupp recording potentiometer

icromax mechanism, together with a series of automatically
operated contacts, which actuate the relays on the lirning gear. The
moving coil galvanometer in the potentiometer circuit is the con-
trolling unit, but the mechanism is so arranged that no stress is placed
on that delicate member. Briefly the operation is as follows : Attached
to the galvanometer coil is a long fibre pointer which swings freely
between two horizontal bars. At intervals of approximately one second,
the lower of the two bars rises and clamps the pointer in the position
it happens to occupy a t the instant. ImmecXiately, two scissors-like
fingers close on the protruding part of the pointer. These two fingers
are connected a t their lower ends to a centrally-pivotted rocker arm
which maintains its horizontal position only as long as the pointer is
in its central (or zero) position. If the pointcr is deflected due to
alteration in the otentiometer circuit caused by a change in the
of the juice, this ker arm is tilted-the direction and degree of
resultant inclination depending on the direction and ma
ointer deflection. The next operation is the clamping
arm in its tilted position to a metal disc which can rotate about its
axis and which is concentrically attached to the drum carrying the
potentiometer wire. The moment this clutch is engaged, two cams,
operated by a small motor, descend into the ends of the rocker arm and
restore i t to its original horizontal position. In so doing, the potentio-
meter wire is turned through the same angle, which operation is in such
a direction as to tend to re-balance the circuit and so reducc the deflcc-
tion of the pointer. The clutch is then released, the pointer freed, and
cycle repeated continually. From the instant the pointer is clamped
till it is freed again, the galvanometer is short-circuited from the
measuring circuit. Hence it will be seen that every second the e.m.f.
of the electrode assembly is checked against the potentiometer and .
any " out of balance " is restored. Every $0 minutes the potentiometer
wire is automatically checked against a standard ceu. Two dry cells
rovide the source of e.m.f. for the potentiometer wire, and when these
are run down an arrow appears on a small dial. The wire may be
standardised a t any time by depressing a button.
Situated a t the back of the potentiometer wire, and mounted on
e same shaft as it, are four bakelite discs, each of which has a single
slot in its periphery. The positions of the slots may be changed by
slackening the thumb screw a t the end of the shaft. When the screw
is tightened the discs are rigidly fixed and move with the potentiometer
wire as operated by the setting cams. Placed above each disc is a
spring contaet with a shart link attached to the lower part. This link
bears a small roller which runs on the periphery of the disc. The position
of the contact is slightly -centre, so that when the link is one side of
the line joining the eont with the centre of the disc, the contact is
en. Should the disc turn so that the slot engages in the roller, the
k is pushed over and the contacts closed. As long as the slot is on
one side of the link the contact is closed, and on the other side it is
open. Two of the contacts close when the discs rotate in one direction,
and the other two when in the other.
These contacts are the switches which operate the relays on the
liming gear, and obviously their make and break may be controlled by
the positions of the slots on the discs.
The detailed wiring diagram is very complicated, due largely to

IIO Volln R.C

ig. 3
X18
special compensating coils for eliminating the effect of temperature
variations in the juice, as measured by two therrno-couples. A simplified
diagram of the control circuit is therefore given in Figure 3.
he four discs are indicated by L,
in which they are placed when
tiometer mire. In addition to these four contacts, there is a tipping
mercury switch r,epresented in Figure 3 by AL and
is connected mccl~anicallyto the potentiometer drum, and is arranged
is increasing AI1 is closed, and when decreasing,
st a t the same time it is dependent on the actual
value of the pH.
From Figure 3 it will be evident that when both L and
of the relays A and R will operate and so the m
nce bp adjusting the angular distance between the slots
on L and H we can set the range within whi we desire to keep the
juice. The slots on ACI, and A are set to lag behind
espectively. The operation of th stem is best explained
n actual example.
Suppose the desired range is from 7.9 to 8 . 0 pE- then L is set
closes at 7 . 9 and II a t 8.0, ACL at some point
a t some point above 8.0. The actual positions o
ACH are governed by the lag in the control. Now supp
begins to fall from some point A within the desired range (se
as long as it is in this range, the relays are
switch AL immediately closes. As soon as 7 . 9

and current flows via I, and AL and operates the relay A, which thus
actuates the weir motor in the correct direction to increase the lime
supply. Due to lag the p will still continue to drop and a t some such
point as B, ACL mill close. This closure has no effect on the existing -
conditions. Suppose the efkct of ad lime is not felt by the
machine till point C is reached, when will begin to rise again.
Immediately this happens AI, opens , perforce, closes. lt '
on this backward movement that AC its part. When the p
has risen to point D (corresponding i h point B), ACL opens
and since AL is also open the relay A is cut out, and so the weir motor
119
 stops and the increase in the rate of liming ceases. Due to the lag the
pH will continue to rise, and if the position of ACL is correctly chosen,
will flatten out somewhere between 7.9 and 8.0 .
If this anticipa-
tory cut-off were not there, the lime additions would increase all the
time the pH was below 7.9-the adjustment being probably too great-
ca to rise above 8.0, and so hunting would take place,
as dotted line.
harts reproduced in this paper (see
more or less hunting, due to the fact that a t the time
the discs ACL and ACH was not appreciated. It was not till some
subsequent time that their operation was hilly understood. In the
coming season new relative settings will be made, and it is anticipated
that hunting will be completely eliminated. At the same time the
charts given represent rernarkably close eontrol.
The recorder, of course, can be situated a t any convenient place,
since the leads to the electrodes and wire may be of any length. I n
the present installation it was mounted a t the mud platform under
the subsiders, where a control chemist is stationed. The vibration of
the mills a t first caused considerable trouble, but this was entirely
mounting thc instrument on a cradle suspended fom
large cabinet by six strong tension springs. To avoi
g the springs were not hung vertically, but were sprea

The electrode assembly consists of the saturated calomel and

antimony electrodes, and this has been found entirely satisfactory,
itions are observed. I n order that these conditions
a brief account of the antimony electrode and
y various workers will be given.
The action of the electrode is due to the e.m.f. set up by antimony
metal and the oxide (Sb,O,) which saturates the solution under exam-
ination. Due to the very low solubility of Sb,O,, the oxide film formed
on the electrode itself is sufficient, but somc workers (
artong) prefer to add some to the solution being examined.
Many types of electrode have been tried, but all investigators
have shown that reproductibility of results is a difficult matter to
obtain, particularly in a solution a t rest. With gentle stirring (i.e., not
sufficiently violent to draw in air) better results were obtained, but in
the majority of es the greatest discrepancies still held over the
range of 5 to 8 Gysinclz, in Java, states that this break is due
probably to faulty electrodes, but his endeavours to produce a perfect
unit were abortive.
The method of manufacture of the electrode as reflected in its
crystalline structure appears to have some bearing on its performance.
The production of a smooth pitless surface is the desideratum--but
strange to relate several workers obtained equally good results with
ordinary stick antimony, which is fairly coarsely crystalline and
therefore has an open structure.
In Figure 5, which gives a graphical revue plotted from equations
obtained by numerous workers in this field, it will be observed that
in the majority of cases there is a discontinuity somewhere between
pH 5 and 8. This would have been more apparent had the actual
determined points been plotted ; the divergence over the 5-8 range
was greater than in other parts.
Many ingenious methods have been devised for the manufacture
of electrodes, but all have the sam jects in view-viz., the prevention
of oxidation during heating and fusion, and the production of a uni-
form and reproductible crystalline surface free from pits. Among the
methods tried were the casting of the sticks in vacuo, in inert atmo-
and under inactive liquids (e.g., LiC1, 13,0,,
In some cases the electrodes were quenched, and in others
In no method, however, was exact repro-
W sugar mill the range of operation practically
f'ul range, i.e., 5 to 8, it might be considered
for this very reason the antimony electrode would be most unsuit-
e. This, however, is not so, as the discrepancies, whilst large when
considered from the point of view of highly scientific laboratory
research, are practically negligible for industrial purposes. In addition
it has the very real advantage of being self-contained-nothing has to
be added to the liquid under test. It is due largely to this latter feature
electrode has superseded the quinhydrone for con-
of liquid is desirable
the liquid must, of
Recently the glass electrode has received some prominence and is
gradually being adapted to industrial purposes. It has all the advan-
tages of the antimony, but with no doubtful range. On the other
hand, however, it has the rather serious disadvantages of being frail
and requiring a somewhat complicated valve circuit to amplify the
small currents obtained. Nevertheless, it should not be long before
this particular electrode is fully developed, and its possibilities
greatly extended in the industrial sphere.
he other half of the assembly, the reference electrode, is the
X21
saturated calomel cell. The properties of this cell are widely known
and may be obtained from any test book. It will therefore be super-
fluous to deal with it here, except insofar as the design of the electrode
vessel has been modified according to the demands of this special
application.
The proper functioning of the cell is dependent largely on the
purity of the chemicals used in its preparation ; then, since it is in
liquid contact with the juice (a very dirty liquid), it is imperatil-e that
there be no diffusion of the latter into the cell. t was for this reason
that the original cell was discarded in favour of that used by
ovskp. The latter type is shown in Figure 6 , and its features are clearly
defined. The supply reservoir of saturated KC1 soh~tionallows this
liquid to flow slowly through the side tube of the electrode vessel and
to seep through the porous plug of filter paper a t the bottom, thus
completely preventing the incursion of juice into the cell. The paper
plug needs to be removed every twelve hours or so, but even after
longer periods, when the free end of the paper was practically disinte-
grated bp the flow of the juice, there was absolutely no penetration of
juice up the side arm.

Although a t first sight it would seem a simple n1,atter to by-pass

a small quantity of juice and immerse the electrodes therein, the whole
installation may be rendered ineffective by a badly designed flow
chamber. The requirements for this piece of apparatus are :-
(l)The juice sample must be continuously supplied.
he velocity of the juice past the electrode must be practically
constant.
(3) There must be no appreciable time lag.
(4) It must be self-cleaning and not easily choked by pieces of
bagasse, etc., in the juice.
( 5 ) When immersed, the electrodes must be easily accessible.
Point (1) is governed by the situation of the chamber; points
(2), (4) and (5) govern the shape, and point (3) the size. It was with
these five points in mind that the present flow chamber was evolved.
It worked very satisfactorily, but still has a few minor faults, the chief
of which is a time lag of about two seconds. This could be reduced
slightly by shortening the piping and using smaller sizes, but care
must be taken that blockages do not occur. It was thought better to
use pipes and fitting in preference to a bent brass tube, as, then, cleaning
out in the event of a choke could be easily attended to.
The apparatus is shown in section in Figure 6 . The juice from the
cock on the top of the juice pump is led into the covered baffle chamber
by the iin. pipe A. Smaller pipes than $in. were found to choke with
the fine bagasse particles. Since the pressure of the juice is of the order
of 701bs. per sq. in., these bafnes arc essential to prevent splashing.
The juice passes o~-erthe first baffle and under the second, which acts
also as a spreader and distributes the juice over the surface of the
levelling chamber, R. This chamber consists of a conical bottomed
cylindrical trough of which the inner lip is cut away for half the cir-
cumference to form a large weir, C, over which the excess juice flows.
Since this weir has a length of about 20 inches, considerable variation
in the rate of flow of juice from the pump will cause practically no
alteration in the head over the weir. This ensures a constant velocity
supply for the electrodes.
The electrodes are immersed in a funnel, D, which terminates one
end of a U tube, the other end of which is connected to the bottom of
the levelling chamber. This U tube is made of 2in. pipe and fittin
he coupling supporting the funnal may be raised or lowered, and so
the head may he varied to alter the velocity of flow from D.
a rubber cork is inserted holding the compensating thermo-
hilst the plug F a t the opposite end of the horizontal pipe
may be removed for cleaning purposes. The spillage from the weir
gh and runs away from the bottom through
is mounted over the trough, with rubber
lding the two electrodes in position in the
nnel. Conveniently situated on top of this bracket is a terminal
board to which all leads are connected.

advantages of pH is in itself but nothing ; it is the degree to which

are realised in practice that is the vital point, and
certainly fall far short of the ideal, due simply t o
application.
Brieily the method to the control of clarification
as generally adopted in
The mixed juice from the milling station flows through the mixed
juice tank wherein the milk of lime is added. The mixture is then
pumped through the superheaters and allowed to settle in the sub-
siders, the clear juice running continuously from the ox-erflow. This
elapified juice is sampled a t regular intervals, cooled, and the pH
thereof determined. It is on the results of this deternlination that the
quantity of lime to the mixed juice is adjusted by the operator.
123
 The main fault in this system of regulation is the lack of incidence
of control. The time which elapses between the application of the
lime and the determination of the pH varies with the installation, but
is of the order of one hour, and this, apart fronl all other factors, is
sufficient to preclude any positive degree of control because :-
(a) The quality of the juice can and does change suddenly within
very wide limits and a t irregular intervals ; ipso .facto, the
lime requirement changes accordingly.
 vary in proportion.
density of the milk of lime itself may vary in spite of
rts to maintain a uniform concentration.
human element (always a doubtful factor) is required t o
ke the adjustment.
The opinion generally held by chemists is that best res
r ined in clarification by maintaining a uniform p
may or may not be strictly correct ; it is quite possible that with
juices optimum results are obtained a t different reaction values
than with others, but there is no method a t present which enables us
to anticipate the optinmm liming point of a given juice (if we ignore
laborious analytical and settling experiments in the laboratory). On
the other hand, we know that all juic do not require the same lime
addition to obtain the same resultant
fore me iix the lime addition a t a definite amo
will vary inversely as the lime requirement of the
possibility that this fluctuation may represent
instant the optimum value for clarification is so remote that it
does not exist. Consequently it is considered that the maintenance of
a uniform pII value for all juices must give best results. This has been
found essentially true by overseas investigators, who based the
the clarification of the quality the resulting sugars.
Since, then, it is desirable to aintain a uniform value, how can
this possibly be achieved with the manual-cum-clarified-juice regula-
tion ? Obviously, therefore, we must seek means of improving our
control if the use of p13 is to have any practical value. There are many
t ways of doing this, but the only one which completely eliminates all
the inherent difficulties is the automatic control ; and that described
in this paper is submitted as an example which is both efficient and
practical.
% The chart reproduced in Figure 7 indicates the type of control
achieved ; practi&lY a11 the irreiularities are due to niin stops. The
bucket elevator feeding lime to the weir box is driven by the second
mill engine, consequently a stoppage of this mill throws out the whole
system. An independent drive for this part would be an added advan-
tage here.
The variation in lime requirement of juices has been enlarged upon
above, and in order to obtain a measure of this Auctuation, the auto-

-- -- --- - -- -
'See Table 5 in '' Notes on Clarification" by N. Smith in these Proceedings.
135
 cut out and the machine run simply as a recorder,
ng constant. The chart in
a t a mill where the cane su
S varieties, the divergence can be very large. In the case of
re every second truck may represent a different type of cane,
the chart would be even worse.

Fig. 9
re 9 illustrates the human element. The lime was regulated
manually, the operator using the chart as a guide. If this chart be
compared with that in Figure 7, it will easily be appreciated how
inefficient is the human machine.
l26
 Unfortunately no chart is available giving a picture manual-
-clarified juice control, but it does not need a very imagina-
tion to realise how deplorable it would be.

and real assistance in this work.

Brisbane.