INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM

ANALYSIS OF TECHNIQUE CURRENT STAGE IN THE FIELD OF SORGHUM

PRESSING EQUIPMENT DESIGNED TO PRODUCE THE RAW JUICE NECESSARY
TO OBTAIN THE BIOETHANOL
/
ANALIZA STADIULUI ACTUAL AL TEHNICII IN DOMENIUL ECHIPAMENTELOR
PENTRU PRESAREA SORGULUI IN VEDEREA PRODUCERII SUCULUI BRUT
NECESAR PRODUCERII DE BIOETANOL
1) 1) 1) 1) 1) 1) 2)
Olan M.* , Vlăduț V. , Păun A. , Vișan A. , Găgeanu P. , Voicea I. , Dumitrescu C.
1) 2)
INMA Bucharest / Romania; INOE 2000 IHP / Romania
E-mail: vibrobloc@yahoo.com

Keywords: sorghum, bioethanol, press, equipment.

ABSTRACT
The paper presents the technique current stage in the field of equipment designed to produce the juice
from sweet sorghum. Therefore, it is of great importance to know the technology and pressing parameters for
establishing the optimum functional and constructive solution for one new equipment, that will be used in this
purpose.

REZUMAT
In lucrare este prezentat stadiul actual al tehnicii in domeniul echipamentelor pentru producerea
sucului din suc zaharat. Analiza acestora are drept scop cunoasterea tehnologiei si parametrilor de presare
in vederea stabilirei solutiei optime functionale si constructive a unui nou echipament ce va fi utilizat in acest
scop.

INTRODUCTION
Topical interest theme
During this period of human evolution, ensuring the energetic safety represents an essential element
of great concern in research activity. A forefront place is represented by the biomass energy. The internal
combustion engines have the highest energy consumption and use approximately 35% out of the total
amount of energy resources and, generally, are supplied with gasoline or diesel oil. Taking into account the
energetic crisis, the reduction of oil resources and air pollution, researches were made for finding out a viable
fuel able to replace the traditional fuel. Thus, bioethanol is of a great interest in this field.
Description of research current situation and identification of research issues
Since 1908, when Ford Company in US began to manufacture motor cars, the researches performed
aimed at the supplying of these cars with gasoline, ethanol or a mixture of both. At the present moment, at
world level, the most important manufacturers are USA and Brazil. After 1970, the wide scale ethanol
production began in the whole world.
Teams of researchers from USA (Lowus S.O., Devote R.S., Maiorella B.I., Turon M.), Brasil (Carlos
Coelho de Carvalho Neto, Goldemberg I. I.), Germany (Schaffrath M.) have studied and tested the
performances of engines fed with biofuel: their starting capacity, energetic and economic parameters,
exhaust gas chemical composition. Utilization of biofuel mixed with gasoline in a percentage up to 15…20 %,
practically presents similar energetic and economic performances (engine power, fuel specific consumption),
to clean gasoline feeding. At the same time, CO concentration within the exhaust gases at engines supplied
with mixture of monoatomic alcohol and gasoline is smaller than at gasoline fed engines, due to increment of
combustion efficiency of biofuels (Weller, 2007; Goel, 2015).
In Romania, (Manea Gh., Georgescu M., Apostolache N., Sfinţeanu D., Borta V.M., Segal B.,
Anghelache I.) have confirmed the results obtained by researchers from USA, Brasil, Germany. As a
conclusion, methanol should be used for obtaining the esters aiming to improve the gasoline propreties.
The ethanol can have the smallest price when it is produced from sugar cane and sweet sorghum.
Therefore, the researchers from Romania (Goian M., Antohe I.), Italy (Giuliano Grassi, Pietro Moncada,
Henri Zibetta), Republic of Moldova (Moraru Gh.) studied the possibility of cultivating and processing the

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sweet sorghum and the most suitable technologies for climate and soil conditions in Southern Europe. The
preliminary results obtained have shown the efficiency of cultivating saccharate sorghum for obtaining
alcohols. At the same time, a series of specific technical, economic and environment features, were
emphasized, for which a scientifically argued approach is necessary.
The most common mixture of ethanol and gasoline is made of 90% gasoline and 10% ethanol. This
mixture was approved by each American car manufacturer for each model that uses an engine fed with
gasoline (Growth Energy, 2009). In a model which the engine was modified, pure ethanol can better operate
than pure gasoline (RFA, 2009).
Recently, many researches were made at the State University of Oklahoma (OSU) on obtaining
ethanol from sweet sorghum. Sweet sorghum is an attractive biofuel, because it can be cultivated in fields
inappropriate to corn growing. Lee McClune developed a process for producing ethanol from sweet sorghum.
This process comprises two stages, namely sorghum harvesting and obtaining the juice directly in the field.
Juice extraction in field and its fermentation on the spot are methods used by McClune process for
preventing the juice degradation. Juice extraction in field is performed with the sweet sorghum harvest
patented by McClune (2008). McClune also offered to OSU researchers a small sorghum press for tests
involving the sweet sorghum pressing in field.
The main arguments for supporting the extent of sccharate sorghum cultures and industrialization in
Romania, are:
• Making more efficient the non-exploited or less efficient large agricultural surfaces through massive
sorghum crops and thus, enabling the creation of new employments;
• Cultivation of sorghum can produce large quantities of biomass (80-120 t/ha) with 15-30% sugar
content (5-7 t sugar/ha), renewable raw material for chemical industry, petrochemical industry, agriculture,
food industry, pharmaceutical industry and others.
• By total industrialization of sorghum, the following can be obtained: bioethanol (biofuel for means of
transport, mobile and fixed farm equipment), syrup, vinegar and drinkable alcohol, cellulose and paper,
acetic acid and ethylene, natural fibers, vegetal proteins, livestock fodder, etc.;
• Biofuel produced from sorghum is ecological, enabling to reduce the emissions of carbon dioxide as
main source of greenhouse effect at which the terrestrial atmosphere is submitted lately;
According to technical and economic estimations, in Romania it would be possible to obtain bioethanol
from sweet sorghum based on traditional technologies, at a total price below 200 euros per ton, including the
duties, transport cost, commissions, etc., as a competitive prize on European market, in case of obtaining a
production of about 5 tons ethanol per hectare.
Material pressed can be also used for obtaining cellulose. Sorghum cellulose is of similar quality to
hardwood cellulose (inferor species) designed to produce cellulose. Production of bleached cellulose per
hectare of sweet sorghum is cheaper and 2.5-3 times bigger than the usual one per hectare of forest.
Therefore, it is almost compulsory to rapidly develop the technologies and technical methods of high
efficiency for harvesting, processing and burning the products obtained.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

Presentation of current stage of this domain, specialty literature analysis
Sweet juice has been well known as an excellent source for sugar (NAS,1882), being easily fermented
and distilled to fuel high quality ethanol (Cardno, 2008; Neale, 2008; Sabater, 2008; Zenk, 2008). Main factor
that preserves the sweetness of sorghum comparing to corn, as a fuel crop, is the lack of method of
production established (Neale, 2008; Robinson, 2007). Mechanical harvesting of sweet sorghum requires a
specialized harvesting equipment, able to take out the saccharate juice from the stems, in field (McClune,
2008a) or a modified machine for harvesting sugar cane and a pressing installation close to it (Hugot, 1986).
The juice should be rapidly moved into a fermentation installation for preventing its degradation.
Patents analysis
Due to resemblances between sweet sorghum and sugar cane, the improvements performed at the
roller press for sweet sorghum were the result of the assessment of sugar producing technology.
1. US Pat. 5273512: Core feed roll
This design of rollers uses an external semi- smooth housing, juice channels under the carcass and
detachable notch insertions that cover the holes from external housing, leading to juice channels (Ducasse,
1993). Ducasse (1993) designed this roller associated to another roller of similar design in order to "force the
stems to pass trough the rollers.

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2 US Pat. 3969802: Mill Roll Bouvet (1976) specified he improved the basic roller with grooves
including a channel system under the rollers surface and holes leading to them. This aimed at reducing the
reabsorption of juice in sorghum stem.
3 US Pat. 4391026: Mill Roll
Researches performed by Casey and Ducasse (1983) were similar to those belonging to Bouvet (1976).
Their design comprises V-shaped grooves, juice channels and holes leading to juice channels(Casey and
Ducasse, 1983). Once again, it was aimed at decreasing the juice reabsorption in sugar cane or sorghum.
4 US Pat. 4546698: Pressing roller with increased capacity of juice flowing.

Fig. 1 – Pressing roller system of Bouvet type

Figure 1: For pressing rollers with V thickness channels and inner juice channels (Bouvet, 1985)
Bouvet (1985) designed a pressing roller with juice tubes on its surface and holes leading to these channels
(tubes), as it is shown in Figure 1. This roller was different from the previous models, (Casey and Ducasse,
1983; Bouvet, 1976) because the juice channels had a spiral configuration comparing to roller axis.
5. US Pat. 4989305: Sugar cane cylinder. Pol and Dhavlikar (1991) have underlined the importance of
designing a cylinder with a series of machines endowed with juice channels on the surface of a grooved roller.
This design presented holes in outer surface punched in multiple angles leading to juice channels [9].
6. US Pat. 4407111: Syrup extractor for Infield Mobile. Brune and Schmidt (1983) designed a press
working in the field and which comprises two crushing rollers and a three rolling mills. Crusher rollers were
similar to those designed by Ducasse (1993), excepting the fact that both rolls had proeminent flanges and
round surfaces resembling to Krajewski crusher (Hugot, 1986). The three rolling mills comprise two lower
rollers and one bigger roller. The front roller and the upper roller are endowed with grooves, and the lower
roller was described as being smooth (Brune and Schmidt, 1983).
7. US Pat. 4168660: Sugar Mill. Zelle (1979) designed a mill with four rolls with V- shaped radial
grooves. Rollers are arranged so that one is in front, two are placed in centre one above other and another
rear roller(Zelle, 1979). Material is vertically introduced at the upper part.
8 .US Pat. 6039276: Apparata and methods of crushing the sugar cane Hatt and all. (2000) designed
a sugar mill comprising sets of two grooved rollers, which holes are one above other. They were arranged
so that to allow the sugar cane vertical movement downwards through the press.Rollers are equipped with V-
shaped radial channels, cut in their surfaces.. This design presents a detachment system for removing the
material blocked in rollers grooves.
9. US Pat. 0274238A1: Mobile installation for sorghum press. It consists in a mobile harvesting
process in field and processing the sugar crops, such as sweet sorghum. Beneficiary: LeeMax, LLC,
Shawnee, (USA). It comprises the crop cutting, stems pressing, for final pressing being used a screw press.

Presentation of sorghum pressing equipment

Within the capitalization of saccharate sorghum energy potential, squeezing the crude juice represents
an important stage. The technological line is designed to squeeze juice from crushed stems of sorghum (fig.
2) ensures the storage, dosing and raw material feeding by means of conveyors, the juice being squeezed in
roller pressing systems, afterwards being evacuated together with waste into transport means.
1. Mecagro Company from Basarabia achieved one high performance equipment for pressing the
sorghum juice. The pressing block (Figure 2) includes the recipient bin 1, block 2 with 2 feeding rollers that

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crush the stems, conveyor 3, pressing block with 4 rollers, the gearmotor 5, control system 6. Within the
pressing block, the upper roller is placed on two bearings 7, each of them being installed on two vertical
guiding rods. At bearings upper part 7 act the disk-springs, which tightening is set by nuts 8. Each of the
lower rollers is mounted on two bearings 9, at their turn, mounted on horizontal guiding rods 10. The distance
between rollers is set by moving the lower rollers on guide rod by means of screw mechanisms 11. Speed of
pressing rollers is set by changing the gear reduction rate and electric current frequency from the inverter.
The juice squeezed is collected in recipient 12, from where, by means of a pump13, it is emptied (Cerempei,
2012).

Fig. 2 - Installation ITA „Mecagro” for sweet sorghum processing

2.Kamdhenu Agro Machinery Wathoda Company, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India, manufactures a

press with 3 rollers.

Fig. 3 – Sorghum press with three rollers

Technical characteristics.
Roller diameter=254 mm, driving system- electric engine of 25 HP, pressing capacity=2200
kg/hour.Variant -5.5 HP.
3.PATEL MANUFACTURIN COMPANY-, Gujarat, India, manufactures the press with 5 cylinders
(rollers), model Double Mill Sugar Cane Crusher

Fig. 4 – Sorghum press with 5 rollers

Technical characteristics
Roller diameter =267 mm, length 270 mm., speed 240 rot/min, driving system- 40+20+3=63 HP.
Pressing capacity 2750-2950 kg/hour.

4. TINYTECH PLANTS Company Tagore Road, Near Bhaktinagar Station, Rajkot - 360002, Gujarat,
India, produces a press with 3 cylinders (rollers), model Model Sugarcane Crushers Gear Box.

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Fig. 5 – Sorgum press with 3 rollers

Technical characteristics:
Roller diameter =260 mm, length 280 mm, engine power=20 HP, rollers speed=9 rot/min. Capacity
1600 kg/h.
5.Penagos-Columbia Company manufactures the model SUGAR CANE MILL TH [10]

Fig. 6 – Sorgum press with 3 rollers

Technical characteristics:
Productivity 600-800 kg/h, electric engine power-6 HP, roller speed-12 rot/min, rollers diameter -16
inch,capacity of extraction 55-60% according to quantity of stem fibers.

RESULTS
Theoretical presentation of constructive and kinematic parameters of presses endowed with
sorghum pressing rollers.
Based on constructive analysis of existing technologies and equipment designed to extract the juice
from saccharate sorghum stems, the option of roller presses for squeezing the juice from sorghum stems is
justified and its basic parameters that enable the production of high raw juice quanities, are presented. Thus,
alcohols and other products are obtained.
Driving the stems between rollers
Extraction of juice from sweet plants stems is frequently performed by pressing the matter between
two rollers with equal diameters and speed. Scheme of this pressing method is shown in Figure 7. The layer
of raw material with initial thickness h, is pressed until it reaches the thickness s, equal to rollers space value.
According to Cerempei (2012), forces with which the rollers act on stems layer for each area are led
perpendicularly to the contact surface and can be reduced at a resultant force P. Decomposing this force in
two perpendicular directions of material compression and, respectively, of its displacement, we obtain the
components Py (compresses the material) and Px (pushes the material). At the same time, the friction forces
act on material, tangentially to rollers surface, presented by resultant F.
After decomposing the resultant force F, we obtain the components Fx, that drives the material
between rollers and Fy that enables the material pressing.

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Fig. 7 – Scheme of applying the forces on the material pressed

After thoroughly studied the pressing process, it is obvious that, when rollers approach, the gap is
diminished and the contact angle α icreases (if thickness remains constant h=const.) and point of applying
the force P moves away from the centre line O1O2. This leads to an increment of component Px from Py.
When force Px surpasses the friction force component Fx the roller begins to skid and material movement is
stopped (Cerempei, 2012).
As it results of those above, the condition of driving the material between rollers is:
Fx ≥ Px or F cos ᾳ≥Psinα, results P tgφcos α≥P sinα.
Thus, thickness h and compression degree Δha of driven layer, designed to be pressed between two
rollers, depend on diameter of rollers D and coefficient of friction (f=tg𝜑) of material on roller surface.
Therefore, increasing diameter D and friction coefficient tgφ enlarge the layer thickness h and its thinning
Dh, that improves the driving conditions of stem layer and increases productivity Q andi squeezing degree of
juice GE.
Productivity and extraction degree of liquid obtained at material pressing between rollers
Volume of material passing, in a certain unit of time, through a space between two rollers, which
peripheral speed is equal, considering there is no skidding, is determined by relation:
V = b·h·v; where b is cylinder length (width of pressing area) measured in mm; h – thickness of layer
driven between rollers, measured in mm; v – peripheral speed of rollers, in inm/s.
Mass of material processed in a certain unit of time (productivity) can be found out, knowing the bulk
mass (volumetric mass) φ of material (kg/m³):
Qmv =Vφ=bhφծ.
When material is pressed between rollers, the layer is compressed from the thickness h up to s (gap
value). After the compression, the liquid from the respective material is released and volumetric mass of
squeezed material increases. The initial gap does not surpass 5 mm and the raw material layer can be non-
uniform: stalks with bigger diameter are harder pressed than those with smaller diameter. Also, when force P
is increased, the non-uniformity of stems pressing is diminished, though ensuring maximum values of gap
limited at 6-7 mm. This phenomenon can be explained by the fact that once the pressure is increased, the
vegetal mass compression coefficient K = γb/m (ratio between bagasse volumetric mass and that of raw
material, kg/m3), increases.

Fig. 8 – Degree of extraction of juice from saccharate sorghum according to technological pressing
-1
regimes (roller speed n = 11 min

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Power consumed at pressing the material between rollers

As it was mentioned before, for driving and pressing the stems by rollers, it should act with a common
force P, normal for contact surface. For driving the rollers more rapidly (increased speed), according to
(Cerempei and Habasescu, 2012), a torsion moment is necessary:
Mt=2P¥ lunde ¥ is the arm coefficient, ᾳ ,β – angles of applying the force P and respectively the
driving-pressing system; lp, l – length of arm of applying the force P and, respectively of the driving-pressing
system. According to experimental data offered by authors (Cerempei and Habasescu, 2012), values of arm
coefficient are within ¥ = 0.33÷0.67, average value being ¥ = 0.5, then the torsion moment will be:
Mt = pmbR Δh (1)
In this case, the power consumed for green matter driving –pressing process will be:
N=Mt ω= = pmbR· Δhω (2)
Analysis of power consumed in relation with technological regimes has emphasized that when
changing the initial gap within a range of 3-10 mm, power consumed is maintained at a level of 7.4±0.4kW,
and increasing the pressing force from 90 to 150 kN leads to a greater consumed power, namely from 5.4 up
to 9.4 kW. The roller speed mostly influences the power consumed. When roller revolutions are increased
from 7 to 15 min-1, then the power consumed is increased from 4.4 to 10.2 kW.

Fig. 9 – Influence of technological regimes on consumed power

force P = 150kN, revolution no. n = 11𝒎𝒊𝒏−𝟏; b) gap =𝟔.𝟓𝒎𝒎, speed =𝟏𝟏𝒎𝒊𝒏−𝟏; c) gap=𝟔.𝟓𝒎𝒎, 𝑷=𝟏𝟓𝟎𝒌𝑵

After analyzing the current stage of the technique in the field, the following design theme for a
functional prototype to be used in research project, has been established:
Press with 3 rolllers, driving belt system and reduction gear with parallel axes, electric engine power
5.5 kW, roller diameter 370 mm, roller length 500 mm, established according to power and gearmotor,
pressing capacity 300-500 kg/hour, determined according to gearmotor and roller length.

Fig. 10 – Project of functional prototype

CONCLUSIONS
The paper presented the importance of the subject proposed to be studied, the analysis of the main
relevant patents and sorghum roller presses manufactured by different companies. There were also
presented and analyzed the main constructive data necessary to design the sorgum roller presses and the
influence of main parameters on the power consumed.

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Consequently, studying the constructive solutions and calculation elements necessary to this type of
installations, the constructive project of sorghum pressing prototype has been successfully achieved.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This work was supported by a grant of the Romanian Ministry of Research and Innovation, CCCDI-
UEFISCDI, project number PN-III-P1-1.2-PCCDI-2017-0566 / Complex system of integral valuability of agricultural
species with energy and food potential (contr. 9PCCDI / 2018), within PNCDI III, component Project 3 - Complex
system for the integral volarization of agricultural species with energetic and food potential.

REFERENCES
[1] Cerempei V. (2012), Techology and technical producing and using methods of fuel based on
monoatomic alcohols. Institute of Agricultural Technique, MECAGRO, Republic of Moldova;
[2] Cerempei V., Habasescu I. (2012), Technical solutions for producing liquid biofuel, Institute of
Agricultural Technique, MECAGRO, Republic of Moldova;
[3] Cosgrove C. T., Effects a hydraulic pressure system and grooved rollers on an in-field sweet sorghum
press, Bachelor of Science in Biosystems Engineering Oklahoma State University Stillwater,
Oklahoma. SUA.;
[4] Escobar J. C., Lora Electo S. (2017). Biofuels: Environment, technology and food security. Excellence Group
in Thermal Power and Distributed Generation, Mechanical Engineering Institute, Universidade Federal de
Itajuba, Brazil;
[5] Goel D.K., Isgec Heavy Engineering Ltd Brasil. Inovadora Eficiência Energética Em Moendas - Bazico
tecnologia commercial;
[6] Huhnke R. L., (2007), Effects of a hydraulic pressure system and grooved rollers on an in-field sweet
sorghum press, Oklahoma State University Stillwater, Oklahoma;
[7] Weller C. L., (2007), Sorghum as Feedstock for Ethanol Production, Department of Biological Systems
Engineering, University of Nebraska –SUA;
[8] http://www.penagos.com/eng/product/sugar-cane-mill-th-6/;
[9] Patent US 2014/0274238A1, Bernard Al., (2014), System and method for harvesting;
[10] Patent US 2001/0002037 A1, Trevor Essex Cullinger, Queensland, Australia.

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