SIMULTANEOUS STEAM AND CONCENTRATE FROM SUGAR SOLUTIONS

THE GOAL OF THIS PROPOSAL IS TO IMPROVE BOTH THE ECONOMICS AND MARKET APPEAL OF MAPLE SYRUP THROUGH AN EVAPORATION PROCESS THAT PROVIDES MULTIPLE EFFECT EVAPORATION AND AT THE SAME TIME CREATES HIGH FLAVOR BY HEATING TO A CONTROLLEDHIGH TEMPERATURE. THE APPLICANT WILL SPECIFY, SOLICIT BIDS FOR, AND PURCHASE A PROTOTYPE STEAM BOILER, WHICH WILL BE OPERATED ON FRESH WATER AND VARIOUS PREPARED SOLUTIONS OF CANE SUGAR IN WATER. THE BOILER OPERATIONS WILL CONSIST OF GENERATING BOTH STEAM AND MORE CONCENTRATED SUGAR SOLUTIONS;AND THE VARIATIONS WILL BE MADE SO AS TO ESTABLISH A RANGE OF OPERATIONS THAT INCLUDES THE OPTIMUM FOR SUBSEQUENT OPERATION ON MAPLE SUGAR SOLUTIONS DURING A SPRING SEASON. THE OPTIMUM WILL INCLUDE A COMBINATION OF STEAM PRESSURE, SUGAR CONCENTRATION, INTERNAL TUBE WALL TEMPERATURE, AND BOILER THERMAL EFFICIENCY, SO AS TO PRODUCE THE BEST QUALITYAND ECONOMICS FROM THE MULTIPLE-EFFECT PRESSURE EVAPORATION OF FRESH MAPLE SAP.