Process for utilizing the waste heat content of condensate and/or vapor produced in the manufacture of sugar

A process for utilizing the waste heat content of condensate and vapour produced in the manufacture of sugar during the purification and the concentration of sugar-containing juice, which process comprises the steps of:

• (a) cooling an initial first thin juice obtained by the filtration of juice from the first carbonation stage of a process for manufacturing sugar to produce a cooled first thin juice;
• (b) subjecting the cooled first thin juice to one or more stages of flash evaporation to concentrate and further cool the juice to produce a concentrated first thin juice;
• (c) heating the concentrated first thin juice in two stages to substantially the original temperature of said initial first thin juice by means of, in the first stage, condensate and/or vapour produced elsewhere in the sugar manufacturing process and, in the second stage, said initial first thin juice, thereby cooling the latter;
• (d) subjecting the juice obtained in (c) to a second carbonation stage to obtain an initial second thin juice;
• (e) introducing the initial second thin juice from the second carbonation stage into a first evaporator of a multiple effect evaporating plant to produce a partially concentrated second thin juice;
• (f) passing the partially concentrated second thin juice through at least one other evaporator of the evaporating plant to concentrate the juice further;
• (g) introducing the juice from step (f) into a final evaporator of the evaporating plant to produce juice concentrated to a required degree and to produce a vapour;
• and
• (h) compressing the vapour from the final evaporator and selectively returning the compressed vapour to one of the preceding evaporators of the evaporating plant for use in heating the juice being concentrated therein.