Pilot-Scale Continuous Conveyor Diffusion Extraction System for Sweet Sorghum

Abstract

The purpose of this project is to design a pilot-scale, deployable sweet sorghum diffusion extractor to extract the juice from sweet sorghum stalks while simultaneously infiltrating the extracted juice and processing this juice to fuel grade ethanol. In essence, the system will work by running shredded sorghum through a conveyor with recirculating water running over the crop to extract the sugar through diffusion. The current design spans 30 feet of length, 3 feet of width, and 2 feet of height. The water to sorghum ratio is 0.4 to 35 ounces. The water will be kept at near boiling temperatures. A roller fixture will be placed at the end of the design. The pilot scale sweet sorghum diffusion continuous conveyor diffusion extraction is being onstructed and when completed, will be capable of processing at least 5 tons of sorghum an hour with a minimum sugar extraction of 60%.