Strong and flexible thermal and environmental pairing between pulp drying and sugar process.

Sugar beet pulp drying is important in energy losses and environmental issues. The objective of the paper is to present through low temperature air beet dryer results and triple pass turbo dryer results obtained in large scale plants, a new combination of both technologies to reduce energy consumption as well as rise pellets quality and lower environmental impact. An original coupling of this combination with the sugar beet factory is studied in order to minimize fossil fuel consumption by enlarging low temperature air beet dryer capacity. Coupling of a low temperature air beet dryer with a beet factory has been successful in Europe to reduce drastically fossil fuel consumption. The purpose of the new combination is to reduce to minimum fossil fuel consumption, to keep actual factory energy production scheme, to reduce coupling impact on beet factory operations and so to ensure lower sugar beet plant adaptations for concept implementation. Based on both equipment obtained performances a simulation of the implemented solution on averaged 10 000 metric tons per day beet sugar factory is detailed. The concept isolated from sugar beet plant can reduce by factor 2 fossil fuel consumptions/costs. Coupling the concept with sugar beet plant can reduce 80 % and more fossil fuel consumptions/costs for beet drying operation considering a 242.5 U.S. gpm (32.4 ft/min or 55m3/h) water is removed in the process to dry from 27.5 %DM (Dry Matter) to 90 %DM. Technology to ensure such strong economy with minimal impact at reasonable capital cost is described in the paper. Simulations are showing that even on a low consumption beet sugar plant the economy remains.