Automatically On-Off Combustion Control for Holding Thermal in Palm Sugar Crystallization Machine

Abstract The technology of thermal holding cycles using a combustion ventilation system in the palm sugar crystallization machine has been developed and constructed. The thermal cycles were automatically controlled by sequentially both opening and closing a ventilation system embedded in a sawdust briquette burner. The system doses the amount of flame from the burner to heat the crystal palm sugar in the pan. A control circuit module for the combustion system and a thermocouple in the pan as well as data acquisition software (DAC) for data recording have been implemented. The performance of the prepared combustion control system in the machine was successfully tested by measuring the water content of sugar crystals. It has been found that crystal sugar with the best water content, reaching the standard of 2.7% has been produced by holding the heating temperature at 70°C for 22 minutes. The conclusion of this study is that the thermal holding cycles using the combustion control system are suitable technological equipment for heating palm crystal sugar and are characterized by at least three advantages, namely precise control and shorter heating time, as well as higher sugar product quality.