Title: Performance modelling and behaviour analysis of sugar plant: a case study

Authors: R. Singh, H. Singh, S. Kumar

Addresses: Department of Production Engineering, GNDEC, Ludhiana 141006, Punjab, India. ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, GNDEC, Ludhiana 141006, Punjab, India. ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, HCTM, Kaithal 136027, Haryana, India.

Abstract: Sugar plant is complex unit, which comprises systems such as feeding, juice extraction, steam generation, refining, crystallisation, etc. To maintain operating unit efficiently, it is necessary to maintain the critical parts of the system. Feeding system is one of the major subsystems of sugar plant. In the present work, performance modelling and behaviour analysis of feeding system of sugar plant have been highlighted. The behaviour analysis of feeding system has been done with the help of performance modelling using probabilistic approach. After drawing the transition diagram of feeding system, the differential equations have been developed. The solution of the equations shows various performance levels for different combinations of failure and repair times of all the subsystems of feeding system. Based on various performance values obtained in availability matrices and plots of failure times/repair times of various subsystems, performance of each subsystem was analysed and maintenance decisions were made for all the subsystems of feeding system.

Keywords: performance modelling; sugar plants; factories; feeding systems; transition diagrams; probabilistic approaches; behaviour analysis; juice extraction; steam generation; sugar refining; refineries; crystallisation; operating units; critical parts; subsystems; differential equations; performance levels; machine failures; repair times; performance values; availability matrices; failure times; plots; maintenance decisions; sugar mills; sugar cane; food processing; India; Indian culture; business management.

DOI: 10.1504/IJICBM.2011.038917

International Journal of Indian Culture and Business Management, 2011 Vol.4 No.2, pp.199 - 217

Published online: 31 Jan 2015 *

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