The present invention relates to a mobile system for harvesting and/or transporting and/or loading sugar beets, comprising an optical imaging system (70) configured to determine at least a useful portion of the sugar beets suitable for sugar production and/or to determine at least a residual portion of the sugar beets not suitable for sugar production. The invention further relates to a sugar production system with such a mobile device (51, 52, 53) and with a sugar production system which is set up to set at least one process parameter depending on the useful portion and/or residual portion determined with the optical image capture system (70). The invention further relates to a method for sugar production, wherein sugar beets are harvested and/or transported and/or loaded using a mobile system (51, 52, 53), wherein with an optical image capture system (70) of the mobile system (51, 52, 53) at least one useful portion that is suitable for sugar production and/or at least one residual portion of the sugar beet that is not suitable for sugar production is determined, wherein at least one process parameter is set in a sugar production plant depending on the useful portion and/or the residual portion determined with the optical image capture system.

The present invention relates to a mobile system for harvesting and/or transporting and/or loading sugar beets, comprising an optical imaging system (70) configured to determine at least a useful portion of the sugar beets suitable for sugar production and/or to determine at least a residual portion of the sugar beets not suitable for sugar production. The invention further relates to a sugar production system with such a mobile device (51, 52, 53) and with a sugar production system which is set up to set at least one process parameter depending on the useful portion and/or residual portion determined with the optical image capture system (70). The invention further relates to a method for sugar production, wherein sugar beets are harvested and/or transported and/or loaded using a mobile system (51, 52, 53), wherein with an optical image capture system (70) of the mobile system (51, 52, 53) at least one useful portion that is suitable for sugar production and/or at least one residual portion of the sugar beet that is not suitable for sugar production is determined, wherein at least one process parameter is set in a sugar production plant depending on the useful portion and/or the residual portion determined with the optical image capture system.

The present invention relates to a process for producing raw juice (14) for the production of sugar, wherein sugar beet pulp (11) is fed to an extraction device (20), for example an extraction tower or a diffusion trough, and sugar beet pulp residues (13) and raw juice (14) are withdrawn from the extraction device (20), wherein a first near-infrared spectroscopy device (21) is used to detect first measurement data relating to the sugar beet pulp (11) which is fed to the extraction device (20), and/or a second near-infrared spectroscopy device (22) is used to detect second measurement data relating to the sugar beet pulp residues (13) which are withdrawn from the extraction device (20), and/or a third near-infrared spectroscopy device (23) is used to detect third measurement data relating to the raw juice (14) that is withdrawn from the extraction device (20).

The invention further relates to a sugar production plant and a process for producing sugar, wherein raw juice (14) is produced and sugar is produced from the raw juice (14) in subsequent process steps.

An apparatus for producing uniformly sized sugar beet cassettes includes a frame; a first cutting shaft assembly adjacent to a second cutting shaft assembly on the frame, each of the first and second cutting shaft assemblies including a shaft in connection with a gear motor, and the gear motor being structured and disposed for mechanically rotating the shaft; a plurality of discs supported on the shaft: and a plurality of blades extending outwards from each of the plurality of discs; wherein the first and second cutting shaft assemblies are configured for interlaced counter-rotation of each of the plurality of discs; and a chute on the frame, and the chute including sidewalls defining an open-ended channel that is sized and configured for directing the sugar beet cossettes onto the first and second cutting shaft assemblies, and wherein the sugar beet cossettes are cut into uniformly sized sugar beet cossettes by the plurality of blades on each of the interlaced, counter-rotating plurality of discs.

An apparatus for producing uniformly sized sugar beet cassettes includes a frame; a first cutting shaft assembly adjacent to a second cutting shaft assembly on the frame, each of the first and second cutting shaft assemblies including a shaft in connection with a gear motor, and the gear motor being structured and disposed for mechanically rotating the shaft; a plurality of discs supported on the shaft: and a plurality of blades extending outwards from each of the plurality of discs; wherein the first and second cutting shaft assemblies are configured for interlaced counter-rotation of each of the plurality of discs; and a chute on the frame, and the chute including sidewalls defining an open-ended channel that is sized and configured for directing the sugar beet cossettes onto the first and second cutting shaft assemblies, and wherein the sugar beet cossettes are cut into uniformly sized sugar beet cossettes by the plurality of blades on each of the interlaced, counter-rotating plurality of discs.

A method for the disintegration and fluid drying of sugar beet material which prevents the material's degradation reaction from taking place and which includes the steps of disintegrating the sugar beet material to particles with a particle surface area of at least 2.0 cm.sup.2, and subsequent immediate exposure of the disintegrated material to a drying gas(es) at a temperature of 25 C. to 160 C. and a flow rate of 5 m.Math.s.sup.31 1 to 40 m.Math.s.sup.1, where the relative humidity of the drying gas(es) at the inlet to the drying space is at most 85%; and subsequent mixing of the disintegrated material with a flow of drying gas(es) until attaining a value of dry matter of at least 70% by weight.

A method for the disintegration and fluid drying of sugar beet material which prevents the material's degradation reaction from taking place and which includes the steps of disintegrating the sugar beet material to particles with a particle surface area of at least 2.0 cm.sup.2, and subsequent immediate exposure of the disintegrated material to a drying gas(es) at a temperature of 25 C. to 160 C. and a flow rate of 5 m.Math.s.sup.31 1 to 40 m.Math.s.sup.1, where the relative humidity of the drying gas(es) at the inlet to the drying space is at most 85%; and subsequent mixing of the disintegrated material with a flow of drying gas(es) until attaining a value of dry matter of at least 70% by weight.