1.

A continuous centrifuge (10), including:

A centrifuge housing (11);
A centrifuge basket (30) rotatable mounted in the housing and driven by drive means (37);
A massecuite inlet (18) to feed massecuite to the centrifuge basket;
At least one molasses outlet (53, 57); and
A sugar outlet (15); characterized in that:
the centrifuge basket has screen means (47) overlying substantially radially extending
drainage grooves (46) in a side wall of the basket a first, lower portion (43) operable to
separate "green" molasses from sugar crystals in the massecuite and a second, upper portion
(44) operable for separation of washed sugar crystals from remaining molasses and waste
water, and the drainage grooves are provided in side walls of said upper and lower basket
portions (44, 43) and are closed at lower ends and open to an upper end of the respective
side wall, to develop low pressure zones to enable the molasses to be more readily expelled
from the sugar crystals via a generated gravitational force.
2. A centrifuge as claimed in claim 1, further characterized in that: at least one
accelerating cone (40, 41) in the centrifuge basket (30) conditions the massecuite
fed to the centrifuge basket by mixing the massecuite with recycled "green
molasses".
3. A centrifuge as claimed in claim 1, further characterized in that: the centrifuge
basket (30) is mounted on a shaft (32) rotatable journalled within the housing (11)
and is operable connected to an output shaft (36) of a drive motor (37), forming a
drive means, by a coupling (38) which dampens any vibrations between the basket
and the drive motor.
4. A centrifuge as claimed in claim 1, further characterized in that: the lower portion
(43) of the basket (30) receives the massecuite from the massecuite inlet (18) via
an accelerator, the lower portion having an inclined side wall inclined at an angle in
the range of 15-20 to the vertical; the upper portion (44) has an inclined side wall
at an angle of 20-30 to the vertical; and where the lower and upper portions are
connected by an intermediate step portion (45).
5. A centrifuge as claimed in claim 4, further characterized in that: conditioning of
the massecuite by mixing with "green" molasses is effected in an initial
accelerating cone (40) of the accelerator.

6. A centrifuge as claimed in claim 4, further characterized in that: the inclined side

walls of the upper and lower portions (44, 43) of the basket have respective
screens (47) overlying respective drainage grooves (46).
7. A centrifuge as claimed in claim 2, further characterized in that: at least a portion
of molasses discharged from the upper portion (44) is sprayed onto the screen (47)
of the lower portion (43).
8. A centrifuge as claimed in claim 1, further characterized in that: "green"
molasses", separated from sugar crystals in the lower portion (43) of the basket, is
collected in the housing (11) and discharged through a green molasses outlet (53),
and at least a portion of the green molasses is directed to the accelerator to
condition incoming massecuite.
9. A centrifuge as claimed in claim 8, further characterized in that: washed
molasses, separated from the sugar crystals in the upper portion (44) of the
basket, is collected in the housing (11) and discharged through a washed
molasses output (57), and at least a portion of washed molasses is directed to the
lower portion (43) of the basket to wash the massecuite.
10. A centrifuge as claimed in claim 9, further characterized in that: the washed
sugar crystals are collected in the housing (11) and discharged out the sugar outlet
(15).
11. A centrifuge as claimed in claim 3, further characterized in that: the drive motor
(37) rotates the basket (30) at a rotational speed of 300-350 rpm, to generate
gravitational forces in the range of 75-140G.