Reverse Osmosis System for Small-Scale Maple Syrup Production

Abstract

Maple syrup production has become not only a popular hobby but also a small business venture for many home producers throughout the world.  Maple syrup production involves the collection of sap from maple trees, followed by a relatively simple processing operation to increase the sugar concentration of the substance.  Costs for home producers are relatively high due to high capital and energy costs.  In an effort to reduce these costs, reverse osmosis systems have been incorporated to concentrate the sap before boiling. This process reduces the necessary boiling time, thereby reducing labor and energy costs.  However, these reverse osmosis systems are typically too expensive for home producers to afford.  Therefore, it is the aim of this design project to develop a low-cost, medium-capacity reverse osmosis system.  Building off the work from MME 448, the team is now working towards model verification and prototype system production.