ENERGY EFFCENCY N THE NDUSTRY: A STEP TO NCREASE PRODUCTVTY

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ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN THE INDUSTRY:
A STEP TO INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY.
EFICIENCIA ENERGTICA EMPRESARIAL:
UN PASO HACIA EL AUMENTO DE LA PRODUCTIVIDAD DE LAS EMPRESAS.
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Elizabet Cruz, Ph.D., P. Eng., Thermal Process Specialist
Rory Hynes, P. Eng., Global Director Thermal Technologies
1235 North Service Road West
Oakville, Ontario, L6M 2W2, Canada
Tel: +1 905 469 3400 Fax: +1 905 469 3404
Email: ecruz@hatch.ca and rhynes@hatch.ca
Hatch Asociados S.A.
Av. Paz Soldan No. 170 Oficina 401
San sidro, Lima, Per
Tel: +51 1 422-8380 / +51 1 422 1034
Fax: +51 1 422 7152
Email: hatch@hatch.com.pe
ENERGY EFFCENCY N THE NDUSTRY: A STEP TO NCREASE PRODUCTVTY
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1. 8ummary
Energy consumption in the mining industry had led to the evolution of advanced
processes that require higher productivity. This involves processes that are at the
leading edge of current development, increasing product output while also decreasing
the consumption of fossil fuels and reducing the environmental impact.
The mining industry is engaging sustainable development practices and one effective
way to achieve this is by using the energy that exists in their current processes that is
discarded.
This paper presents innovative energy management techniques that lead to energy
recovery and uses it back in the process as heat, mechanical work and / or power with a
consequent impact on operating costs and a reduction in the overall environment impact.
These techniques include:
1. Heat Recovery using waste heat boiler to produce steam that will produce
hot water, mechanical and/ or electrical energy via integration with a
conventional cycle or a Rankine cycle using an organic substance.
2. Other heat recovery equipment.
3. Use of turbo-machinery.
4. Utilization of available geothermal energy as a complementary technology
to reduce fossil fuel dependence.
The results enable:
1. Raising energy efficiency, eliminating irrational patterns of consumption, reducing
energy intensity in industrial processes drawing on secondary sources of heat.
2. Replacing and / or reducing the use of other energy sources for lower environmental
impact and lower operational costs.
3. Use of technologies to mitigate environmental impacts.
ENERGY EFFCENCY N THE NDUSTRY: A STEP TO NCREASE PRODUCTVTY
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Energy efficiency and savings from the heat recovery process is an essential part in
industry efficiency, both for its direct effect and its contribution to business productivity
and environmental impact.
ENERGY EFFCENCY N THE NDUSTRY: A STEP TO NCREASE PRODUCTVTY
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2. Ob]ective
The U.S. Department of Energy reports that available waste heat sources in the industry
exceed the current production of all other U.S. renewable power sources combined -
seven quadrillion BTU. Major efforts are made to increase the efficiency of a process in
order to reduce the fuel consumed, to lower operating costs, to reduce the CO
2
footprint
and/or increase the output of the process based on the following:
Technological advancements
Control techniques
Thermal Energy Recovery inside the process is not always the first solution applied
Therefore, the main objective of this study is to promote the approach to increase
efficiency from potential heat recovery from available waste heat as a step to increase
energy utilization productivity within the mining industry.
3. Data Gathering
An energy utilization review starts with a facility overall process review and, for operating
facilities, a site survey to provide operating data which can be used to assess the
suitability of the heat sources available. The key elements to consider for potential waste
heat sources to be used in a heat recovery system are:
Quality of heat
The temperature of the heat generated and its potential for heat
transfer. Generally, the higher the temperature the better. (see
table 1).
Moisture and chemical content
This could cause problems with condensation, deposition of
dissolved matter precipitating from solution and possible
corrosion.
Physical properties
ENERGY EFFCENCY N THE NDUSTRY: A STEP TO NCREASE PRODUCTVTY
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f a stream is used that contains particles, it has the potential for
clogging filters and fouling heat exchangers.
Location
Where the heat will be reused and how it will be transported there.
Where to start:
dentify the heat source
Sources and potential uses of thermal energy.
How to recover it?
Determine dew point, corrosive components, temperature and pressure.
Where to use it and how much is needed
Conditions occurring in the plant that can be improved due to heat
recovery.
Available space
Extra equipment, piping, controls, size of the equipment.
Equipment selection and ntegration
Best technology for the application and integration with the existing
equipments.
4. Application
Waste heat can be used:
1. Within the process it originates from:
This is the most popular and cost-effective way of using waste heat. n some
cases, it can be recycled directly.
2. Within another process:
This option may be appropriate if the waste heat is not at a high enough
temperature for reuse in the originating process, or if there is no use for it.
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3. For cooling via absorption chillers:
Waste heat can be used with absorption chillers to provide cooling that a process
or facility might require.
Other forms of cooling are available using custom-built units. The heat source
can be in any form suitable for heat exchange.
4. For space heating/domestic-water heating:
The waste heat can be used for space heating or for heating domestic water. The
latter is usually the most practical because space heat demand is usually
seasonal and so, when not required in the summer, the heat is wasted.
There are several benefits of heat recovery regardless of its final application as follows:
Direct Benefits:
ncreased efficiency
Reduction in energy consumption
Reduction in operating costs
ndirect Benefits:
Reduce specific emissions
Lower CO
2
footprint
Reduction in equipment sizes
Reduction in auxiliary energy consumption
Table 1 represents a summary of heat sources classified by temperature range and
recommended applications and technology. However, each heat source should be
evaluated on a case by case basis for better utilization and integration.
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TabIe 1: Heat source cIassification by temperature and technoIogy recommended.
QuaIity
Heat
Temperature
Range
Sources AppIications Stream
Recommended
Equipment
(by end use)
High
Grade
600C and up
Metal Furnaces,
Cement kiln,
ncinerators,
heat and
electricity
production,
stream pre-
heating,
steam
production,
drying.
Mainly as
flue gases
Waste Heat
Boilers
WHB with
Rankine Cycle
Economizers
Regenerators
Medium
Grade
200-600C
Combustion
exhausts
(Steam boilers,
Gas Turbines,
Reciprocating
Engines),
drying
processes,
high
temperature
cooling systems
pre-heating of
feeding
streams,
drying
medium to low
pressure steam
production
Vapours,
where latent
heat is
recoverable
Flue gases
Economizers
Waste Heat
Boilers
ORC
Low
Grade
below 200C
Cooling
systems,
air
compressors,
process steam
condensate,
hot liquids and
solids from
processes,
pumps.
supplementary
heating
smaller amount
of electricity
production,
Gaseous and
Liquid effluents
contaminated or
at low
temperatures
ORC
Expansion
Screw ORC
Heat Pumps
5. Development and Results
From previous projects there are several energy sources available in any industry. The
mining industry is no exception. Therefore, the following cases are evaluated based on
the heat recovery potential and the end use required by the industry. Results are based
on estimated costs presented by vendors and estimated emissions as per typical
emissions rates based on the fuel displaced.
Description of Cases:
Case A:
Purpose:
Additional energy required to dry Biomass to be used as renewable fuel to
displace Natural Gas.
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Direct contact heat exchangers will be used to dry the biomass.
Other users in the plant could benefit from an additional heat source, mainly
hot water users and district heating.
Solution:
An existing hot gas stream from the process is analyzed as a potential heat
source. The typical operating condition of the gas stream is 600C.
A Waste Heat Boiler (WHB) is proposed that will produce low pressure
steam. The steam will be used in a heat exchanger to produce hot air and the
rest of the steam will be used for hot water heating and district heating
requirements in the plant.
Case B:
Purpose:
An exhaust stream's heat content is wasted. deally, it could be it converted
into electricity for a brownfield project where space, construction time and
starting time are essential for the project.
Solution:
An existing hot gas stream from the process is analyzed as a potential heat
source. The typical operating condition of the gas stream is 600C.
An Organic Rankine Cycle using screw expanders is proposed to produce
about 400kWe with a delivery time of 3-6 months in a compact design that
can fit into the space available.
Case C:
Purpose:
During a cooling process from 800C to about ambient conditions a
considerable amount of heat is wasted.
f recovered properly it could be used to produce electrical energy and off set
the use of fossil fuels and operating expenses in the plant.
ENERGY EFFCENCY N THE NDUSTRY: A STEP TO NCREASE PRODUCTVTY
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Other users in the plant could benefit from an additional heat source, mainly
hot water users and district heating.
Solution:
A Waste Heat Boiler (WHB) is proposed in combination with a Steam Turbine
Generator following the principles of the Rankine Cycle.
Steam could be used, if required for other purposes in the plant.
Case D:
Purpose:
A remote mining location requires heating during most of the year. t will also
require cooling for few months of the year.
Environmental concerns are driving the client to avoid the use of fossil fuels.
Solution:
Geothermal energy is proposed as means to produce the district heating
required thereby displacing diesel oil.
When used for district heating the cost of a geothermal system is reduced
considerably to about 500-700$/kWth.
Maintenance costs are minimum and electrical consumption is equivalent to
60% of any other comparable system.
Table 2 summarizes the findings for each case. The results are estimated and based on
the requirements and availability of each process to use the final energy recovered.
ENERGY EFFCENCY N THE NDUSTRY: A STEP TO NCREASE PRODUCTVTY
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TabIe 2: Summary of resuIts for each case.
6. Conclusions
Energy recovery within a process is an essential tool to increase productivity by reducing
fossil fuel consumption as well as environmental impact. Other energy sources available,
such as geothermal energy, could complement the effort to reduce the environmental
impact and fossil fuel utilization.
The first step to introduce these energy management techniques is to identify the
potential sources of heat inside a process and where it could be used as part of that
same process or somewhere else in the facility. Once these two issues are identified the
evaluation process can start to select the best possible technology to apply for each
case.
Following the results presented in this study there are several potential applications
where heat could be recovered and re-used in a facility. However, the technology to use
to recover available heat depends not only on the conditions of the hot stream but also
the final application required in the industry.
Special considerations should be given to the study of utilization of available energy
within a given process. This will imply lower fossil fuel utilization, lower environmental
impact and ultimately a step to increase productivity.
Estimated Savings
Case Stream
Temperature
range
Heat
Recovery
PotentiaI
TechnoIogy
Estimated
Cost
($MUSD)
$MUSD/y
CO2
reduction
(tCO2/y)
ROI
Case
A
Gas 600C 20 MWth
Waste Heat
Boiler
7 4.6 32,260 1.52
Case
B
Gas 600C 400 kWe ORC 1.5 0.28 1,936 5.42
Case
C
Water 800C 9 MWe
Waste Heat
Boiler with
Rankine Cycle
10 2.4 48,390 4.22
Case
D
Water-
antifreeze
mixture
10-20C 11 MWth
Geothermal
system
7.7 8.6 72,792 0.90