Energy management model to minimize fuel consumption and control harmful gas emissions

Abstract

Energy management technique is a direct and short way for environment protection. Many searches and studies are published, looking for solutions of both energy and climate crisis. While energy consumption has an effective role in the economic growth of any country, it considered as the prime responsible of green-house gas emissions. Heat exchanger network synthesis (HENS) is a successful technology for industrial energy conservation where it guarantees least fuel combustion and so least harmful gas emissions. In this work, we formulated an integrated methodology for HEN designs coupled with insulation applications to maximize energy recovery and minimize energy losses. This methodology has been applied to a case study using several types of insulations (mineral wool, cellulose and aerogel) to indicate insulation type effect. With help of the mathematical solver software (GAMS); we got alternatives designs for revamping the case study. For more operability, classification results into three techniques took place. Firstly, coupling between HEN design and insulation applications to reduced fuel combustion and subsequently reduction of both operating cost and emissions reached 70% is achieved. Secondly, other suggested modification for revamped design was replacement fuel oil with natural gas through fuel switching technique; which achieved reduction of cost and emissions around 42%. The third technique was integration between HEN design, insulation and fuel switching which achieved the best results of minimizing cost and emissions, reached to 85% less than existing case rates.