Exergetic analyses of air-fuel preheated cogeneration plants in food production

Abstract

Lower emissions and better performances in food production also affect the cost, the environmental effects, and the quality of the products of the agriculture and food industry. The aim of this study is to investigate and to analyze the exergetic performance of the production of heat exergy and power, to reuse waste heat and to give optimum reaction and to adapt to changing demands of the food production process and agriculture. Because of those reasons, an air fuel preheated (recuperative) cogeneration plant is taken to analyze the exergetic performance and working conditions by using exergy analysis and 1st and 2nd laws of thermodynamics. Energy and exergy efficiencies, combustion chamber and gas-turbine outlet temperatures, electric-heat exergy rates, specific works, and total electric and heat energies and exergies are calculated by taking various environmental temperatures and various excess air coefficient. Effects of the environmental temperatures and the excess air coefficient on the exergetic performance of the recuperative cogeneration plants were calculated, obtained, and discussed. For the best exergetic performance and working conditions, some recommendations were done for agriculture and for the food production process. In that study, it is found that, the recuperative cogeneration plants can obtain and give the best solutions and can adapt to changing demands of heat and electric rates. Also, it was found that, lower ambient temperatures give better electric efficiency, but lower heat exergy and electric rates. However, higher excess air coefficient increases the performance of the recuperative (air fuel preheated) cogeneration plants.