Abstract
In the UK, 25% of final energy consumption is attributed to the industrial sector (DECC, 2013) which also accounts for one third of the electricity consumption. However it is estimated that between 20 to 50 percent of industrial energy consumption is ultimately wasted as heat (Johnson et al., 2008). Unlike material waste that is clearly visible, waste heat can be difficult to identify and evaluate both in terms of quantity and quality. Hence by being able to understand the availability of waste heat, and the ability to recover it, there is an opportunity to reduce energy costs and associated environmental impacts. This research describes the design of a novel framework that aids manufacturers in making decisions regarding the most suitable solution to recover Waste Heat Energy (WHE) from their activities. The framework consists of four major sections: 1) survey of waste heat sources in a facility; 2) assessment of waste heat quantity and quality; 3) selection of appropriate technology; 4) decision making and recommendations. In order to support the implementation of the framework within the manufacturing industry, an associated software tool is discussed.
Highlights
In the 21st Century, fossil fuels remain a dominant component of the global energy grid
The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of a novel framework which offers a systematic approach to evaluate the potential waste heat energy (WHE) available in a manufacturing plant and determine the proportion of this WHE that is suitable for recovery
3.3 Stage 3: Selection of appropriate technology The objective of this framework is to understand the potential recoverability of WHE and this will unvaryingly involve the use of heat transfer mechanism
Summary
In the 21st Century, fossil fuels remain a dominant component of the global energy grid. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of a novel framework which offers a systematic approach to evaluate the potential waste heat energy (WHE) available in a manufacturing plant and determine the proportion of this WHE that is suitable for recovery. The originality of this research is that it is the first attempt to provide a systematic framework for understanding the WHE available within a manufacturing environment and that provides decision support in terms of identifying suitable energy recovery technologies for individual scenarios. The framework identifies suitable technologies and applications for the reutilisation of this WHE with the objective of improving overall energy efficiency. This paper begins with a review of literature to provide a background understanding of the current research in improving overall plant level energy efficiency and establishes the lack of structure in the understanding of WHE available within manufacturing businesses and suitable applications of this energy. The paper concludes with a discussion of the applicability of the framework for use in an industrial environment and a description of proposed future work
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