Energy Efficiency Of Production Processes Research Articles

Using the Composite EEPSE Green Economy Index to Assess the Progress of Emerging Economies in Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals

As a concept, the green economy refers to the transition from coal to renewable energy sources to reduce pollution, the energy efficiency of production processes to achieve savings, the reuse of materials from waste in business and energy production, changes designed to stop harmful climate change and bring new opportunities for economic development. In this way, conflicts between economic development and environmental issues are resolved, with the aim of achieving sustainability of the economy and society. The aim of the study is to provide a comparative analysis of the level of development of the green economy in selected 20 emerging economies and their progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) from the 2030 Agenda using the EEPSE Green Economy Index (EEPSE GEI), based on Quintuple Helix Innovation Model (QHIM), and examine the interdependence between each of the 5 subsystems (quality of education system, economic aspects, political system, civil society, and natural environment) with this index. The results indicate that among the group of countries observed, Estonia is the best performer, while Egypt has the lowest performance. The results, also, indicate the important role of each of the subsystems in EEPSE GEI. The study can be useful for policy makers to identify weaknesses in achieving the SDGs.

Optimizing Energy Efficiency of Dielectric Materials’ Electrodischarge Dispersion as One Sustainable Development Green Trend

Increasing the energy efficiency of production processes is closely related to minimizing the impact on the environment and is one of the priorities of the concept of sustainable development. Electric discharge is an effective tool for multilevel grinding of non-metallic materials in various working fluids and obtaining coarse and fine suspensions. We introduce the technique for calculating the electrotechnological parameters necessary for energy-efficient electric discharge dispersion. This technique considers the strength characteristics of the crushed material (dispersed phase) and the electrical conductivity of the working fluid (dispersed medium). It is also essential to consider the energy stored in the capacitor bank, the energy criterion, the critical value of the working fluid’s electrical strength, the radius of the high-voltage electrode point, and the distance from the discharge channel axis to the disintegration object. All this allows obtaining a given granulometric composition of the dispersed phase with minimal energy consumption. Experiments confirmed the validity of the proposed calculation technique. We obtained the water-brown coal suspension with a given dispersion two times faster and consumed four times less energy in comparison with the known methods that did not take into account the electrical conductivity of the working liquid and the mechanical strength of the crushed material.

Обґрунтування критеріїв оцінки ефективності адаптивних технологій вирощування ентомокультур

Goal. To justify the criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of adaptive technologies for growing entomocultures, which take into account the qualitative indicators of insects, ecological, economic, and energy-economical indicators of the system and are based on the introduction of energy-efficient technological elements. Methods. The assessment of adaptive technologies for growing entomocultures in comparison with regulatory ones was carried out with the involvement of the method of current express analysis of their effectiveness and the method of ecological impact on the environment Life Cycle Assessment. Results. Four criteria for evaluating entomological production were formed, which made it possible to evaluate the efficiency of the functioning of technologies and equipment according to the main indicators, and the feasibility of their use was substantiated. The criterion for assessing the quality of insects took into account the target indicators that determined the degree of effectiveness of entomoculture. The economic criterion was based on the assessment of the type of microclimate system used to implement adaptive technologies. The criterion of energy efficiency of the system was evaluated according to three main components: standardized indicators of energy efficiency of products, indicators of energy efficiency of production processes, and indicators of energy saving implementation. Modern methodology of Life Cycle Assessment was used for the environmental assessment of adaptive technologies. Conclusions. The criteria for evaluating technologies for growing entomocultures are substantiated and recommended for use. The developed criteria were used to design adaptive technologies (on the example of the grain moth), which, compared to regulatory ones, made it possible to improve the quality indicators of insects by 20%, economic indicators — by 50%, energy efficiency — by 20%, environmental indicators — by 15%.

Improving the energy efficiency of production processes at industrial enterprises of the Russian Federation

The conclusion of the generating equipment for repair, in the optimal way, is the main one when planning repairs. But to consider this issue, it is necessary to understand the essence of the problem and find ways to solve the identified problem. It is necessary to start with the concept of "reliability", namely the reliability of electrical power systems. The article deals with power systems in general, properties of power systems, elements of power systems. The ratio of the functions and properties of energy systems is analyzed, where the main functions of the objects under consideration are: a function associated with the purpose of production equipment, a function associated with the fact of its creation. The meaning of the assignment function is that the object has some task that is performed. In turn, the fulfillment or non-fulfillment of the task is directly related to reliability. Reliability is the property of an object to perform a specified function related to its purpose, subject to specified constraints.

Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism: New Context for EU-Russia Relations

The article examines the introduction of the EU carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) as part of the EU economy decarbonization. The implementation of this initiative poses certain risks for the EU trading partners. Moreover, this issue is extremely important for the entire global trading system. The purpose of the study is to assess the real threats of the mechanism for Russian companies and identify opportunities for successful adaptation to the new green realities. The theoretical approaches and prerequisites for the CBAM introduction are analyzed, its systemic effects for companies around the world are shown. The channels and possible scale of this measure’s impact on Russian exporters are considered. The authors analyze the main possible response scenarios for Russia. The most promising scenarios could be: a) intensification of the carbon-free energy and increasing the energy efficiency of production processes, 2) development of an alternative compensatory mechanism, 3) integration into the regional emissions trading system. A possible challenge of the CBAM introduction in the WTO may be ineffective; cooperation with countries outside the “green agenda” – counterproductive. It is concluded that there are opportunities for Russian companies to strengthen their competitiveness due to CBAM requirements. However, there is a lack of expertise in a number of areas and levels, which can hinder the implementation of these opportunities.

Influence of various chilling methods on the sustainable beef production based on high voltage electrical stimulation.

Among the challenges of sustainable management of meat production, the key issue is to improve the energy efficiency of production processes, which will consequently affect the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Such effects are achieved by combining various chilling systems with electrical stimulation that determines the quality of meat at the slaughter stage. The novelties of the research undertaken included determining the impact of various variants of meat production (chilling method: slow, fast, accelerated + HVES/NES) on changes in the basic (industrial) quality indicators (pH and temperature) of beef produced from Polish Holstein-Friesian breed cattle, and then indicating the optimal variant for energy-efficient (sustainable) beef production. The HVES and the fast chilling method yielded positive economic (meat weight loss), technological (high quality, hot-boning), energetic (lower electricity consumption), and organizational effects (reduced chilling and storage surfaces and expenditures for staff wages) compared to the slow and accelerated methods. Reaching the desired final temperature with an increased amount of chilled meat enables obtaining a few-fold decrease in the specific energy consumption and a higher energy efficiency of the process. This allows recommending the above actions to be undertaken by entrepreneurs in the pursuit of sustainable meat production.

Feasibility Study of Pump Units with Various Direct-On-Line Electric Motors Considering Cable and Transformer Losses

The high energy intensity of the modern industry determines the high urgency of increasing the energy efficiency of production processes. However, a big number of motor types of enhanced efficiency classes are available on the market. The motor users can be confused about the choice of the right motor solution for a certain application. In this paper, to help with this choice the energy efficiency indicators of various types of electric motors in a low-power pump unit with a constant rotation speed are studied. Moreover, not only power losses in the motor are considered, but also power losses in the cable and transformer, which are influenced by the power factor of the motor. Induction motors (IMs) and synchronous motors powered directly from the grid (direct-on-line synchronous motor with permanent magnet in the rotor, DOL PMSM; direct-on-line synchronous reluctance motor without permanent magnet, DOL SynRM) of IE2, IE3, and IE4 energy efficiency classes are compared. To carry out the analysis, polynomial interpolation of the available catalogue data and experimental data of the motors are used. The main criteria for comparing different motors in this work are the energy savings over the pump’s life cycle and the payback period when replacing an IE2 motor with a motor of a higher energy efficiency class. The article shows that although the DOL PMSM has a lower motor efficiency than the DOL SynRM, it saves more energy due to its higher power factor, which reduces cable and transformer losses. It is also shown that, despite the highest initial cost, when taking into account cable and transformer losses, the payback period of DOL PMSM can be shorter than that of IE3 and IE4 induction motors. DOL SynRM has the shortest payback period in all considered cases, has no troublesome rare-earth permanent magnets, and can also be a valuable solution.

Modelo de gestión de la energía en la industria de fabricación de harina de trigo

En este documento se presenta el diseño de un modelo de gestión de la energía basado en la norma INTE/ISO 50001 (2018), para una industria de fabricación de harina de trigo. El desarrollo de un modelo de gestión de la energía, el cual posee un impulso importante en la actualidad nacional, busca mejorar el desempeño energético de los procesos productivos, así como de brindar información requerida, por la Gerencia, para el establecimiento de las directrices referentes a la administración de la energía.

Identification of Energy Efficiency Trends in the Context of the Development of Industry 4.0 Using the Polish Steel Sector as an Example

The steel sector is crucial for the national economy of Poland and the global economy. In response to the challenges of the global steel market and the need to increase the sector’s competitiveness, a number of actions have been taken to increase the energy efficiency of steel production. Based on the synthesis of the literature and our own research, we describe the issues related to energy efficiency and the Industry 4.0 concept. The main aim of this paper is to identify energy efficiency trends in enterprises, especially those that focus on increasing the energy efficiency of production processes, and to make recommendations for investment policy for the Polish steel sector in the era of Industry 4.0. To achieve our goals and answer the research question, we used data from 2000–2019 for the Polish steel industry. The calculations and models in this paper were made by using Gretl software. Using direct research, an econometric model was built that verified the hypothesis regarding the relationship between investment in new technologies and the energy efficiency of steel production. Future investment policies should take the implementation of Industry 4.0 tools in the steel sector into account, which, according to the authors, will measurably improve energy efficiency.

Modern Approaches to Storage and Effective Processing of Agricultural Products for Obtaining High Quality Food Products

In the modern world, the problem of providing the population with high-quality food products is reaching a critical point due to the increase in the population of the planet, mediated by an influence on the growth of food consumption; globalization processes, thereby contributing to fundamental changes in the structure and patterns of nutrition i.e., insufficiently effective principles of agricultural raw materials processing, etc. Today, food independence is a strategic component of a countryas security, which is enshrined in a number of regulatory documents, including: the Doctrine of Food Security of the Russian Federation; the Strategy for Scientific and Technological Development of the Russian Federation; the Strategy for Improving the Quality of Food Products in the Russian Federation until 2030; and, others. The stated goals are: updating the priority tasks of group and individual products identification, including on biological and geographical features; unification of evaluation criteria and objective principles for expanding their field; traditional technologies transformation, the potential of which doesnat have the possibility of unlimited replication, etc. It is predicted that the growth of production volumes, processes and consumption systems optimization will be based on the application of a number of basic principles: “lifetime” formation of raw materials composition and properties; development of highly efficient production technologies and deep processing of agricultural products; implementation of algorithms for structuring logistics, storage and processing/disposal of food and waste; increasing energy efficiency of production processes, etc. At the same time, the strategic vectors of technology development are specialized and personalized nutrition, cross-border cooperation, food quality and safety, minimization of negative environmental impact, traceability of the food chain “from field to consumer,” etc. A priori, to achieve all this it will require the introduction of widespread modern technologies, including digital ones, as well as the modernization of traditional and the creation of new methodological and process decisions.

A load-adaptive and predictive control of energy-efficient building automation in production environment

The energy efficiency of production processes has been widely researched. However, researchers neglect the periphery energy, which deals with heating, ventilation, air conditioning, blinds and lighting for production environment. In this paper, a load-adaptive and predictive building automation control connected with production control systems and weather forecasts aims to reduce periphery energy consumption. A Nonlinear Model Predictive Control (NMPC) is developed in MATLAB to look for an optimization of control inputs while utilizing thermal or illumination effects from production activities and atmosphere. Compared with conventional controllers, NMPC reaches a more desirable comfort level and a significant reduction of energy consumption.

Evaluation and Assessment of Additive Manufacturing Processes Based on the Least Energy Demand in Application for Sustainable Production

This paper presents the Least Energy Demand as an independent reference value for evaluating energy efficiency of additive manufacturing (AM) processes. Nowadays an essential challenge is represented by a proper evaluation and calculation of the energy efficiency of production processes. The reason for this is the lack of appropriate reference values. A comprehensive comparison of the energy efficiency is not possible without consistent reference values. However, this comparison serves as a first step towards the goal in order to reveal the actual energy savings potential of additive manufacturing procedures and to take actions on this basis. Therefore, the first step is to define the general concept, which is used for the calculation of the Least Energy Demand. Moreover, the unit operation-specific Least Energy Demand EGM is introduced based on unit operations. In conclusion, the importance of EGM as a reference value for evaluating the energy efficiency of production processes, defined in DIN 8580, is explained. Within the scope of an application of the illustrated concept the Least Energy Demand and the Relative Energy Efficiency (REE) are calculated using the example of a selective laser melting process.

Power efficiency improvements of the industrial processes at application of thermochemical recuperation of heath of the leaving gases with use of microchannel reactors

The possibility of increasing the energy efficiency of production processes by converting the initial fuel – natural gas to synthesized fuel using the heat of the exhaust gases of plants involved in production is considered. Possible applications of this technology are given. A mathematical model of the processes of heat and mass transfer occurring in a thermochemical reactor is developed taking into account the nonequilibrium nature of the course of chemical reactions of fuel conversion. The possibility of using microchannel reaction elements and facilities for methane conversion in order to intensify the process and reduce the overall dimensions of plants is considered. The features of the course of heat and mass transfer processes under flow conditions in microchannel reaction elements are described. Additions have been made to the mathematical model, which makes it possible to use it for microchannel installations.With the help of a mathematical model, distribution of the parameters of mixtures along the length of the reaction element of the reactor-temperature, the concentration of the reacting components, the velocity, and the values of the heat fluxes are obtained. The calculations take into account the change in the thermophysical properties of the mix-ture, the type of the catalytic element, the rate of the reactions, the heat exchange processes by radiation, and the lon-gitudinal heat transfer along the flow of the reacting mixture.The reliability of the results of the application of the mathematical model is confirmed by their comparison with the experimental data obtained by Grasso G., Schaefer G., Schuurman Y., Mirodatos C., Kuznetsov V.V., Vitovsky O.V. on similar installations.

Crossbench and Evaluation of Additive Manufacturing Processes in Strategy of Sustainable and Energy Efficient Production

This paper presents the Least Energy Demand as an independent reference value for evaluating energy efficiency of additive manufacturing (AM) processes. Nowadays an essential challenge is represented by a proper evaluation and calculation of the energy efficiency of production processes. The reason for this is the lack of appropriate reference values. A comprehensive comparison of the energy efficiency is not possible without consistent reference values. However, this comparison serves as a first step towards the goal in order to reveal the actual energy savings potential of additive manufacturing procedures and to take actions on this basis. Therefore, as a first step the basic concept of the additive manufacturing principle is introduced. Subsequent the scope of the current research regarding the considered additive manufacturing techniques is illustrated. Afterwards the general system of the Least Energy Demand is presented, which serves the needs in terms of evaluating the energy efficiency of additive manufacturing processes. To sustain the comparability of the Least Energy Demand between the presented AM-procedures a solid basis for further calculations is established. Finally this paper concludes with the results of the calculated Least Energy Demands for the individual additive manufacturing processes and a comprehensive energetic comparison.

A Cooperative Co-Evolutionary Algorithm for Large-Scale Process Planning With Energy Consideration

Process planning can be an effective way to improve the energy efficiency of production processes. Aimed at reducing both energy consumption and processing time (PT), a comprehensive approach that considers feature sequencing, process selection, and physical resources allocation simultaneously is established in this paper. As the number of decision variables increase, process planning becomes a large-scale problem, and it is difficult to be addressed by simply employing a regular meta-heuristic algorithm. A cooperative co-evolutionary algorithm, which hybridizes the artificial bee colony algorithm (ABCA) and Tabu search (TS), is therefore proposed. In addition, in the proposed algorithm, a novel representation method is designed to generate feasible process plans under complex precedence. Compared with some widely used algorithms, the proposed algorithm is proven to have a good performance for handling large-scale process planning in terms of maximizing energy efficiency and production times.

The Automated Evaluation of the Energy Efficiency for Machining Applications based on the Least Energy Demand

This paper presents the Least Energy Demand as a comprehensive reference value to evaluate energy efficiency. An objective evaluation and calculation of the energy efficiency of production processes represents a substantial challenge with regard to the state of the art. The reason for this is the lack of appropriate reference values. A comprehensive comparison of the energy efficiency is not possible without consistent reference values. First, in order to calculate such a reference value for different production processes, the basics to describe a closed system energetically are defined. Initially, several energy states and the various energy terms are defined to describe a production process as an energetic system. In a second step, the model for the activation energy based on chemical laws is introduced and its basic idea is transferred to the operations of the production processes of DIN 8580. For this purpose, appropriate general conditions have to be defined in order to be able to derive, finally, the existence of a Least Energy Demand for the execution of a production process according to DIN 8580. Based on this information to describe the Least Energy Demand for a specific process, the calculation of this crossbench reference can be automated evenly. By integration of CAD files it is possible to realize a pre-calculation of the Least Energy Demand for a specific product. Even through the interruption between machines controlling data, the crossbench calculation can be realized directly on the tool machine for further evaluation of the energy efficiency during the manufacturing process.

The Least Energy Demand as Crossbench Reference for the Evaluation and Equation of the Relative Energy Efficiency of Production Processes

This paper presents the Least Energy Demand as a comprehensive reference value to evaluate energy efficiency. An objective evaluation and calculation of the energy efficiency of production processes represents a substantial challenge with regard to the state of the art. The reason for this is the lack of appropriate reference values. A comprehensive comparison of the energy efficiency is not possible without consistent reference values. However, this comparison is essential to reveal the actual energy savings potential of production processes and to derive actions on its basis. First, in order to calculate such a reference value for different production processes, the basics to describe a closed system energetically, are defined. Initially, several energy states and the various energy terms were defined to describe a production process as an energetic system. In a second step, the model for the activation energy based on chemical laws is introduced and its basic idea is transferred to the operations of the production processes of DIN 8580. For this purpose, appropriate general conditions have to be defined in order to be able to derive, finally, the existence of a Least Energy Demand for the execution of a production process according to DIN 8580. In conclusion, the term Least System Energy Change Demand is introduced and is defined within the conceptualized model for the activation energy. It forms the basis of independent reference values for the evaluation and calculation of the energy efficiency of production processes.

Calculation of the Least Energy Demand as Energy Benchmark for Applied Production Processes Based on the Unit Operation Model

This paper presents the Least Energy Demand as a comprehensive reference value for evaluating energy efficiency. An objective evaluation and calculation of the energy efficiency of production processes represents a substantial challenge with regard to the state of the art. The reason for this is the lack of appropriate reference values. A comprehensive comparison of the energy efficiency is not possible without consistent reference values. However, this comparison is essential for revealing the actual energy savings potential of production processes and for establishing actions on its basis. Therefore, the first step is to define the general conditions necessary to transfer the model concepts from the microscopic to the macroscopic level for the calculation of the Least Energy Demand. Then, the transferability is verified by reducing the macroscopic material parameters, which determine the amount of the Least Energy Demand significantly, to their atomic interrelations. Moreover, the unit operation-specific Least Energy Demand EGM is introduced on the basis of the unit operation and can be spent through several forms of energy. In conclusion, the importance of the EGM as a reference value for evaluating the energy efficiency of production processes of the DIN 8580 is explained. The EGM of the evaluated production process is the result of the energetic interrelations of the unit operation (s). These are identified and shown for the considered production process according to the DIN 8580.

The Physical Model Concept for the Determination of the Least Energy Demand as Energy Efficiency Benchmark for Production Processes

This paper presents the Least Energy Demand as a comprehensive reference value to evaluate energy efficiency. An objective evaluation and calculation of the energy efficiency of production processes represents a substantial challenge with regard to the state of the art. The reason for this is the lack of appropriate reference values. A comprehensive comparison of the energy efficiency is not possible without consistent reference values. However, this comparison is essential for revealing the actual energy savings potential of production processes as well as to derive actions on its basis. In order to calculate such a reference value for different production processes, the term Least System Energy Change Demand is defined based on the model of the activation energy in the field of chemistry and on the given circumstances. In the following, the fundamental model concepts for describing the processes on an atomic level, which take place during the execution of the respective production process according to DIN 8580, are introduced. Four fundamental models consider the atomic processes under energetic aspects: 1. the chemical, 2. the atom physical, 3. the thermodynamic, and 4. the materials scientific model. The atom physical model includes two model concepts that describe different phenomena: the model concept of the potential well and the model concept of the Coulomb potential. Finally, it is shown to what extent the models can be transferred to the common materials in the manufacturing technology. The presented models form the basis for determining the Least Energy Demand as a reference value to evaluate and calculate the energy efficiency for production processes according to DIN 8580.

The Relative Energy Efficiency as Standard for Evaluating the Energy Efficiency of Production Processes Based on the Least Energy Demand

This paper presents a calculation system to evaluate the energy efficiency in the production in general and at the process level more specifically. Its focus lies on the evaluation of the efficiency of the use of electric energy in the manufacturing industry. The basic target is a comparability of the energy efficiency across products through derivation of significant key figures. The basis of a significant evaluation and overarching comparability of the energy efficiency as well as the basis of the derivation of possible saving potentials is the relative energy efficiency (REE). It is determined by the quotient of minimal energy demand and actually measured consumption and requires that the actually measured energy consumption refers to an independent basis of comparison. The step-by-step development of the calculation system is based on the detailed analysis of all influential factors of the energy consumption. The, in this context, developed Least Energy Demand Method enables the determination of energy minima with different bases of comparison as reference values to evaluate the energy efficiency of single parts production.