Energy and exergy system analysis of thermal improvements of blast‐furnace plants

The blast‐furnace process dominating in the production of steel all over the world is still continuously improved due to its effectiveness (exergy efficiency is about 70%). The thermal improvement consist in an increase of the temperature of the blast and its oxygen enrichment, as well as the injection of cheaper auxiliary fuels. The main aim is to save coke because its consumption is the predominating item of the input energy both in the blast‐furnace plant and in ironworks. Besides coke also other energy carriers undergo changes, like the consumption of blast, production of the chemical energy of blast‐furnace gas, its consumption in Cowper‐stoves and by other consumers, as well as the production of electricity in the recovery turbine. These changes affect the whole energy management of ironworks due to the close connections between energy and technological processes. That means the production of steam, electricity, compressed air, tonnage oxygen, industrial water, feed water undergo changes as well. In order to determine the system changes inside the ironworks a mathematical model of the energy management of the industrial plant was applied. The results of calculations of the supply of energy carriers to ironworks can then be used to determine the cumulative energy and exergy consumption basing on average values of cumulative energy and exergy indices concerning the whole country. Such a model was also used in the system analysis of exergy losses. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Energy analysis of a blast-furnace system operating with the Corex process and CO2 removal

The integration of the COREX process with the blast-furnace process, the installation of CO₂ removal and gas-and-steam CHP plant displays many energy and ecological advantages. The application of COREX gas after the removal of CO₂ as hot reducing gas leads first of all to a saving of coke. Besides the reduction of the consumption of coke, also the consumption of blast, high-purity oxygen, the amount and lower heating value (LHV) of blast-furnace gas are changed, as well as the production of electricity in the recovery turbine, the consumption of blast-furnace gas in the Cowper stoves and the amount of blast-furnace gas supplied to the gas-energy subsystem of the ironworks. Related to a unit amount of pig iron, these quantities are called energy characteristics of the blast-furnace assembly. They may be used to assess the energy process effects of applying COREX gas in the blast-furnace process. In order to assess the influence of injecting COREX gas into the thermal reserve zone, the zone balance method of the blast-furnace process has been used.     

Energy–exergy analysis and modernization suggestions for a combined‐cycle power plant

Energy and exergy analysis were carried out for a combined‐cycle power plant by using the data taken from its units in operation to analyse a complex energy system more thoroughly and to identify the potential for improving efficiency of the system. In this context, energy and exergy fluxes at the inlet and the exit of the devices in one of the power plant main units as well as the energy and exergy losses were determined. The results show that combustion chambers, gas turbines and heat recovery steam generators (HRSG) are the main sources of irreversibilities representing more than 85% of the overall exergy losses. Some constructive and thermal suggestions for these devices have been made to improve the efficiency of the system. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

4800 m^3高炉热风炉设计及运行研究

在某炼铁厂4 800 m^3高炉顶燃式热风炉的设计中,采用长寿型双预热、清洁生产等具有国内领先水平的生产技术,并结合实践对高炉热风炉热工参数、设备、耐火材料的结构等进行了分析研究,实现了高炉风温的稳定输送,满足了高炉生产的要求,取得了良好的效果.     

小型混合制冷剂天然气液化流程设计与分析

分析了IFP-Axens公司开发的混合制冷剂循环Liquefin工艺关键技术,在此基础上设计了一种全新的小型混合制冷剂液化流程。比较了三个流程的主要流程参数,综合分析了换热器冷热负荷曲线和温差曲线。结果表明,压缩机和换热器的损失是循环的主要损失,可以通过选用效率更高的压缩机,或者改变压缩系统结构减少损;提高返流轻组分节流后压力可有效降低换热温差,通过进一步优化制冷剂组成和运行压力,可使换热温差更加均匀,减少换热器损,提高流程的经济性。     

Energy and exergy analyses of the oxidation and gasification of carbon

Exergy losses in gasification and combustion of solid carbon are compared by conceptually dividing the processes into several subprocesses: instantaneous chemical reaction, heat transfer from reaction products to reactants (internal thermal energy exchange) and product mixing. Gasification is more efficient than combustion because exergy losses due to internal thermal energy exchange are reduced from 14–16 to 5–7% of expended exergy, while the chemical reactions are relatively efficient for both processes. The losses due to internal thermal energy exchange may be reduced by replacing air with oxygen, although this introduces additional process losses for separation of oxygen from air, or alternatively, preheating of air by heat exchange with product gas. For oxygen-blown gasification of fuels with high calorific value, such as solid carbon, it is advisable to moderate the temperature by introduction of steam. At optimum gasification temperatures in the ranges of 1100–1200 K (for atmospheric pressure) and 1200–1300 K (for 10 bar pressure), up to 75% of the chemical exergy contained in solid carbon can be preserved in the chemical exergy of carbon monoxide and hydrogen.     

Energy and exergy analysis of the preheating of combustion reactants

Influence of the enhancement of physical recuperation on fuel consumption in heating furnaces has been analysed. The multiplier of fuel energy and fuel exergy economy has been defined. The effects of chemical recuperation, increasing the chemical energy and exergy of fuel have been determined. The independent preheating of combustion reactants has been investigated. The possible increase of the lean fuel content in the gaseous fuel mixture has been determined. Numerical examples are included.     

Energy and exergy analyses of five conventional liquefied natural gas processes

In this paper, five conventional LNG processes were investigated by energy and exergy analysis methods. On the basis of the energy analysis, three‐stage process of Linde AG and Stat oil (mixed fluid cascade [MFC]) has less energy consumption than the other ones (0.254 kWh/kg liquefied natural gas). Also, coefficient of performance of the cycles of this process is higher compared with the other ones. Exergy analysis results showed that the maximum exergy efficiency is related to the MFC process (51.82%). However, performance of the MFC process in terms of quality and quantity of energy consumption is considerable. But using three cycles in this process needs more components and consequently more fixed costs. In this study, sensitivity of coefficient of performance, specific energy consumption, and indexes of exergy analysis were also analyzed versus important operating variables for all cases. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

金属镁还原系统的(火用)分析

从热力学原理出发,首次采用分析法研究了金属镁还原系统的损失部位与大小。结果表明:金属镁还原炉的效率很低,排烟损失和绝热燃烧损失都比较大,还原产物带走损失和还原炉体内部损失居次。据此提出了一些提高效率的措施。     

Energy and exergy analyses of direct ironsmelting processes

The paper discusses the concept of exergy, the energy and exergy balances of blast furnace ironmaking and DIOS-type direct ironsmelting processes, and exergy losses in these processes. The overall fuel efficiency of direct ironsmelting strongly depends on the utilisation of off-gas. It is shown that if off-gas is not utilised efficiently, the fuel efficiency of the direct ironsmelting process is enhanced strongly by increasing heat transfer efficiency and post-combustion ratio. Otherwise, when the off-gas is utilised efficiently, post-combustion ratio and heat transfer efficiency are less significant for the overall fuel efficiency.     

Energy and exergy analyses of sugar production stages

This paper presents the energy and exergy analyses of sugar production stages by using the operational data from Bor Sugar Plant, Turkey. For these purposes, all stages of sugar production, considered as a steady-state open thermodynamic system, were analysed by employing the first and second law of thermodynamics. In this regard, the first and second law efficiencies, the magnitude and place of exergy losses in these production stages were estimated and discussed in detail. It was concluded that the exergy loses took place mostly during the sherbet production process (η_I,sp=96.8% η_II,sp=49.3%) because of the irreversibility in the sub-operation stages, which are vapour production, circulation sherbet mixing and bagasse compression. Therefore, it is generally suggested that the irreversibility, mostly stem from the finite temperature differences at the production stages, should be reduced to conduct more productively the sugar production process. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Fundamentals of coal combustion during injection into a blast furnace

The efficiency of coal combustion is important for the blast furnace process. Incomplete combustion of coal does not reduce coke consumption as can be expected and decreases burden permeability which results in improper gas flow and temperature distribution. Consequently, this reduces the throughput of the blast furnace.

This paper describes combustion conditions and mechanisms of coal combustion in the blast furnace, and discusses factors affecting coal combustion such as injector location, coal type, injection rate, maceral composition, and air blast parameters. Also, mathematical models of coal and coal/coke combustion in the blast furnace are considered.     

大气温度对燃气轮机做功能力损失的影响分析

基于热力学第二定律,针对燃气轮机实际简单循环,推导出燃气轮机各部件做功能力损失的计算公式。通过对某型燃气轮机的定量计算,得出燃气轮机在不同大气温度下的做功能力损失。结果表明,大气温度对燃气轮机的做功能力损失有较大的影响。     

燃气初温对燃气轮机[火用]损失的影响分析

基于热力学第二定律,对燃气轮机实际简单循环推导出了燃气轮机各部件[火用]损失的计算公式。通过对某型燃气轮机的定量计算,得出了燃气轮机在不同燃气初温下的[火用]损失。结果表明,燃气初温对燃气轮机的[火用]损失有较大的影响。     

Energy and exergy analysis of hydrogen production by solid oxide steam electrolyzer plant

Energy and exergy analysis has been conducted to investigate the thermodynamic–electrochemical characteristics of hydrogen production by a solid oxide steam electrolyzer (SOSE) plant. All overpotentials involved in the SOSE cell have been included in the thermodynamic model. The waste heat in the gas stream of the SOSE outlet is recovered to preheat the H₂O stream by a heat exchanger. The heat production by the SOSE cell due to irreversible losses has been investigated and compared with the SOSE cell's thermal energy demand. It is found that the SOSE cell normally operates in an endothermic mode at a high temperature while it is more likely to operate in an exothermic mode at a low temperature as the heat production due to overpotentials exceeds the thermal energy demand. A diagram of energy and exergy flows in the SOSE plant helps to identify the sources and quantify the energy and exergy losses. The exergy analysis reveals that the SOSE cell is the major source of exergy destruction. The energy analysis shows that the energy loss is mainly caused by inefficiency of the heat exchangers. The effects of some important operating parameters, such as temperature, current density, and H₂O flow rate, on the plant efficiency have been studied. Optimization of these parameters can achieve maximum energy and exergy efficiencies. The findings show that the difference between energy efficiency and exergy efficiency is small as the high-temperature thermal energy input is only a small fraction of the total energy input. In addition, the high-temperature waste heat is of high quality and can be recovered. In contrast, for a low-temperature electrolysis plant, the difference between the energy and exergy efficiencies is more apparent because considerable amount of low-temperature waste heat contains little exergy and cannot be recovered effectively. This study provides a better understanding of the energy and exergy flows in SOSE hydrogen production and demonstrates the importance of exergy analysis for identifying and quantifying the exergy destruction. The findings of the present study can further be applied to perform process optimization to maximize the cost-effectiveness of SOSE hydrogen production.     

An examination of exergy destruction in organic Rankine cycles

The exergy topological method is used to present a quantitative estimation of the exergy destroyed in an organic Rankine cycle (ORC) operating on R113. A detailed roadmap of exergy flow is presented using an exergy wheel, and this visual representation clearly depicts the exergy accounting associated with each thermodynamic process. The analysis indicates that the evaporator accounts for maximum exergy destroyed in the ORC and the process responsible for this is the heat transfer across a finite temperature difference. In addition, the results confirm the thermodynamic superiority of the regenerative ORC over the basic ORC since regenerative heating helps offset a significant amount of exergy destroyed in the evaporator, thereby resulting in a thermodynamically more efficient process. Parameters such as thermodynamic influence coefficient and degree of thermodynamic perfection are identified as useful design metrics to assist exergy‐based design of devices. This paper also examines the impact of operating parameters such as evaporator pressure and inlet temperature of the hot gases entering the evaporator on ORC performance. It is shown that exergy destruction decreases with increasing evaporator pressure and decreasing turbine inlet temperatures. Finally, the analysis reveals the potential of the exergy topological methodology as a robust technique to identify the magnitude of irreversibilities associated with real thermodynamic processes in practical thermal systems. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of stratification on energy and exergy capacities in thermal storage systems

The increase in exergy storage capacity that is attained in thermal storages through stratification is assessed. A design‐oriented temperature‐distribution model for vertically stratified thermal storages that facilitates the evaluation of storage energy and exergy contents is utilized. The paper is directed towards demonstrating the thermodynamic benefits achieved through stratification, and increasing the utilization of exergy‐based performance measures for stratified thermal storages. A wide range of realistic storage‐fluid temperature profiles is considered, and for each the relative increase in exergy content of the stratified storage compared to the same storage when it is fully mixed is evaluated. The results indicate that, for all temperature profiles considered, the exergy storage capacity of a thermal storage increases when it is stratified, and increases as the degree of stratification, as represented through greater and sharper spatial temperature variations, increases. Furthermore, the percentage increase in exergy capacity is greatest for storages at temperatures near to the environment temperature, and decreases as the mean storage temperature diverges from the environment temperature (to either higher or lower temperatures). It is concluded that (i) the use of stratification in thermal storage designs should be considered as it increases the exergy storage capacity of a thermal storage and (ii) exergy analysis should be applied in the analysis and comparison of stratified thermal storage systems. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Conventional and enhanced exergy analysis of a hydrogen liquefaction system

In the present work, conventional and enhanced exergy analyses were applied to the cryogenic liquefaction process of hydrogen gas. The hydrogen liquefaction unit consists of a multi-stage compressor, booster compressor-turbine pair, and heat exchanger block. Convectional exergy analysis cannot identify parts of exergy inefficiencies. In addition, by convectional exergy analysis, it cannot determine inevitable exergy losses that occur due to technological limits. For this reason, enhanced exergy analysis should be applied to the system. The exergy destruction affecting the exergy efficiency of the hydrogen liquefaction unit was investigated in detail. This study suggests an enhanced exergy analysis of a cryogenic liquefaction system. According to the results of the convectional exergy analysis, exergy efficiency of the whole liquefaction process are 32.22%. Also, the highest and lowest endogenous exergy destruction among whole components is calculated as 9563 kW and 92.83 kW in the turbine and CM-1, respectively. With these calculated results, the potential for improvement in the turbine in the liquefaction system was found to be high.     

Cumulative exergy losses associated with the production of lead metal

Cumulative exergy losses result from the irreversibility of the links of a technological network leading from raw materials and fuels extracted from nature to the product under consideration. The sum of these losses can be apportioned into partial exergy losses (associated with particular links of the technological network) or into constituent exergy losses (associated with constituent subprocesses of the network). The methods of calculation of the partial and constituent exergy losses are presented, taking into account the useful byproducts substituting the major products of other processes. Analyses of partial and constituent exergy losses are made for the technological network of lead metal production.     

Energy and exergy analysis of Salihli geothermal district heating system in Manisa,Turkey

This study deals with an energy and exergy analysis of Salihli geothermal district heating system (SGDHS) in Manisa, Turkey. In the analysis, actual system data are used to assess the district heating system performance, energy and exergy efficiencies, specific exergy index, exergetic improvement potential and exergy losses. Energy and exergy losses throughout the SGDHS are quantified and illustrated in the flow diagram. The exergy losses in the system, particularly due to the fluid flow, take place in the pumps and the heat exchanger, as well as the exergy losses of the thermal water (e.g. geothermal fluid) and the natural direct discharge of the system. As a result, the total exergy losses account for 2.22, 17.88 and 20.44%, respectively, of the total exergy input to the entire SGDHS. The overall energy and exergy efficiencies of the SGDHS components are also studied to evaluate their individual performances and determined to be 55.5 and 59.4%, respectively. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.