Energy conservation measures on an industrial site

World and UK energy resources and use are reviewed and the role of energy conservation in energy policy identified. In considering various energy conservation measures, a distinction is made between energy intensive and non-intensive industries and also between direct and indirect uses of energy. Particular attention is given to the non-intensive user of energy. Energy use on one such industrial site has been studied to determine the most effective energy saving measures in the short term. Here it is estimated that over 65% of energy is consumed for indirect purposes, mainly for heating and lighting buildings. Emphasis is placed on energy auditing techniques and those energy saving measures requiring greater technical, economic and organisational resources to secure their implementation. Energy auditing techniques include the use of aerial thermography and snow formation surveys to detect heat losses. Qualitative and quantitative interpretations are carried out, but restricted mainly to evaluating building roof heat losses. From the energy auditing exercise, it is confirmed that the intermittent heating of buildings is the largest and most cost effective fuel saving measure. This was implemented on the site and a heat monitoring programme established to verify results. Industrial combined heat and power generation is investigated. A proposal for the site demonstrates that there are several obstacles to its successful implementation. By adopting an alternative financial rationale, a way of overcoming these obstacles is suggested. A useful by-product of the study is the classification of industrial sites according to the nature of industrial energy demand patterns. Finally, energy saving measures implemented on the site are quantlfied using comparative verification methods. Overall fuel savings of 13% are indicated. Cumulative savings in heating fuel amount to 26% over four years although heated area increased by approximately 25%.

Drying processess in the United Kingdom:assessment of industrial energy utilisation and efficiency of drying systems and the modelling of drying characters using neural networks (BL)

Drying is an important unit operation in process industry. Results have suggested that the energy used for drying has increased from 12% in 1978 to 18% of the total energy used in 1990. A literature survey of previous studies regarding overall drying energy consumption has demonstrated that there is little continuity of methods and energy trends could not be established. In the ceramics, timber and paper industrial sectors specific energy consumption and energy trends have been investigated by auditing drying equipment. Ceramic products examined have included tableware, tiles, sanitaryware, electrical ceramics, plasterboard, refractories, bricks and abrasives. Data from industry has shown that drying energy has not varied significantly in the ceramics sector over the last decade, representing about 31% of the total energy consumed. Information from the timber industry has established that radical changes have occurred over the last 20 years, both in terms of equipment and energy utilisation. The energy efficiency of hardwood drying has improved by 15% since the 1970s, although no significant savings have been realised for softwood. A survey estimating the energy efficiency and operating characteristics of 192 paper dryer sections has been conducted. Drying energy was found to increase to nearly 60% of the total energy used in the early 1980s, but has fallen over the last decade, representing 23% of the total in 1993. These results have demonstrated that effective energy saving measures, such as improved pressing and heat recovery, have been successfully implemented since the 1970s. Artificial neural networks have successfully been applied to model process characteristics of microwave and convective drying of paper coated gypsum cove. Parameters modelled have included product moisture loss, core gypsum temperature and quality factors relating to paper burning and bubbling defects. Evaluation of thermal and dielectric properties have highlighted gypsum's heat sensitive characteristics in convective and electromagnetic regimes. Modelling experimental data has shown that the networks were capable of simulating drying process characteristics to a high degree of accuracy. Product weight and temperature were predicted to within 0.5% and 5C of the target data respectively. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that the underlying properties of the data could be predicted through a high level of input noise.