Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
ME4422
By
J.R.M. Bogahawatte
100062P
Semester 08
ii
Table of Figures
Figure 1: Schematic Diagram of thermic fluid heater ...................................................................1
Figure 2: Decanter .......................................................................................................................2
Figure 3: Bitumen Reservoirs ......................................................................................................2
Figure 4: Heater Information plate ..............................................................................................3
Figure 5: Thermic Fluid heater ....................................................................................................3
Figure 6: Hot oil pump ................................................................................................................4
Figure 7: Sulfur content vs dew point of flue gas .........................................................................9
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1 Introduction
Thermic fluid heaters are used in many industrial applications for indirect process heating.
Thermic fluid is used as the heat carrier. In the heating process the thermic fluid is heated up and
circulated through the applications providing the heat required for the applications. Thermic
Fluid is circulated by using a pump. The thermic fluid transfers the heat to the application
through a heat exchanger. Then thermic fluid is returned to the heater.
Thermic fluid heater is used to heat the bitumen in an asphalt mixing plant. This heater is used in
heating the bitumen in reservoirs and heating the bitumen barrels and bulk bitumen that are
coming out of barrels in the decanter. Thermic fluid is used to convey the heat from the heater to
these two applications.
Decanter
Bitumen reservoir
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Figure 2: Decanter
The 2 bitumen reservoirs are used to pump the hot bulk bitumen to the plant. The decanter pump
the bitumen to the plant. The bitumen in the reservoir should be heated up to 160 0C in order to be
pumped up to the plant. And the bitumen in the decanter should also be heated up to the same
temperature. The reservoir should be filled with hot bitumen from the decanter as the plant
consumes the bitumen. The rate of consumption can be higher than the supply to the reservoir.
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1.1 System specifications
3
Hot oil pump
Model- RL 70
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2 Methodology
In this particular scenario the methodology is first observing the energy saving opportunities,
after concluding that the potential for energy saving is tested. After checking the potential the
current scenario is analyzed in order to obtain certain data for the calculations and to evaluate the
current scenario. Then the energy saving opportunities are calculated and the paybacks are
calculated in order to evaluate the energy saving opportunities.
The flue gas of the heater is released without using in order to do any useful work. Flue gas is a
main source that take the supplied heat out. There is a possibility to use the flue gas in order to
waste heat recovery. Waste heat recovery can be obtained in order to be used in various
applications.
Waste heat recovery is a main energy conservation method that is listed in the energy
conservation hand book.
There are a bitumen layer left in the barrel lid and the barrel wall. Flue gas can either be used to
recover bitumen remaining in the lid and the wall of the cylinder. This small volume of bitumen
has to be heated up and recovered in order to be used again.
Wastage quantification
Data
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Assuming the bitumen thickness of the cylinder wall is 2mm and the internal diameter is 520mm
Bitumen volume left inside= Bitumen left in the cylinder wall + Bitumen left in the lid
=(980×π×520×2×10-9+ π×5202/4×2×10-9)m3
=3.626×10-3 m3
Worst case scenario: If the 50% of the bitumen left adhered is recovered.
There is a possibility to heat up the thermic fluid using the flue gas economizer. This will reduce
the heat loss due to the releasing the flue gas. Ultimately the heated feed oil will reduce the
energy consumption of the thermic fluid heater. And this will increase the efficiency of the
heater as well.
The potential waste heat recovery from the above methods will be discussed in a latter section.
Temperature drop is taken as the 1900C to 180 0C. In the decentering process the energy
consumption per hour of the decanter is calculated as below.
Decanter
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The main objective of the decanter is to heat the bitumen barrels and the bulk bitumen in the
decanter. This is done by using the tubes in the decanter. Thermic fluid flow through theses tubes
so using the flow rate and the temperature drop the energy consumption of the decanter can be
calculated.
The mass flow rate of the hot oil pump= 80m3/h*0.73kg/l*1000 l/m3
= 58400 kg/h
𝑑
The cross sectional area of the main pipe =𝜋 × ( 2 )2 =0.00866m2
𝑑 2
The cross sectional area of the decanter pipes =𝜋 × ( 2 ) =0.00502m2
One pipe goes to other corner and comes back to the origin in U formation. So the effective
length of the decanter pipes are 12800mm.
The mass flow rate of the distribution pipes (mass flow rate of all the pipes as an equivalent) =
58400kg/h
The heat dissipated from the decanter pipes per hour = 2.74kJ/kgK*58400kg/h* 10K
=1600160kJ/h
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Energy input to thermic fluid heater
=566.4kW
444.48
Efficiency of the thermic fluid heater = (566.4+15+1.1) × 100% = 76.30%
Energy consumption by the bitumen tanks is also the same as the previous operation. Pipe sizes
and the temperature drop is also the same. So the conditions don’t change from the previous
scenario.
5.1 Economizers
In order to economizers to have a heat recovery potential when the fuel oils are used, the system
should poses particular characteristics. These qualities and the characteristics are checked with
the current system in order to find the heat recovery through economizers.
Flue gas dew point for a particular sulfur level (0.3%) is 1210C.
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6 Waste heat recovery
6.1 Energy recoverable from flue gas
Mass flow rate of the flue gas is obtained by the summation of mass flow rate of fuel and the
mass flow rate of air supplied.
Mass flow rate of flue gas = mass flow rate of flue+ mass flow rate of air
Mass flow rate of the fuel is obtained by the steady state fuel consumption. First the burner
operates in the notch 4. This is only until the thermic fluid heater reaches the steady state level.
After the steady state level the heater is only operates in the notch 2.
In the notch 2 the light oil mass flow rate is obtained from the burner manual. When the burner
is operating in second stage notch 2 is the steady state.
The fuel flow rate of the burner in the steady state is 48kg/h [2].
The Air flow rate of the fan is taken from the following calculation. RL 70 model operating at
notch 2, for the above fuel mass flow rate the pressure difference is calculated as follows. Fan
efficiency is unknown. It is taken assumed as 40%.
From the burner manual pressure difference [2]= 8.5 + 0.1(8 ÷ 10) mbar = 8.58 mbar
=858 Pa
Power consumed by fan * efficiency of the fan = Volumetric flow rate * pressure difference
𝑃𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 × 𝜂 = 𝑄̇ × (𝑃1 − 𝑃2 )
̇ Pa
1100𝑊 × .4 = 𝑄̇ × 858
𝑄̇ = 0.512m3/s
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Air mass flow rate =1.166kg/m3*0.512m3/s= 0.5969kg/s
Mass flow rate of flue gas = mass flow rate of flue+ mass flow rate of air
=0.6102 kg/s
Gas analysis
The diesel is assumed to be having the chemical composition C13H28. So, combustion equation is
as follows [3].
In order to find the H2O percentage volume, the stoichiometric ratio is used.
Specific heat for the above composition is calculated from a calculator [4].
From the above waste heat recovery potential section, the temperature can be reduced to 1800C.
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The energy can be recovered is as follows.
𝑄̇ = 𝑚𝐹𝑙𝑢𝑒𝑔𝑎𝑠
̇ × 𝐶𝑃 × ∆𝑇
=39.39 kJ/s
Heating the thermic fluid can be using an economizer. The thermic fluid is normally in 180 0C.
So the thermic fluid can be heated up using the energy recovered. And the heat exchanger
efficiency is assumed to be 100%.
Energy recovered is equal to energy needed to increase the temperature of the thermic fluid.
𝑄̇ = 𝑚 𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑚𝑖𝑐
̇ 𝐹𝑙𝑢𝑖𝑑 × 𝐶 × ∆𝑇
∆𝑇 = 0.886𝐾
Assuming the thermic fluid heater efficiency doesn’t change. Fuel saving is calculated.
The heat dissipated from the decanter pipes per hour = 2.74kJ/kgK*58400kg/h* (10-0.8862) K
= 1458353.82 kJ/h
=405.09kW
X= 44.99kg/h
= 12.024kg
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Fuel volume saved= 12.024kg/L/0.832kg=14.45L
The heat recovery unit is priced at $ 2500.00. [5]( For the specifications needed.)
The simple payback period is one year. This is favorable as the payback is one year. There are
heat recovery units cheaper than the above selected one. This will further reduce the payback
period of investment.
Next the second option is the Recover waste material using waste heat recovery. The waste heat
recovery from the flue gas can be used to recover the waste material that is remaining in the lid
and the walls of the barrels.
The temperature of the flue gas can be again reduced to 170 0C.
𝑄̇ = 𝑚𝐹𝑙𝑢𝑒𝑔𝑎𝑠
̇ × 𝐶𝑃 × ∆𝑇
𝑄̇ = 6.56 kJ/s
The temperature that is needed to heat the bitumen in order to recover the material in the lid and
the walls is taken as 900C. The efficiency of the heat exchanger is taken as 60%. Since heat is
supplied from flue gas to the solid [6].
𝑄̇ = 𝑚𝐵𝑖𝑡𝑢𝑚𝑒𝑛
̇ × 𝐶 × ∆𝑇
kJ 2.1𝑘𝐽
0.6*6.56 = 𝑚𝐵𝑖𝑡𝑢𝑚𝑒𝑛
̇ × 𝑘𝑔∗𝐾 × 75𝐾
s
𝑚𝐵𝑖𝑡𝑢𝑚𝑒𝑛=
̇ ̇
0.025𝑘𝑔/𝑠
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If the waste bitumen is unlimitedly available recovered material for 4hrs per day is as follows.
= 360.11kg
= 0.36011 m3
= Rs. 45,300.00
But this is restricted by the waste material being limited due to the demand. So the cost saving
cannot be reached to Rs. 45,300.00.
So, the payback period for this will be only 5.47 days. But the recoverable bitumen volume is
significantly lower than theoretically calculated figure. Since the lids are the only option that can
be used to recover waste material. So this values cannot be achieved in the practical scenario.But
there is a potential in this option.
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7 Conclusion
Thermic fluid heater, which is considered is assembled in 2011. And there are no obvious energy
saving opportunities observed. Since The energy audit is conducted to improve the efficiency.
The main idea is to use the waste heat recovery to improve the efficiency.
Out of the two waste heat recovery solutions, the first one waste heat recovery by an economizer
is a good investment. Since the payback period of the solution is only 12 months. This is a very
good investment to a plant like this since the operation period of this plant is estimated to be
more than 20 years. This will results in savings after one year.
Second waste heat recovery option is having restrictions due to the demand of the plant. This
will not result in the savings of that magnitude due to practical reasons. But this option has the
potential to result in such savings.
After all the first option is more reliable. After conducting an Inquiry of the second option it was
clear that the second option is also possible. And there are plants which the second option is
successfully carried out. But the material recovery rate is about 1 barrel a day with 100%
operating cycle.
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8 References
[6] J. Bražiūnas and . H. Sivilevičius, "Heat Transfer and Energy Loss in Bitumen Batching
System of Asphalt," in International Conference “ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING”.
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