The chemical versus energy cost tug of war: A pulp mill perspective

TAPPI Journal ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 37-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
PETER W. HART

As the cost of energy and processing chemicals changes, the optimal, lowest cost operating conditions within a pulp mill also change. Additionally, the optimal cost operating point within one area of the mill may not result in a total mill low cost operation. Three practical pulp mill examples have been analyzed under varying cost constraints for energy and chemicals to determine the impact of energy and chemical cost changes on the low cost operating point. These examples include changing the digester kappa number target, changing the brownstock washing dilution factor, and the conversion of a continuous digester from one type of cooking process to a lower energy cooking process. Selected mill operating results and laboratory data were employed to tune various process simulation models to obtain cost predictions over a wide range of operating conditions.

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (10) ◽  
pp. 3338
Author(s):  
Ivan Vajs ◽  
Dejan Drajic ◽  
Nenad Gligoric ◽  
Ilija Radovanovic ◽  
Ivan Popovic

Existing government air quality monitoring networks consist of static measurement stations, which are highly reliable and accurately measure a wide range of air pollutants, but they are very large, expensive and require significant amounts of maintenance. As a promising solution, low-cost sensors are being introduced as complementary, air quality monitoring stations. These sensors are, however, not reliable due to the lower accuracy, short life cycle and corresponding calibration issues. Recent studies have shown that low-cost sensors are affected by relative humidity and temperature. In this paper, we explore methods to additionally improve the calibration algorithms with the aim to increase the measurement accuracy considering the impact of temperature and humidity on the readings, by using machine learning. A detailed comparative analysis of linear regression, artificial neural network and random forest algorithms are presented, analyzing their performance on the measurements of CO, NO2 and PM10 particles, with promising results and an achieved R2 of 0.93–0.97, 0.82–0.94 and 0.73–0.89 dependent on the observed period of the year, respectively, for each pollutant. A comprehensive analysis and recommendations on how low-cost sensors could be used as complementary monitoring stations to the reference ones, to increase spatial and temporal measurement resolution, is provided.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Γεώργιος Πατεράκης

The current work describes an experimental investigation of isothermal and turbulent reacting flow field characteristics downstream of axisymmetric bluff body stabilizers under a variety of inlet mixture conditions. Fully premixed and stratified flames established downstream of this double cavity premixer/burner configuration were measured and assessed under lean and ultra-lean operating conditions. The aim of this thesis was to further comprehend the impact of stratifying the inlet fuelair mixture on the reacting wake characteristics for a range of practical stabilizers under a variety of inlet fuel-air settings. In the first part of this thesis, the isothermal mean and turbulent flow features downstream of a variety of axisymmetric baffles was initially examined. The effect of different shapes, (cone or disk), blockage ratios, (0.23 and 0.48), and rim thicknesses of these baffles was assessed. The variations of the recirculation zones, back flow velocity magnitude, annular jet ejection angles, wake development, entrainment efficiency, as well as several turbulent flow features were obtained, evaluated and appraised. Next, a comparative examination of the counterpart turbulent cold fuel-air mixing performance and characteristics of stratified against fully-premixed operation was performed for a wide range of baffle geometries and inlet mixture conditions. Scalar mixing and entrainment properties were investigated at the exit plane, at the bluff body annular shear layer, at the reattachment region and along the developing wake were investigated. These isothermal studies provided the necessary background information for clarifying the combustion properties and interpreting the trends in the counterpart turbulent reacting fields. Subsequently, for selected bluff bodies, flame structures and behavior for operation with a variety of reacting conditions were demonstrated. The effect of inlet fuel-air mixture settings, fuel type and bluff body geometry on wake development, flame shape, anchoring and structure, temperatures and combustion efficiencies, over lean and close to blow-off conditions, was presented and analyzed. For the obtained measurements infrared radiation, particle image velocimetry, laser doppler velocimetry, chemiluminescence imaging set-ups, together with Fouriertransform infrared spectroscopy, thermocouples and global emission analyzer instrumentation was employed. This helped to delineate a number of factors that affectcold flow fuel-air mixing, flame anchoring topologies, wake structure development and overall burner performance. The presented data will also significantly assist the validation of computational methodologies for combusting flows and the development of turbulence-chemistry interaction models.


Author(s):  
R. Friso ◽  
N. Casari ◽  
M. Pinelli ◽  
A. Suman ◽  
F. Montomoli

Abstract Gas turbines (GT) are often forced to operate in harsh environmental conditions. Therefore, the presence of particles in their flow-path is expected. With this regard, deposition is a problem that severely affects gas turbine operation. Components’ lifetime and performance can dramatically vary as a consequence of this phenomenon. Unfortunately, the operating conditions of the machine can vary in a wide range, and they cannot be treated as deterministic. Their stochastic variations greatly affect the forecasting of life and performance of the components. In this work, the main parameters considered affected by the uncertainty are the circumferential hot core location and the turbulence level at the inlet of the domain. A stochastic analysis is used to predict the degradation of a high-pressure-turbine (HPT) nozzle due to particulate ingestion. The GT’s component analyzed as a reference is the HPT nozzle of the Energy-Efficient Engine (E3). The uncertainty quantification technique used is the probabilistic collocation method (PCM). This work shows the impact of the operating conditions uncertainties on the performance and lifetime reduction due to deposition. Sobol indices are used to identify the most important parameter and its contribution to life. The present analysis enables to build confidence intervals on the deposit profile and on the residual creep-life of the vane.


Author(s):  
Victor Chiriac ◽  
Tien-Yu Tom Lee

A detailed study was performed to evaluate the thermal performance of RF Modules and to identify meaningful correlations between specific design characteristics and the power dissipation needed to satisfy the required thermal budget under various critical operating conditions. The investigation focuses on the thermal characteristics of the RF module die layout and transistor cells, and on the thermal impact of the metallic air bridges connecting the load cells to the collector pads/vias to the overall thermal performance of the RF module. A first-pass modeling predicts higher temperatures than IR measurement, by ~20–30%. The addition of the die layout air bridges connecting the load cells in the detailed simulation models leads to a predicted air bridge temperature of ~9% higher than the IR measurement. Additional modeling reveals that between the open (not encapsulated) and the closed module, the die peak temperature differs by less than 3 °C, most of the heat being dissipated through the substrate and board to the heat stage. Thus, the impact of mold compound is insignificant. For a closed module, the mold compound helps dissipate the heat, so the die temperature is slightly cooler than for the open module (<<3°C). This suggests that the die peak temperature measured in an open module can be adjusted (by subtracting 2–3°C) to represent the die temperature in a closed module.


2019 ◽  
Vol 141 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmed T. Al-Sammarraie ◽  
Kambiz Vafai

The present investigation proposes an innovative convergent double pipe heat exchanger (C-DPHE). A two-dimensional (2D) axisymmetric heat transfer model with counterflow is employed to analyze the thermal and hydraulic performance of this configuration numerically. The impact of convergence in the flow direction, using a wide range of contraction ratio (Cr), is explored. The effect of Reynolds and Prandtl numbers on the flow and heat transfer is addressed, as well. The model results were validated with available data from the literature, and an excellent agreement has been confirmed. In general, the findings of the present study indicate that increasing the contraction ratio increases heat transfer and pressure drop in the C-DPHE. Moreover, this configuration has a prominent and sustainable performance, compared to a conventional double pipe heat exchanger (DPHE), with an enhancement in heat transfer rate up to 32% and performance factor (PF) higher than one. Another appealing merit for the C-DPHE is that it is quite effective and functional at low Reynolds and high Prandtl numbers, respectively, since no high-operating pumping power is required. Further, the optimal operating conditions can be established utilizing the comprehensive information provided in this work.


2000 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 1230-1239 ◽  
Author(s):  
I Morin ◽  
R D Townsend ◽  
B Morse

Numerical simulations are performed to evaluate the impact of various hydraulic and environmental parameters on the ice clearing capacity of a Lac St-Pierre navigation channel. The Lagrangian particle-dynamics (Pdyn) model is used to simulate a wide range of "operating" conditions that are representative of conditions observed on Lac St-Pierre. Simple relationships are developed that express both ice velocity and flux as functions of the geometry of the channel (width and plan-form shape) and ambient conditions (ice concentration, thickness, water current, wind magnitude and direction). These relationships reflect the importance of wind characteristics and areal ice concentration in regard to predicting both surface ice velocities and flux.Key words: ice clearing, channel geometry, ambient conditions.


Author(s):  
Rainer Kurz ◽  
Sebouh Ohanian ◽  
Matt Lubomirsky

This paper discusses issues that influence the decision on the arrangement of compressors and the type of equipment in gas pipeline compressor stations. Different concepts such as multiple small units versus single large units are considered, both regarding their impact on the individual station and the overall pipeline. The necessity of standby units is discussed. Various concepts for drivers (gas turbine, gas motor and electric motor) and compressors (centrifugal and reciprocating) are analyzed. The importance of considering all possible operating conditions is stressed. With the wide range of possible operating conditions for the pipeline in mind, the discussion will be brought into the general context of operational flexibility, availability, reliability, installation issues, remote control, and operability of gas turbine driven centrifugal compressors compared to other solutions such as electric motor driven compressors or gas engine driven reciprocating compressors. The impact of different concepts on emissions and fuel cost is discussed. Among the assumptions in this paper are the performance characteristics of the compressor. It will be outlined how these performance characteristics influence the conclusions.


Author(s):  
Radon Tolman ◽  
Ronald C. Timpe

A revolutionary hydrothermal steam generator is being developed by a federal, state university and industry partnership in the US to enhance economic growth and trade. The new generator is designed to accept solutions and slurries without corrosion and deposition on heat transfer surfaces up to the supercritical conditions of water, above 221 bar (3205 psia) and 374 C (705 F). The generator will produce steam from low quality water, such as from geothermal sources, for increased electric power generation. Water treatment costs and effluents will be eliminated for “zero discharge.” To improve efficiency and limit carbon dioxide and other emissions, the new steam generator will be tested for converting wastewater slurries of low-cost fuels and “negative value” wastes such as hazardous wastes, composted municipal wastes and sludges, to clean gas turbine fuel, hydrocarbon liquids, and activated carbon. Bench-scale results at sub- and supercritical conditions for lignite, refuse derived fuel, tire rubber and activated carbon are presented. An advanced continuous-flow pilot plant is being designed to test the generator over a wide range of operating conditions, including slurry feed up to 30 percent solids. Demonstration of the hydrothermal steam generator will be followed by design and construction of combined-cycle energy systems.


Author(s):  
Ashley M. Wondergem ◽  
Monika Ivantysynova

With the wide use of axial piston machines of the swashplate type in industry, it is essential to maximize the overall efficiency of the machines. Focusing on the piston-cylinder interface, as it performs as a hydrodynamic bearing simultaneously fulfilling a sealing function, the overall machine can be improved by reducing the power losses due to viscous friction and leakage flow of this interface. This paper presents a research study in regards to altering the geometry of the piston through micro-surface shaping influencing the generation of the fluid film between the piston and the cylinder. This investigation utilizes a novel fully coupled fluid structure interaction model considering both thermal and elastic deformations of the solid bodies to predict the phenomena occurring within the fluid gap. Encompassed in this simulation study is a diversity of piston micro-surface shapes and a wide range of machine operating conditions. The designs presented include an axial sine wave, a flat, cylindrical design with tapered ends, a barreled shape, a combination of the axial sine wave and barrel, along with a circumferential sine wave. High pressure operating conditions in pumping mode as well as common operating conditions in both pumping and motoring mode are considered for the various designs. The results demonstrate up to a 30% reduction in energy dissipation from a standard piston-cylinder interface at higher pressure operating conditions (over 15% reduction considering all three interfaces of the machine) with the addition of a barrel surface shape while a 25% reduction (over 5% overall) is achievable at lower operating pressures in pumping mode with a waved barrel surface profile. As for motoring mode a 30% reduction (around 10% overall) is possible with the introduction of a waved barrel surface profile on the piston. It will also be shown, that not only are these reductions possible though microsurface shaping of the piston, but the reliability of the machine is also improved by reducing run-in wear all while maintaining a cost-effective, manufacturable design.


Author(s):  
Ashley M. Wondergem ◽  
Monika Ivantysynova

Axial piston machines are widely used in industry thus new cost-effective and highly efficient designs are needed. One way to increase efficiency and decrease cost is by altering the geometry along with the configuration of the piston/cylinder interface influencing the fluid film generation and in turn the energy dissipation and load carrying capacity while still having a design that is cost effective and easy to manufacture. This paper presents a study on a reduction of energy dissipation between the piston and cylinder over a wide range of operating conditions at both full and partial displacements based on the surface shape of the piston along with the minimum clearance. First, it is necessary to measure a base design and then compare those results to simulations in order to verify the simulation results. Once a baseline is established, various piston surface shapes and minimum clearances are then also simulated and compared back to the simulated baseline. Not only is energy dissipation important to compare, but also the minimum gap height over one revolution. The minimum gap height is in direct correlation to friction loss and wear. Therefore, this paper also includes an understanding of how the gap height affects the total losses thus leading to the importance of finding a relative clearance that satisfies a median between torque losses and leakage along with the importance of reducing the occurrence of critical gap heights to reduce the need for wear in in the machine.


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