Periodic Reporting for period 3 - Indus3Es (Industrial Energy and Environment Efficiency)
Berichtszeitraum: 2018-10-01 bis 2020-04-30
Industrial Heat Transformer installations have complex specifications due to their operating conditions. There are different ways of heat integration and different sources and levels of waste heat. Therefore the technology requires an ad-hoc set up for the type of process condition and process equipment in each case but the project aims to find a viable and scalable technology solution. Tüpraş, Repsol and Fertinagro are the end-users and direct beneficiaries of the developed Indus3Es system but replicability in other industrial processes, mainly in SPIRE sectors, will be studied as well. Moreover, the developed system will be demonstrated in real industrial process in TÜPRAŞ, a petrochemical refinery in Turkey, enabling to analyse besides integration aspects, operational and business issues of Indus3Es System.
The design of the technology will be shared by Tecnalia, Technion and TUBerlin. Their capability in absorption technologies and research experience is an important asset of this consortium. From the production, installation and engineering side there are other experienced partners as well. In one hand BSNova, manufacturer of heat exchangers and absorption equipment. On the other Aiguasol with experience in engineering and installations and Circe that as research center will collaborate in different tasks related to market research and adequacy of the system to other SPIRE industrial sectors. Finally the collaboration of PNO in the dissemination, communication and exploitation tasks helped by Ciaotech.
Together with the 200kW unit, an innovative motorless purge system has been designed for removal of non condensables. The Project also developed a control system for the unit that is unique compared to the State of the Art and that it will be tested in the demo as well. Coatings have been analyzed and there are some promising results. And adiabatic absorption in two operation modes will be operated in the absorber.
Other work has been developed related to the analysis of the market: Suitable industrial processes for the AHT, industries of interest, competition at technology and market level, etc. Also work on the determination of business models and possible exploitation of results has been carried out. The consortium has participated in many events, congresses, workshops, ... to communicate and present the work of the Project.
Implemented main innovations have been:
• The implementation of two adiabatic absorption operation modes:
Atomizing spray nozzles and a drip distribution system in which the liquid solution in the tray is exposed to the vapor – promoting adiabatic absorption. For demonstration and research purposes, the atomizing spray mode can be toggled on or off. Measurements from the Lab- and Breadboard-Scale high-pressure vessels have demonstrated that these modes perform as intended by increasing the maximum obtainable temperature within the absorber.
• Innovative motor-less non-condensable gases purge system:
Presence of non-condensable (NC) gases critically reduces the absorption process which is critical for the AHT. The innovative system for removal of NCs developed in Indus3Es continuously gathers and traps NCs in a dedicated vessel, which are then periodically and automatically exhausted to the environment. This solution is simple, inexpensive, and efficient, compared to other known options. The system has been patented.
• Indus3Es AHT behaviour automatic control:
The control system has been designed considering especially the “Characteristic Equation Method” approach. Apart from the desirable performance automatic adjustment procedures, an attention to anti-crystallization procedure has been considered, which is potentially riskier for AHTs, compared to absorption chillers. By the end of the project, a tested control system will have been installed and operated for several months. This will demonstrate the successful integration and automation of the technology and its innovations in a real industrial application.