SOLAR ENERGY APPLICATION IN THERMOPLASTICS PRODUCTION A. Mihelié-Bogdani¢', R. Budin’ and I. Sutlovic” , {Faculty of Textile Technology, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Pierotiijeva 6, CROATIA *Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, University of Zagreb, Savska 16, 10000 Zagreb, CROATIA, ABSTRACT The optimization in Nylon-6 production using boiler flue gases heat recovery combined with solar energy is presented. On the basis of industrial process data energy consumption and process efficiency are analyzed. Using flue gases with exhaust temperature of 232'C in an air preheater 7,8 % fuel will be saved. At the same time the atmosphere thermal pollution is diminished while the volume of fue gases lowered from 6233m sh to $787 m’/h and simultaneously the outlet temperature becomes 62°C instead of 232°C. A part of heat for feed water preheating could be supplied by solar energy implementation. The optimization with air preheater and partial solar application for selected location (Croatia, Zagreb @ = 45°49) is also caried out. The solanzed process with air preheater shows fuel savings of 62.32% if summer average flat plate collector area is used. In this case the volume of exhaust flue gases becomes only 2366 m'/h, INTRODUCTION Thermoplastics material Nylon-6 a polyamide is only made from one kind of monomers, monomer called caprolactam 1. Nylon-6 offers excellent engineering properties like good chemical and thermal stability and durability even at high temperatures. This thermoplastic material find wide applications in automotive, aerospace and many others markets demanding the qualities of superior engineered plastics. The polymerization of caprolactam to polyamide S a continuous process which consists of series actions, where « significant quantity of heat energy produced applying high grade fossil fuel,electrical energy and water is spent [2].In this process a great quantity of hot condensate likewise fue gases is rejected to the surrounding.In regard to energy conservation and to be environmentally friendly with lowest wastes, this, process should be optimized.One capable method to minimize fle consumption is the reuse of Due gases[3] ‘The analysis of boiler flue gases supplying to the air preheater is presented. Except waste fue gases the potentiality repleacing of fossil fuels with solar eneray will be examined [4]. Applying the heat of flue gases, ‘combined with solar energy, fuel consumption and the temperature of exhaust flue gases should be reduced, RELEVANT PROCESS DATA Energy consumption in Nylon-6 (NY-6) continuous manuficturing at rate Duve= 19802 kg nv.didey is analyzed. The plant use factor is B= 83% i.e. 303 days because the plant is closed 2 month yearly [5], This Exergy Congress VI {WREC 2002) Gopytight 2002 Beever Science Lic. Al ighis reserves. dion AM, SayghKcchnology, which consists of process in melters, mixer, reactor, extruder, coolers, cutter, concentrator, distillator, dryer, spinneret, cooler, heater needs a large amount of thermal , electrical energy and water. Electrical energy in amount of ¢ = 3,34 kWhikg wy is supplied from grid. This process needs water with temperature of 24°C in mass of dy=23,15 Kgn,0/ kgnys. The most operations required dry saturated steam (P74 bar) in amount of ds=5,596 kgs kywy for process (87,5%) and (12,5%)or space heating (Figure1.) fue gases space heating steam penerstor solid caprotactem lair waler electrical snerey —- NYLON-6 water Figure 1: Basie process A part of saturated steam with temperature tg=288"C generated in boiler with efficiency nu=65% is used in reactor, melter and spinneret. The rest of the steam is depressurized using throttling valves and heat exchanger reaching temperature of ts=121°C and is uansferred to the melter, mixer, ‘concentrator, distillator and to the space heating. Feed water enters the boiler with {,=24'C. The air which is required for the fuel ‘combustion enters firebox with temperature t, = 24°C. The temperature of flue gases is tec = 232°C [5]. The ultimate analysis by mass (%) in dry anthracite is. C:H:O:N:$:As= 90:3:2,5:1:0,5:3 while the coal is burned Pith 282% excess air. The calculated lower heating value becomes Hr=33487 kl/kge [6]. Consequently, the ‘hourly steam production is: Ds= ds Dyy.s= 5,596 * 19802 = 110812 kes/day = 4617.2 kgs/h a ‘The beet transferred to the steam generator is: Qu = Ds(hs-by) = 4617,2 (2769-100,5) = 12,310 kin = 295,7#10° ki/day = 89,6¢10°kI/yearly (2) hand hgare the steam and water enthalpies (7]. ‘mass of dry anthracite requirement ater heat balance is: De= Qa/Hr*ne= 12,3#10°/33487%0.65 = 565,1 kgp/h = 13562,1 kgy/day @B) the total annually anthracite consumption is: Dra= Dpst= 565,147272 = 4,11#10° kee 4) ‘otal amount of condensate De with temperatute of tc= 82°C is withdrawn to the surrounding: De= Ds*hy26 = 4617,24343,3 = 1,58410° kh 6) stoichiometric volume of combustion sir is: v, (22.4/12){ C+3[H-(O-S)/8]}1/0,21=8,733 m' fkge 6) Energy Congress Vii WREC 2002) Copyright 2002 Eker Science Lid. All ight rosonvec. Editor AM. Sayighthe zetwal combustion air flow i: Vaa = V0 8,73391,25= 10,916 m'vkgy o total vokime of flue gases which consists of COs, S02, Ns, Or and HO is calculated [8] and becomes 11,1] m'po/kgr. In an inefficient process flue gases in amount of: Vi= Vec#Dp= 11,114565,1=6233,8 mipq/h, 8) with temperature trq= 232°C are rejected to the atmosphere. AIR PREHEATING WITH FLUE GASES. ‘The ambient ait that is essential for fuel combustion could be preheated in order to increase process ‘efficiency. The heat of flue gases will be transferred to the incoming air in an air preheater what results with Hess fuel consumption and lower flue gases outlet temperature, Ambient air with temperature (,=24°C ts the air preheater, with efficiency T=90%, where is heated with flue gases in amount of Veo = 11,11 ‘ro/kgr that anlet temperature is tyaxi= 232°C. The specific heat of air is Gm = 1,29 kd/m’-deg and for fue BAS cyro=1,396 knc/m’-deg. The outlet air temperature and outlet flue gases temperature is calculated from the energy balance |9]: Vaca (lator lai) = Vac Gp (trot ~ ta) = Vetcpectecas teas) co) becomes: taay= 211,2°C and ters = 62,04°C. The flue gases heat recovery is: Qraa= Dr* Vat cpra(trcartriad) = 561,1411,1141,3964(232 - 62,04) =1,479410% ih, (10) converted as anthracite savings: Drs = Qraa/He = 1,479%10°33487 = 44,17 kg/h, an fel consumption is: ‘Dea= Dr ~ Drs = 565,1 ~ 44,17 = 520,93 kgr/h = 12502,3 kgp/day (12) the heat consumption for dry saturated steam production is now: Qex=Dra* Ne * Hi= 520,93 + 0,65 » 3348721134 ® 10° KI) =272,1* 10° kI/day = 82,46 +10%V/year (13) fel savings in comparison with process without flue gases heat recovery becomes: S= (Dr - Dea)/Dr = 565,1 - 520,93/565,1 = 0,0782 Le. 7.82% a4 volume of flue gases that is withdrawn to the atmosphere is ‘Vraa=VrotDra = 11,114 520,93 = 5787,5 m'po/b, as) \R SYSTEM APPLICATION expansive anthracite consumption could be reduced applying soler energy. For the use of this friendly le and environmentally benign source, it is essential to. know the potential location of the plant and remy Congress Vi WREC 2002) Copyright 2002 Elsevier Senos Lid. Al rights reserva tor AM, SayighRyenteerological data, The implementation of solar system as a partial of substitution for fossil fel in Nylon-6 production using air preheter has been described and presented in Figure 2 > conten walls eka! : neo, NYO AIRPREHEATER the pwn Figure 2: Solarised process with air preheater ‘The system is assumed to be located in Zagreb (p = 45°49), Monthly average daily radiation data on a ‘borizontal surfice were computed fiom the daily hourly radiation measurements (10). The following Eqn ‘Bes the useful solar radiation Qn=Q Me a6) [bere (is the average dsily solar radiation (Tablel) and n\cis colector efficiency which defer form 65% in ere 20% im transition to 25% in winter period [11.Gross collector aren is calelated using following ‘expression: A=FQua Qu an Rite F125 is the security factor for collector instllation and Qna isthe previously calculated daily heat Fane peiion, The average flat plate collector ares (Table 1) is evaluated on the basis of mean values afea for Fee, July and August and becomes: Ay= D Ags = 77,99107/3 = 25,968 10° m? (18) sang average collector area and number of days ina month, the useful monthly solar energy is: Qa= Av d* Qu a9 Fenuary and December are omitted supposing that the plant is closed. Calculated values for daily useful solar fadiation gross of collector and usefil monthly solar energy are presented in Table 1. TABLE | CHARACTERISTIC VALUES FOR SOLAR PROCESS Month Feb [Mar] Ape [way | Jane [july [Aug [Sep [Ot |p Q#10" ki/m'day 243_| 7.40 | 9,65 | 13.40 | 1385 [12.15 | 7,0) 24 1399 [459 | 353 | 254 | 246 [279 | 48.6 | T61p 1985 75,76 | 7,74 | 1043 | 11,43 97as [5.489 11 aR Nov 09 I { 01 4. the useful yearly solar radiation becomes Q, = $5,83 # 10? ki FPmeatie Exeuy Congress Wl (WREC 2002) Copyrghs 2002 seve Science Lis, Al rights resoned Eton AM. Seyigh