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SUSTAINING ENERGY COST MINIMIZATION THROUGH EXPERT SYSTEM (KNOWLEDGE BASED SOFTWARE)
See-ThermiSave: for Thermal Energy Conservation &
See-UtiSave: for Electrical Energy Conservation
By Milind Chittawar
SEE-Tech. Solutions Pvt. Ltd.,
11/5, MIDC Infotech Park, South Ambazari Road,
Near VRCE Telephone Exchange,
Nagpur-440022
Website: www.letsconserve.org Email: seemil_ngp@sancharnet.in
Ph. 0712-2222177, Fax: 0712-2225293
ABSTRACT:
Today, we are living in an era of open economy. This means better quality of products at minimal prices. Computation for business profitability has been changed from “Selling Price = Cost + Profit” approach to “Profit = Selling Price - Cost”. While competing with multinationals, most of us are loosing our market share because of our costs as well as quality. In this world of “Survival of the Fittest”, we must minimize our production cost to generate profit. Accordingly, Management’s view towards Plant Engineering & Production Personnel has changed from “To Maintain Machines & Carry out Production” to “Must Maintain Machines & Carry out Production at Minimal or in some cases at targeted cost where bottom line is too narrow.
In such scenario with ever growing electricity tariff & fuel prices; Option of minimizing energy cost offers Plant Engineering & Production Personnel a good opportunity to enhance business profitability; which is the purpose of this gathering too. To improve energy efficiency strategically, for best possible results, it is necessary to
Create and then maintain a detailed database from equipment specification to design and operating parameters;
Create Benchmarks & Monitor Energy Consumption with reference to it;
Identify Energy Conservation Opportunities;
Evaluate Techno-Economic Feasibility of these Options;
And Finally Implement the Measures & Monitor the Savings.
To achieve these in an organized manner, knowledge based Expert Systems: See-UtiSave (for electrical energy conservation) & See-ThermiSave (for thermal energy conservation) have been developed by experts already working in the field of energy conservation, carrying out Energy Audits and implementing energy saving measures. In the earlier installations, these tools have resulted into minimizing specific energy consumption on a regular basis. They identify & quantify energy wastage and facilitate selection & implementation of energy saving measures in thermal & electrical systems.
Major part of Energy is consumed by manufacturing and processing equipments. It has become very necessary to evaluate the performance of these equipments and then take decisions to implement the Energy Conservation options. Many opportunities are available but the techno-economic feasibility of the options should be worked out so that the industry opts for the best energy conservation measure and also avoids unnecessary higher investments.
NEED FOR A TOOL PROVIDING CONTINUOUS EVALUATION FOR ENERGY COST MINIMIZATION:
Over the years, it has been experienced that though one time energy audit assignment and implementing the identified energy saving measures result in to minimizing energy consumption, but it is not sufficient for continuous improvement in energy efficiency. Energy conservation measures should be monitored regularly and compared with the initial energy consumption levels; which helps and supports further Energy conservation efforts.
Sustained Energy conservation efforts are necessary to enable energy consumption levels to remain consistent with technological developments and industry norms. All the parameters of energy usage should be evaluated from time to time. Hence, plant personnel need to ensure and ascertain energy efficient working of the plant at equipment, section, plant and premises level.
With this approach only energy bills can be brought down on a continual basis by using various techniques for energy conservation, applying energy efficient equipments and by adopting latest trends in technology.
To fulfill this dire requirement of KNOWLEDGE BASED TOOL TO ENSURE ENERGY COST MINIMIZATION, expert systems: See-ThermiSave & See-UtiSave are quite suitable. Also, to cater to day to day requirements of end user & business enterprises in energy conservation & plant safety improvement a Business to Business (B2B) & Business to Customer (B2C) site (www.letsconserve.org) has been launched.
See-ThermiSave: Empowering Thermal Energy Conservation
A unique knowledge based software, which evaluates Operational Efficiency, identify Losses and suggest a pathway for Energy Conservation measures in thermal energy systems such as Boilers, Furnaces, Driers, Distillation Column, Evaporator, Reactors, Thermic Fluid Heaters and Steam Distribution Lines.
See-ThermiSave has its own database for Fuel, Steam & Insulating materials properties. It provides documentation for Receipts and Consumption of fuels and results into ascertaining benchmark values and implementing & targeting for achieving better energy consumption norms. It maintains a record of the Plant Equipment details for a quick look for further reference for energy conservation efforts. It also prepares & maintains a report of each test carried out on the equipment. This all can be made available on the customer’s intranet/network.
See-ThermiSave is provided with numerous thought provoking Energy Conservation Tips. It also gives details of vendors for procurement of energy conservation retrofits /equipments. Technical help of the Expert System provides detailed explanation on how to carry out Performance Evaluation with all the technical explanation and figures for better understanding. The software has been compiled with a Glossary section, which is a database of definitions of various industrial and theoretical terms in use. It also has a separate module for unit conversion.
Features of See-ThermiSave: It results into:
Boilers
1. Recording Fuel receipt & determining deficits if any, Storage accounting and Pre-heating / pre-conditioning Requirements; implementation better fuel management practices
2. Incorporating Boiler specification & comparison with norms: a must have information for energy conservation efforts
3. Observation table for boiler efficiency tests: User takes the printout & caries out the test
4. Direct efficiency test calculations: The output also includes Evaporation Ratio (Kg of steam/Kg of fuel) & Steam Cost (Rs/Kg)
5. Indirect efficiency test calculation: Also displays % excess air (By CO2/O2), %Dry gas loss, %Wet gas loss, %Blowdown Loss
6. Choice of fuel for Steam Generation: To ascertain lowest steam cost
7. Savings by reducing Dry Gas Loss through excess air reduction & Stack Gas temperature
8. Savings in Ash loss by reduction in un-burnt Carbon & Waste-heat recovery options
9. Idling losses due to oversized boilers (Derating of boilers for savings)
Furnaces
1. Incorporate specification for furnace with & without Chemical Reaction, Batch/Continuous, Steam/Fuel fired, Rectangular/Cylindrical
2. Measurement of Furnace Efficiency (Direct & Indirect): Also computes %Radiation loss, % Loss due to Moisture %Dry gas loss, %Wet gas loss, heat carried away by product, Avg. fuel consumption; Documents ID & FD fan power consumption; Ensures fuel properties
3. Energy conservation by Feed screw / loading improvement
4. Waste heat recovery options through Economizer and Recuperator
5. Energy conservation by Reduction in furnace volume
6. Selection of insulation to minimize Radiation Loss; Product heat recovery to save energy
7. Batch ~ continuous furnace to obtain higher productivity
8. Moisture reduction in Feed for quicker production & higher output
Steam / Thermic Fluid Distribution In The Plant
1. Format for listing bare and insulated pipes
2. Saving calculation due to insulation of bare pipes and flanges
3. Calculation of fixed steam load: This loss will take place irrespective of production
4. Steam trap selection guide
5. Condensate Recycling: Improving condensate recovery reduces steam cost
6. Flash Steam Estimation: Condensate of higher pressure can result into generation of significant quantity of steam at lower pressure
Driers
1. Recording of Driers Specification (Steam/Fuel fired, Batch/Continuous)
2. Determination of efficiency of driers: Direct and Indirect Efficiency Test (Also computes %Radiation loss, % Loss due to Moisture %Dry gas loss, %Wet gas loss, Avg. fuel consumption; Documents ID & FD fan power consumption
3. Energy Conservation Opportunities around Drier: Moisture Reduction in Feed, Reduction of Batch Time, Exhaust air reduction, etc.
Distillation Column
1. Recording of Re-boiler, Condenser & Column details and Reflux justification (Internal / External)
2. Measurement of Column Efficiency: This also gives Surface Heat Loss
3. Minimum Energy Requirement for carrying out distillation: Compare with actual to improve Productivity and Energy Conservation by Feed Preheating, Reduction of Internal Reflux
Evaporators
1. Recording of Evaporator details; Determination of evaporation efficiency
2. Concept of multiple effect evaporation; Salting-out evaporators
3. Energy Conservation through Thermo compression and mechanical vapor compression
Reactors
1. Recording of Reactor details
2. Performance Evaluation by Direct Test
Thermic Fluid Heaters
1. Recording of Thermic Fluid Heater Specification
2. Performance Evaluation by Direct Test
Energy Conservation Opportunities (ECO) Implementation
1. Tankfarm Management
2. Boilers; Steam Traps; Condensate Handling and Furnaces
Concluding Remarks for See-ThermiSave:
Continuous energy monitoring in the plant is needed to achieve high savings in energy bill and to increase the profit margin. See-ThermiSave helps the industry to maintain standard energy consumption norms in any kind of process and also trains the plant personnel to implement energy Conservation measures and techniques. It helps to keep a check on the operational efficiency of the equipments at any time and control the losses. Thus it makes a complete energy audit of a plant in less time and great accuracy. Two case studies: one for Oil Fired Boiler Efficiency Calculations (performance evaluation) & Savings due to Excess Air Minimization and the other for savings by Insulating Bare Pipes With Calculation For Fixed Steam Loss are attached.
See-UtiSave: Empowering Electrical Energy Conservation
See-UtiSave makes it easier to understand the energy interactions, effects of various design & operating parameters on efficiency and quantifies energy losses in Transformers, Power Factor Improvement, Motors, Pumps Compressors, Lighting, Cooling Tower, DG Sets, Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Units. It is highly interactive, user friendly and provides required knowledge base in the Help. The user can customize See-UtiSave by incorporating his plant particulars. It also serves as log-sheet for various records keeping. The analysis result can be printed in form of a report. It is also featured with off-line user defined energy monitoring module at SEB/ Feeder/DB level.
Features of See-UtiSave: It facilitates & results into:
Energy Monitoring:
1. Applicable electrical tariff
2. Plant particulars : Section/ block Details (Name & Process)
3. DG sets details and monitors fuel consumption versus KWhr generated
4. Shift wise/Daily recording of KWhr, KVARh and computes shift wise average Power Factor
5. Electrical network (consisting various feeders & DBs) and provides monitoring of energy consumption versus production/output at SEB/Feeder/DB level
6. Monthly Electricity Consumption Data (Maximum Demand, Billing Demand, Power Factor, KWhr Consumption, Demand Charges, KWhr Charges, Monthly Bill)
7. Report generation for daily & monthly PF, KWhr & KVARh
8. Frequency Distribution & Regression Analysis for energy consumption & production/output at SEB/Feeder/DB level
9. Graphical representation of KWhr, MD, PF, KWhr Charges, MD Charges & Total Bill for a given year or period
PF Improvement:
1. Calculations for Capacitor (KVAR) requirement for desired PF improvement & reduction in demand charges
2. Payback period calculation for installing capacitors & Recommendations for improving PF
Induction Motors:
1. Incorporate Installed Motor Specifications
2. Choose Motors with design data for Motor Load Analysis
3. Log measured V, A, PF & KW; thus compute Motor Loading (%), Losses (KW), Efficiency, Annual KWhr consumption & Operating Cost
4. Evaluation for Energy Conservation Options (Delta to Star Conversion, Automatic Star/Delta Controller, Replacement by smaller rating Standard/Energy Efficient Motor, Installing Flat-belt drive, Energy Saver/Soft-Starter etc.) & the Saving Potential with Payback Period
5. KVAR requirement for Power Factor Improvement at Load End
6. Date &/or Section wise display of Motor Load Analysis
7. Maintenance record keeping, Cost Incurred, Monitoring of No-load Current (A) & No-load Power (KW)
8. Graphical display of Variation in Motor Current (A) & Power Drawn (KW) with Time
Compressor: This module facilitate user to:
1. Incorporate Compressor Specifications
2. Carry out Performance Evaluation by Free Air Delivery (FAD) & Leakage Test
3. Test Output in terms of FAD in m3/Min, Power Consumption in KW / 100 CFM, Leakage in m3/Min, Leakage loss in Rs/Annum
4. Log test data & retrieve test reports
5. Calculating Pressure drop in pipelines
Lighting:
1. Incandescent, Fluorescent Lamps & Mercury Vapor Lamps Analysis
2. Lighting Design for energy efficiency
Transformer:
1. Incorporate Transformer Specifications
2. Carry out Transformer Load Management
3. Calculate KVAR required for PF improvement due to Transformer Impedance
4. Improve PF for Two Phase Welding Transformers
Pumps:
1. Incorporate Pump Specifications
2. Carry out performance evaluation for the pump : Output – Total head, Pumping Capacity & Pump Efficiency
3. Calculate Motor Power (HP/KW) required for a given pumping requirement
4. Find out energy conservation potential by Impeller trimming, Replacing smaller impeller, providing variable speed drive and other measures
Cooling Tower (CT):
1. Incorporate Cooling Tower Design Parameters
2. Carry out Performance test
3. Output in terms of CT Capacity Utilization (%), CT Range (oC), CT Approach (oC), Evaporation Loss (%), Required Blow down (m3 /hr) & Makeup water (m3/hr)
4. Recommendation based on test results to improve CT performance
Case Studies for energy conservation in Motors & Compressors are attached.
CONCLUSION:
As one time energy conservation or audit study to reduce the energy bills in any plant is not an ever-lasting solution to reduce the production cost, continuous measuring and monitoring of the energy consumption parameters in the plant are the need of the hour. The energy conservation culture has to be imbibed in any industry irrespective of the type of plant. Knowledge based Expert Systems are one of the best and viable solutions to measure and monitor the energy consumption pattern continuously. See-ThermiSave & See-UtiSave are such software tools which helps the user to maintain standard energy consumption norms in any kind of process and also trains the plant personnel to make them competent to implement energy Conservation measures and techniques.
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