ASSESSMENT OF THE ENERGY AND EXERGY UTILIZATION EFFICIENCIES IN CEMENT INDUSTRIES

Cement production has been one of the most energy intensive industries in the world with energy typically accounting for about 30 to 40% of the production costs. The high energy consumption places this industrial sector to an important position from socio-economic point of view. Hence, appropriate thermal analysis approaches must be adopted to maximize the plant productivity at the minimum energy consumption and environmental effects. In the present work, cement production has been examined using exergy analysis methodology. A simple model for the kiln and cooler is presented to assess the first and second law efficiency. The model is developed on the basis of mass, energy and exergy balance data available for an existing cement factory located in the southern part of Iran. The second law efficiency of the kiln system as well as cooler efficiency is estimated and the thermal energy conservation opportunities are identified. The present model can be used in the analysis of energy and exergy utilization.

Keywords:

cement industry , clinker , cooler , energy analysis , exergy analysis , first law , irreversibility , kiln , second law efficiency , secondary air