Energy and Exergy Loss Monitoring in Sugar Evaporation Line; Case Study in Urmia Sugar Factory

Energy survey is always a critical stage of the management in the process engineering facilities. As the first and crucial step toward technical, thermo engineering and economic improvement and optimization of sugar production process, energy audit is conducted experimentally and analytically in the evaporation line of Urmia sugar factory. To yield such a purpose, based on the thermodynamic analysis and measurements, the share of each equipment in energy and exergy loss is precisely determined. Moreover, detail parameters have been monitored in the different surfaces of each equipment. Thermography method is applied to study the insulation condition and heat loss level. Maximum energy and exergy loss is assigned to top view surfaces. Lateral surfaces dissipated much energy compared to bottom view surfaces. Results show that the heat loss is occurred mostly through radiation transfer by 67 % and the rest is experienced by convection transfer as 33 %. Total thermal power dissipation of the evaporation line to the medium is estimated to be 186.03 kW which is calculated on the basis of heat convection coefficient and heat radiation. Results prove that the dominant heat loss is respectively related to first evaporator, the second and third shell and tube heat exchangers. Furthermore, the maximum exergy loss is occurred in pre heating section, where more than half of the total exergy loss belongs to shell and tube heat exchangers. Accumulated exergy through the evaporation line is estimated to be 30.86 kW stating the energy effectiveness gap of the whole system comprising subsystems such as individual evaporators or heat exchangers. The research results would be implemented in the future management decisions on sugar production cost reduction. The research methodology and obtained technical details can be used in the future investigations on sustainable development policies in governmental section.