Energy monitoring plant/equipment

Audits may differ. Some concentrate on particular facets, e.g. waste minimization, energy conservation. A management audit will probably cover organizational structures and relationships, communications, procedures acceptance and implementation, training and quality assurance. A technical audit will consider the performance of plant and equipment, monitoring and inspection programmes. Items for inclusion in auditing are listed in Table 17.12. 

The plant is controlled by a process computer (ABB-Hartmann and Braun) and equipped with numerous data-collecting instruments. Surveillance is carried out by continuous analysis of the room air as well as by explosion-limit controls. The pyrolysis gas is analyzed automatically by a gas chromatograph. All data obtained are registered to enable calculation of energy and mass balances. Some basic components are continuously monitored by infrared spectroscopy, i.e. ethylene in the pyrolysis gas, sulphur dioxide and oxygen in the exhaust gas. 

Installation of separate energy meters shall be found very usefiil for monitoring individual power consumption of main process units, auxiliary units, utilities, lighting, offices and restrooms, effiuent treatment plant, and any other equipment if felt necessary. It will become possible to monitor their consumptions and make efforts to minimise unimportant loads. 

Competitiveness, productivity, quality, and waste reduction are frequently heard in the industry circles. The pressure is grooving to make high-quality products at lower cost and with less waste. In response to these needs, a new subdiscipline of analytical chemistry has emerged process analytical chemistry (PAC) [1]. Unlike traditional chemical analysis, which is performed in well-equipped laboratories with the aim to identify and quantify small amounts of analytes, the goal of PAC is to supply quantitative and qualitative information about a chemical process that can be used not only to monitor and control the process, but also to optimize its efficient use of energy, time, and raw materials. In addition, it is possible to simultaneously minimize plant effluent release and improve product quality. 

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