Industrial processes, energy efficiency

Atkins, M. J., Walmsley, M. R. W., and Morrison, A. S. (2010). Integration of solar thermal for improved energy efficiency in low-temperature-pinch industrial processes. Energy 35, 1867-1873. 

One of the most important considerations in designing an industrial process is efficient use of energy. In coal gasification, some of the reactions are exothermic ... 

However, nowadays, the increasing demand for progress, improvement, raw materials, energy, and products under the constraints imposed by the concept of sustainable development is giving the opportunity to develop more effective membrane processes to use in the industries. Namely, MBRs, FO, MD, MCr, and PRO, also in integrated systems, would allow achieving increased competitiveness of industrial productions by making industrial processes more efficient, faster, and more enviromnentally friendly. 

Chemical processes will in the future need to be designed as part of a sustainable industrial development which retains the capacity of ecosystems to support industrial activity and life. This book therefore places a high emphasis on waste minimization and energy efficiency in the context of good economic performance and good health and safety practices. 

Energy can almost always be replaced in part by other inputs. For example, a steam pipe can be insulated more heavily or an industrial process can be modified to use more labor and less energy. Economic efficiency docs not imply minimizing the use of energy or any other input, but rather finding the appropriate mix of inputs. The economically efficient level of inputs is reached when the last dollar spent on energy yields the same amount of benefits as the last dollar spent on labor or materials or any other input. 

The trends dcinoiistratc the capability of industiy to improve energy efficiency when it has the incentive to do so. Energy requirements can be cut by new process development. In addition, the amount of raw materials demanded by a society tends to decline as countries reach certain stages of industrial development, which leads to a decrease in industrial energy use. The accounting of trends in structural shift, material intensity, and technical energy efficiency... 

Much of the potential for improvement in technical energy efficiencies in industrial processes depends on how closely such processes have approached their thermodynamic limit. There are two types of energy efficiency measures (1) more efficient use in existing equipment through improved operation, maintenance or retrofit of equipment and (2) use of more efficient new equipment by introducing more efficient processes and systems at the point of capital turnover or expansion of production. More efficient practices and new technologies exist for all industrial sectors. Table 2 outlines some examples of energy efficiency improvement techniques and practices. 

Different methods available for material recycling of plastics waste into raw materials for the chemical industry are reviewed and discussed. The technical problems, energy efficiencies and cost efficiencies of the processes are examined. 35 refs. 

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