Industrial Cleaning System CHP Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial cleaning systems require significant electrical energy for heating process media and operating electromechanical units, leading to high energy consumption and environmental impact due to CO2 emissions from conventional power plants.
Innovation Solution
Integration of a combined heat and power plant that generates both process heat and electrical energy using primary energy sources like gas or mineral oil, allowing for efficient energy utilization and reduced reliance on grid electricity, with heat exchangers transferring process heat to the cleaning system and electrical energy powering the system's units.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If electrical energy is used to heat process media and operate electromechanical units, then the cleaning system can be operated with simple control and high reliability, but energy consumption increases and CO2 emissions occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines a combined heat and power plant with the cleaning system, merging electricity generation and process heat generation into a single integrated energy supply unit. This allows the cleaning system to receive both electrical energy and thermal energy from one source, reducing overall energy consumption and CO2 emissions while maintaining reliable operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The combined heat and power plant serves multiple functions: it generates electrical energy to power electromechanical units and simultaneously produces process heat for heating cleaning liquids and drying air. This multi-functional energy supply system replaces separate electrical and thermal energy sources, improving energy efficiency and reducing environmental impact.
2Loss of energy
If a combined heat and power plant is integrated to generate both process heat and electrical energy, then energy utilization efficiency increases and CO2 emissions decrease, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Heat exchangers are introduced as intermediary devices to transfer process heat from the combined heat and power plant to the cleaning liquid and drying air. These heat exchangers mediate the thermal energy transfer without requiring direct contact between the power plant's hot fluids and the cleaning system's process media, thereby simplifying the overall system integration while maintaining high energy efficiency.
3Use of energy by moving object
If process heat is transferred through heat exchangers from the combined heat and power plant, then energy efficiency improves, but additional equipment and system complexity are required
Solution Approach 1:
The heat transfer process is segmented into separate heat exchanger units positioned at different locations: one heat exchanger transfers process heat to the cleaning liquid in the cleaning circuit, while another heat exchanger transfers process heat to the drying air in the drying circuit. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each heat transfer process and simplifies system control and maintenance.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system achieves a high degree of energy utilization, reducing CO2 emissions and operational costs, with potential savings of 35-40 tons of CO2 per year for small to medium-sized systems, and enabling self-sufficiency independent of the power grid.
Implementation Method 1
heat exchangers transferring process heat to the cleaning system
Implementation Method 2
generates both process heat and electrical energy using primary energy sources like gas or mineral oil
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
The invention relates to an industrial cleaning system (1) comprising at least one treatment chamber (3) for cleaning objects which are soiled with oily, greasy and other processing residues and are treated with treatment media which, to improve the treatment result, require process heat for heating of wash-active cleaning liquids, rinsing liquids, for example pure water or air for drying in an air stream. The industrial cleaning system is designed such that its operation leads overall to an improvement in the economic and ecological balance. A combined heat and power plant (2) is integrated into the process heat circulation system of the cleaning system such that its share of process heat covers the process heat demand of the plant and can be included for the heating of the treatment media, and the share of electrical power of the combined heat and power plant covers the power demand of the electrical/electronic installations.