Novel method of benchmarking energetic efficiency of industrial systems
In actual economic environment, business sustainability requires high-efficiency technological processes. While Government and Utilities Demand Side Management (DSM) programs consider energy consumption (EUsed) as a whole, proposed method splits energy in 2 (two) specific components: Ideal energy (EIdeal) and Energy at Risk (E@R). Considering these two types of energy a Benchmark Energy Factor (BEF) can be defined. BEF compares the energy used by industrial system or processes (IS&P), Eused to the minimum energy required to accomplish the task at hand Eideal. Ideal energy (power) can be very accurate calculated by using adequate (well known) laws of physics chosen function of the work type performed by IS&P, therefore a solid (not empirical) reference for benchmarking system is available. That eliminates traditional variability that uses variable baselines as “best practice” or other criteria. Volatile comparative element across an industrial sector is replaced with a theoretical goal with a scientific set-up. BEF enables a new approach towards energy efficiency in industrial sector and help level the playing field for energy management. Proposed method promotes a sustainable and consistent approach making possible to determine accurately the (E@R) under variable material and environmental conditions making possible to manage the energy losses. The rating is then solely based on how close the true energy consumption within an IS&P gets to that ideal state. From economic standpoint, these sustainability concepts favor high-efficiency systems, as any energy-efficient system translates into higher effective productivity. Paper proposes a rating system model to describe the energy-efficiency for any IS&P independent of a comparison with others. BEF enables a reliable rating system model describing energetic efficiency of any IS&P that can be used by U.S. Department of Energy-Energy-Star Certification for Plants Program replacing existent benchmarking practice. Case study assessing IS&P by using (E@R) and (BEF) concepts with development of a new standard is presented.
Energy at Risk : Opportunities for Applying Benchmark Energy Factors in the Industrial Sector
Benchmarking of energy performance plays a key role in advancing energy efficiency through enabling a useful comparison of relative performance and the identification of energy savings potential. Benchmarking tools employing mathematical models of energy use in the industrial sector have lagged behind those used in the commercial and institutional sectors given the complexity of industrial processes and variability of material and environmental conditions. Given the aforementioned variability and complexity, there can be an absence of a large population of comparable data required for a regression-based approach that would enable the normalization of material and environmental conditions, and thus allow for a useful comparison of energy performance at the process level. This problem is compounded by the reluctance of industrial firms to share data on industrial processes that is often considered proprietary. The authors highlight a novel method of benchmarking for the industrial sector that employs a theoretical model of the essential energy (minimum practical energy) required to produce a specific output while considering all material and environmental conditions that impact energy from a first principles approach. Actual energy consumption is divided by essential energy consumption to produce a benchmark energy factor (BEF) which allows for a normalized comparison of energy performance across operations, variations in products and over time. The BEF is a useful metric for assessing energy performance without the need for extensive sitespecific measurements and complex process modeling of the actual energy baseline. The authors propose that this method could be used to develop a rating system for industrial processes similar to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Star Certification for Plants. Benchmark Rating Systems Industrial energy benchmarking is used by governments, energy utilities and industrial firms to compare the energy performance of sectors and plants within a given sector and over time. For governments, benchmarking is an essential tool for discerning trends in industrial energy use and developing policies to enhance energy efficiency and competitiveness. For industrial firms, benchmarking helps identify opportunities for energy efficiency improvements and facilitates target setting and monitoring of progress towards achieving targets. In plant-level benchmarking, a sector comparator benchmark is typically identified or calculated to enable a comparison with best available practices and technologies, highest performing facilities or the minimum essential energy required to produce a given output. Benchmarks are typically expressed in energy intensity to normalize for throughput differences between facilities. Comparator benchmarks are in some cases also adjusted for material and environmental conditions at each facility to allow for an equitable comparison of different facilities within each
Experimental study on ground vibration of blasting the boulder with tandem shaped charging warhead
Hazardous effects of blasting the boulder with the new breaking-blasting equipment-tandem shaped charging warhead are mainly air shock wave, seismic wave and blast slung shot. Blast-induced ground vibration is one of the inevitable effects and may cause substantial damage to nearby structures. Started from the formation process and mechanism of ground vibration to study the seismic wave, the research attained curve of vibration velocity of monitoring points by TC-4850 and carried out differential and fast Fourier transform analysis of the curve. And the results concluded that blasting vibration with tandem shaped charging warhead mainly comes from prime charge; the attenuation law can be predicted by Sadev’s Formula. Explosion vibration frequency range is 20-150 Hz, while with the increase of distance from the blasting center, blasting vibration intensity attenuates rapidly, vibration duration increases and vibration frequency gradually reduces. Compared with general rock blasting, its attenuation rate of blasting vibration is faster with higher frequency and smaller impact on buildings, but the harm effects should not be ignored for the special application environment.