Conventional and Advanced Exergy and Exergoeconomic Analysis of a Spray Drying System: A Case Study of an Instant Coffee Factory in Ecuador
Instant coffee is produced worldwide by spray drying coffee extract on an industrial scale. This production process is energy intensive, 70% of the operational costs are due to energy requirements. This study aims to identify the potential for energy and cost improvements by performing a conventiona...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-10-01
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| Series: | Energies |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/13/21/5622 |
| _version_ | 1797549699844014080 |
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| author | Diana L. Tinoco-Caicedo Alexis Lozano-Medina Ana M. Blanco-Marigorta |
| author_facet | Diana L. Tinoco-Caicedo Alexis Lozano-Medina Ana M. Blanco-Marigorta |
| author_sort | Diana L. Tinoco-Caicedo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Instant coffee is produced worldwide by spray drying coffee extract on an industrial scale. This production process is energy intensive, 70% of the operational costs are due to energy requirements. This study aims to identify the potential for energy and cost improvements by performing a conventional and advanced exergy and exergoeconomic analysis to an industrial-scale spray drying process for the production of instant coffee, using actual operational data. The study analyzed the steam generation unit, the air and coffee extract preheater, the drying section, and the final post treatment process. The performance parameters such as exergetic efficiency, exergoeconomic factor, and avoidable investment cost rate for each individual component were determined. The overall energy and exergy efficiencies of the spray drying system are 67.6% and 30.6%, respectively. The highest rate of exergy destruction is located in the boiler, which amounts to 543 kW. However, the advanced exergoeconomic analysis shows that the highest exergy destruction cost rates are located in the spray dryer and the air heat exchanger (106.9 $/h and 60.5 $/h, respectively), of which 47.7% and 3.8%, respectively, are avoidable. Accordingly, any process improvement should focus on the exergoeconomic optimization of the spray dryer. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T15:18:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c23b7d97a6b5415f8847f8221acddf30 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T15:18:10Z |
| publishDate | 2020-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj.art-c23b7d97a6b5415f8847f8221acddf302023-11-20T18:45:36ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732020-10-011321562210.3390/en13215622Conventional and Advanced Exergy and Exergoeconomic Analysis of a Spray Drying System: A Case Study of an Instant Coffee Factory in EcuadorDiana L. Tinoco-Caicedo0Alexis Lozano-Medina1Ana M. Blanco-Marigorta2Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Matemáticas, Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral, 090903 Guayaquil, EcuadorDepartment of Process Engineering, Universidad de las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35017 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, SpainDepartment of Process Engineering, Universidad de las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35017 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, SpainInstant coffee is produced worldwide by spray drying coffee extract on an industrial scale. This production process is energy intensive, 70% of the operational costs are due to energy requirements. This study aims to identify the potential for energy and cost improvements by performing a conventional and advanced exergy and exergoeconomic analysis to an industrial-scale spray drying process for the production of instant coffee, using actual operational data. The study analyzed the steam generation unit, the air and coffee extract preheater, the drying section, and the final post treatment process. The performance parameters such as exergetic efficiency, exergoeconomic factor, and avoidable investment cost rate for each individual component were determined. The overall energy and exergy efficiencies of the spray drying system are 67.6% and 30.6%, respectively. The highest rate of exergy destruction is located in the boiler, which amounts to 543 kW. However, the advanced exergoeconomic analysis shows that the highest exergy destruction cost rates are located in the spray dryer and the air heat exchanger (106.9 $/h and 60.5 $/h, respectively), of which 47.7% and 3.8%, respectively, are avoidable. Accordingly, any process improvement should focus on the exergoeconomic optimization of the spray dryer.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/13/21/5622advanced exergoeconomic analysisspray dryerexergy destruction cost rate |
| spellingShingle | Diana L. Tinoco-Caicedo Alexis Lozano-Medina Ana M. Blanco-Marigorta Conventional and Advanced Exergy and Exergoeconomic Analysis of a Spray Drying System: A Case Study of an Instant Coffee Factory in Ecuador Energies advanced exergoeconomic analysis spray dryer exergy destruction cost rate |
| title | Conventional and Advanced Exergy and Exergoeconomic Analysis of a Spray Drying System: A Case Study of an Instant Coffee Factory in Ecuador |
| title_full | Conventional and Advanced Exergy and Exergoeconomic Analysis of a Spray Drying System: A Case Study of an Instant Coffee Factory in Ecuador |
| title_fullStr | Conventional and Advanced Exergy and Exergoeconomic Analysis of a Spray Drying System: A Case Study of an Instant Coffee Factory in Ecuador |
| title_full_unstemmed | Conventional and Advanced Exergy and Exergoeconomic Analysis of a Spray Drying System: A Case Study of an Instant Coffee Factory in Ecuador |
| title_short | Conventional and Advanced Exergy and Exergoeconomic Analysis of a Spray Drying System: A Case Study of an Instant Coffee Factory in Ecuador |
| title_sort | conventional and advanced exergy and exergoeconomic analysis of a spray drying system a case study of an instant coffee factory in ecuador |
| topic | advanced exergoeconomic analysis spray dryer exergy destruction cost rate |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/13/21/5622 |
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