Cogeneration Supporting the Energy Transition in the Italian Ceramic Tile Industry

Lisa Branchini, Maria Chiara Bignozzi, Benedetta Ferrari, Barbara Mazzanti, Saverio Ottaviano, Marcello Salvio, Claudia Toro, Fabrizio Martini and Andrea Canetti
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Lisa Branchini: Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Bologna, Viale del Risorgimento 2, 40136 Bologna, Italy
Maria Chiara Bignozzi: Department of Civil, Chemical, Environmental and Materials Engineering, University of Bologna, Via Terracini 28, 40131 Bologna, Italy
Benedetta Ferrari: Department of Civil, Chemical, Environmental and Materials Engineering, University of Bologna, Via Terracini 28, 40131 Bologna, Italy
Barbara Mazzanti: Centro Ceramico, Via Tommaso Martelli, 26, 40138 Bologna, Italy
Saverio Ottaviano: Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Bologna, Viale del Risorgimento 2, 40136 Bologna, Italy
Marcello Salvio: DUEE-SPS-ESE Laboratory, Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), Lungotevere Thaon di Revel 76, 00196 Rome, Italy
Claudia Toro: DUEE-SPS-ESE Laboratory, Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), Lungotevere Thaon di Revel 76, 00196 Rome, Italy
Fabrizio Martini: DUEE-SPS-ESE Laboratory, Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), Lungotevere Thaon di Revel 76, 00196 Rome, Italy
Andrea Canetti: Confindustria Ceramica, Viale Monte Santo, 40, 41049 Sassuolo, Italy

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 7, 1-17

Abstract: Ceramic tile production is an industrial process where energy efficiency management is crucial, given the high amount of energy (electrical and thermal) required by the production cycle. This study presents the preliminary results of a research project aimed at defining the benefits of using combined heat and power (CHP) systems in the ceramic sector. Data collected from ten CHP installations allowed us to outline the average characteristics of prime movers, and to quantify the contribution of CHP thermal energy supporting the dryer process. The electric size of the installed CHP units resulted in being between 3.4 MW and 4.9 MW, with an average value of 4 MW. Data revealed that when the goal is to maximize the generation of electricity for self-consumption, internal combustion engines are the preferred choice due to higher conversion efficiency. In contrast, gas turbines allowed us to minimize the consumption of natural gas input to the spray dryer. Indeed, the fraction of the dryer thermal demand (between 600–950 kcal/kgH 2 O), covered by CHP discharged heat, is strictly dependent on the type of prime mover installed: lower values, in the range of 30–45%, are characteristic of combustion engines, whereas the use of gas turbines can contribute up to 77% of the process’s total consumption.

Keywords: cogeneration; energy efficiency; ceramic industry; spray dryer; energy analysis; process thermal consumption; gas turbine; internal combustion engine (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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