Management of Natural Gas Consumption during the Manufacturing of Lead-Acid Batteries

Alexis Sagastume Gutiérrez (), Juan Jose Cabello Eras, Jorge Mario Mendoza Fandiño and Humberto Carlos Tavera Quiroz
Additional contact information
Alexis Sagastume Gutiérrez: Energy Department, Universidad de la Costa, Calle 50 No. 55-66, PBX 336 22 00, Barranquilla 080002, Colombia
Juan Jose Cabello Eras: Departamento de Ingeniería Mecánica, Universidad de Córdoba, Carrera 6 No. 77-305, Montería 230002, Colombia
Jorge Mario Mendoza Fandiño: Departamento de Ingeniería Mecánica, Universidad de Córdoba, Carrera 6 No. 77-305, Montería 230002, Colombia
Humberto Carlos Tavera Quiroz: Departamento de Ingeniería Mecánica, Universidad de Córdoba, Carrera 6 No. 77-305, Montería 230002, Colombia

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 15, 1-27

Abstract: The production of lead-acid batteries is an energy-intensive process where 28 to 35% of the energy is used in the form of heat, usually obtained from the combustion of fossil fuels. Regardless of the importance of heat consumption during battery manufacturing, there is no discussion available in the specialized literature that assesses heat during battery manufacturing. This study assessed natural gas consumption in a battery plant based on historical data, the thermographic evaluation of different equipment, and measurements of the combustion processes and combustion gases. Heat transfer models were used to calculate surface heat losses in the various assessed processes, while combustion theory was used to identify other saving potentials. Saving potentials equivalent to 16.6% of the plant’s total natural gas consumption were identified. Replacing the ingot casting system accounts for a potential saving equivalent to 13.6% of the plant gas consumption, improving the grid casting systems for 2.8%, and the leady oxide accounts for a low 0.1%. Implementing the saving measures related to surface heat loss and poor operational practice reduced natural gas consumption by an estimated 1.2% monthly. Savings could be increased to 3.2% by expanding the saving measures to the remaining grid casting systems. Overall, natural gas consumption was reduced by an estimated 777 m 3 /month, GHG emissions by 1.6 tCO 2eq. /month, and fuel costs by 1603 USD/month.

Keywords: lead-acid battery; energy efficiency; thermal efficiency (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/15/12030/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/15/12030/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:15:p:12030-:d:1211325

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().