Energy Efficiency Analysis of the Refining Unit in Thermo-Mechanical Pulp Mill

Behnam Talebjedi, Timo Laukkanen, Henrik Holmberg, Esa Vakkilainen and Sanna Syri
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Behnam Talebjedi: Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering, Aalto University, 14400 Espoo, Finland
Timo Laukkanen: Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering, Aalto University, 14400 Espoo, Finland
Henrik Holmberg: Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering, Aalto University, 14400 Espoo, Finland
Esa Vakkilainen: Department of Energy, Lappeenranta University of Technology, 95992 Lappeenranta, Finland
Sanna Syri: Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering, Aalto University, 14400 Espoo, Finland

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 6, 1-18

Abstract: A refining model is developed to analyses the refining process’s energy efficiency based on the refining variables. A simulation model is obtained for longer-term refining energy analysis by further developing the MATLAB Thermo-Mechanical Pulping Simulink toolbox. This model is utilized to predict two essential variables for refining energy efficiency calculation: refining motor-load and generated steam. The conventional variable for presenting refining energy efficiency is refining specific energy consumption (RSEC), which is the ratio of the refining motor load to throughput and does not consider the share of recovered energy from the refining produced steam. In this study, a new variable, corrected refining specific energy consumption (CRSEC), is introduced and practiced for better representation of the refining energy efficiency. In the calculation process of the CRSEC, recovered energy from the refining generated steam is considered useful energy. The developed model results in 160% and 78.75% improvement in simulation model determination coefficient and error, respectively. Utilizing the developed model and hourly district heating demand for CRSEC calculation, results prove a 22% annual average difference between CRSEC and RSEC. Findings confirm that the wintertime refining energy efficiency is 27% higher due to higher recovered energy in the heat recovery unit compared to summertime.

Keywords: thermo-mechanical pulping; district heating; pulping energy efficiency; refining energy efficiency; data analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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