Energy and environmental study for the textile industry based on absorption heat transformer

• Published in: Energy sources. Part A, Recovery, utilization, and environmental effects Vol. 45; no. 2; pp. 5594 - 5607
• Main Authors: L. I., Morales-Gómez, R. J., Romero, S., Vázquez-Aveledo, M., Montiel-González, R., Best
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis 01-06-2023
• Subjects: Absorption heat transformer (AHT); Carrol-H; emissions avoided; Heat recovery analysis; O mixture; Textile industry
• ISSN: 1556-7036; 1556-7230
• DOI: 10.1080/15567036.2023.2208544

Many of the gases released by industrial processes pollute the environment and are largely responsible for climate change. Also, large amounts of low-temperature waste heat are generated by the industrial sector in different production processes. The waste heat can be recovered and reincorporated into the industrial process by means of an Absorption Heat Transformer (AHT), to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce the consumption of fossil fuels, and increase energy savings. Therefore, three important aspects of the AHT are emphasized in this paper: first, the thermodynamics parameters of the AHT that influencing in its performance, second, heat recovery study and third CO
2
emissions avoided analysis. For this purpose, a thermodynamic model was implemented for AHT using two working mixtures, namely, LiBr- H
2
O and Carrol-H
2
O. Besides, a heat recovery study was carried out considering the Mexican textile industry as a case study, to determine the stages of the textile process in which it is possible to return the recovered heat, as well as the best location to install an AHT. The results show that the Coefficient of Performance values increase when the absorber thermal levels range from 100 to 150°C, source temperatures from 80 to 90°C and condensation temperature from 25 to 30°C. The study of heat recovery in the textile industry describes that it is possible to install an AHT at five states in Mexico, with the potential to recover and return heat in 6 of the 7 stages of the textile process, it was also determined that with the Carrol-water mixture it is possible to obtain higher thermal levels in the absorber and recover more heat than with the water/lithium bromide mixture. The emissions analysis showed that the technology is environmentally sustainable by avoiding up to 119 tonnes of CO
2eq
per year into the atmosphere.