Thermoeconomic Analysis of Farine Mill in Dry Type Cement Production

Abstract

Thermoeconomics is the cost analysis based on the cost and exergy calculations which are used to determine the potential of unproductiveness in all of the thermal systems. This approach is also defined as 'exergy cost' and is named as 'exergoeconomics'. In this study, the new methodology of exergoeconomic analysis created for thermal systems has been applied on the raw material process of a cement plant which consumes high energy. In this study, two sets of analyses have been conducted by using operation data of the process weekly: the thermodynamic analyses and the exergoeconomic analyses. At the end of these analyses, the average energy and exergy efficiencies of the mill have been found 82.9% and 18.44% respectively. The unit cost of the output product named 'farine' has been calculated and found between 0.00708 - 0.01078 $/kg. These costs have been compared with the farine costs of the cement plant, and the effects of exergy consumption on the cost have been evaluated.