Computer simulation of the waste heat recovery system from rotary thermal furnaces, with the aim of investing it in seawater desalination (Tartous cement factory case study)

Abstract

In this study, the possibility of recovering the waste heat energy from the thermal furnace in the Tartous cement plant and investing it by desalinating sea water was studied, where the values ​​of lost and leaked temperatures to the outer medium across the oven surface varies between (130-350 C^o).

The idea of ​​the research is based on studying a heat exchanger to recover part of the wasted heat with the aim of investing it in desalination of sea water, where we conducted an analytical study of the thermal loads of cement factory furnaces and then perform a computer simulation of an orthogonal heat exchanger made of 39 m long copper tubes consisting of 9 layers with a chess arrangement Where the step between the tubes S₁=2,3D, S₂=D and mounted on an angular section 120^o above the furnace, therefore the number of tubes in each row is 140 tubes.

The result of computer simulations on the exchanger showed that the appropriate flow velocity to reach the required temperature was 0.0535 m/s. This ensures a thermal energy recovery 10992,9439 [kw], equivalent to burning 8956,883837 ton_fuel/year, this amount can be used to steam 1015027,2 m³_w/year, the rate of heat recovery is 78,295%, and the rate of fuel recovery is 6,22%.