Energy Distribution in HC FeMn and SiMn - Energy vs Exergy Analyses

Abstract

The metal producing industry is a high consumer of energy and large amounts of excess heat are produced. Increasing the energy efficiency would be beneficial, both in terms of the environment and also from an economical point of view. In order to do this, it is crucial to know how the energy is distributed throughout process operation. Energy (enthalpy) and exergy analyses were used to discuss the production of high-carbon ferromanganese (HC FeMn) and silicomanganese (SiMn). The two different analysis methods were compared to decide if exergy analyses provide a better understanding of the distribution and recovery potentials for the production process of HC FeMn and SiMn. It was found that the distribution of energy and exergy between the different material streams is highly similar and key potential recovery sites are the same regardless of the analysis method utilized. The additional information provided by the exergy analysis compared to enthalpy is the reduction in energy quality (exergy destruction) due to irreversible processes within the furnace. These values were found to be 13.7% for HC FeMn and 10.8% for SiMn.