Energy flow analysis of a poultry processing plant

Abstract

More efficient utilization of primary energy resources can be achieved with thermal energy storages and it is a measure to limit global warming. The thermal energy demands of industrial food-processing plants are non-uniform throughout a 24-hr period and dependent on production rate. These plants must employ complex energy systems to handle the demands. This paper aims to evaluate the existing energy system of a poultry processing plant with focus on energy consumption, peak power requirement and heat recovery. A new concept for integrating cold thermal energy storages (CTES) with a cascade R-717/R-744 refrigeration system is presented. A comparison between the systems is made by developing and running simulation models. The main findings from the comparison shows that the CTES concept reduces peak power consumption with 52% and increase hot water production by 27%, with the cost of increasing total energy consumption by 10%.