Measures for resource efficiency

Question 1

In general

Answer 1

don’t use more than needed, avoid the need, right time at right place, sectioning, search for low costs and high paybacks, housekeeping measures

Question 2

Heat

Answer 2

General: insulation, industrial symbiosis, shortening production chain, district heating, lowering temperature

Boiler:
optimize input of excess air - flue gas is energy losses.
capacity utilization - design wisely; demand curve is not constant: peak management, e.g. having several small boilers instead of one big.

Steam pipes:
short pipes - the longer pipes, the more heat losses.
Not too high temperature steam –> more energy losses. Steam traps an alternative.

End use:
mechanical before termal
homogenic processes - same categories at time

Question 3

Water

Answer 3

Fundamental
1. Can we avoid the need to heat or cool?
2. Is closed loops an option?
How to handle heat water, which will increase in the loop, and how will the water be cleaned?
3. Can we use water with more appropriate quality? e.g. preheated or cleaned water

Consider how the cleaning water is used - ADMESR

1. Avoid the need by production planning - the best option.
   e.g. good orders (vanilla first, chocolate second),
   sectioning (no need to clean all at once)
   create incentives to prevent the need of cleaning
2. Design for cleaning
   surfaces and liners decide efficiency
   ease of access; rounded corners
3. Mechanical cleaning
   wiping, scraping manually (/automatically) before using water
   reuse the waste if possible and make value of it
   spot cleaning
4. Efficient application of water
   nozzles, wetting sprays
5. Substitution
   heat or pressure (higher energy use), chemicals (avoid env. harmful)
6. Reuse and recycle

In process - stepwise processes as a clean tech strategy
Counter-current rinsing

Question 4

What is counter-current rinsing?

Answer 4

Using a series of tanks where the cleanest water is introduced at the final rinse stage, and the most contamined at the initial rinse stages. The rinsing flow is opposite to the cleaning flow/input flow.

It works because of the concentration difference.

It saves water, less waste water, higher concentration of waste water so easier to separate waste and reuse.

Question 5

Electricity

Answer 5

Motors
with high efficiency, avoid oversizing, speed regulation, big fat pipes (smooth flow)

Lights
LED, regulate light intensity, spotlighting, light sectioning

Cooling
multi-step (fridge), not too cool, insulation, sectioning, doors (e.g. air curtains)