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Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - DREAM (Design for Resource and Energy efficiency in cerAMic kilns)

Teaser

Summary

The EU ceramics industry is a key contributor to export, value added and jobs, representing an annual production value of around â‚¬28 billion (2014), delivered by 17,000 enterprises directly employing over 240.000 people. Ceramic processing is highly demanding in terms of energy: the production of one ton of ceramic tiles required 6GJ (1.67 MWh) of energy, and the ceramic industry has the highest number of installations in EU Emission Trading System, mainly associated with the use of energy in the kiln and spray dryer.

Within the ceramic manufacturing process, firing accounts for 55% of all thermal energy used in tile manufacture . Average thermal energy consumption in ceramic tile manufacture is estimated to be 1,28 kWh/kg fired tile, relative to the lower heating value (LHV) of natural gas. The energy required in the process is obtained by combustion of natural gas, which is a fossil fuel. Natural gas combustion gives rise to air emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas, the emissions of which are internationally subject to control and capture measures.

In order to encourage the evolution of ceramic kilns towards a more sustainable technological paradygm, the DREAM project aims to design, develop and demonstrate a radically improved architecture for ceramic industrial furnaces, characterised by optimised energy consumption, reduced emissions, and lower operating costs compared to currently available technological solutions. This will be obtained by substantially enhancing specific furnace parts (control system, refractories, emissions abatement system) and by adding new modules and sub-systems (CHP unit, heat pipes) to the current furnace architecture.
The DREAM Specific Objectives are:

Biofuel fed CHP integration in firing stage (WP1). In order to optimise the firing process energy consumption, DREAM will integrate state-of-the art technological solutions which have never been applied to the ceramics industry, and which will represent a significant upgrade to the current practice in the sector.

Advanced simulation tools equipped kiln control system (WP2). DREAM aims to endow end users with accurate and optimised process control tools, by integrating within the kiln control system an ad-hoc developed thermal-fluid dynamic model.

Waste heat recovery through heat pipes (WP3). DREAM will design a solution for conveying waste heat from the cooling stage of the kiln to the drying stage of the ceramic manufacturing line.

Innovative refractory solutions and new materials for insulation (WP4). Through DREAM, the consortium will develop innovative refractory materials and retrofitting solutions (including foam ceramics, opacifiers and emissivity coatings), aimed to reduce the heat transfer within refractory materials and to optimise the heat transfer between the kiln and the materials.

Emissions monitoring and abatement techniques optimisation (WP5). DREAM will systematically investigate and optimise currently employed emissions abatement techniques in the ceramics industry, with a view to design and test an innovative emissions abatement device, based on the combination of Best Available Techniques with a specifically designed absorbent for filters.

DREAM will develop and demonstrate technologies enabling a significant advancement in the sustainability of ceramics processes, implementing 5 synergic lines of research and 3 industrial demonstrators, which will act as technological showcases for market deployment. Such approach will enable to advance, in the five lines of research, from TRL4 to TRL6.DREAM will strongly contribute to both the sustainability and competitiveness of the European ceramics and process industries. In particular, the DREAM technologies will earn an overall 20% OPEX and energy consumption reduction for industrial furnaces, with an average investment payback time for end users lower than 3 years.

Work performed

Biofuel fed CHP integration in firing stage (WP1)
The dual fuel model of turbine has been selected. Feasibility study is concluded and installation drawings as well. All the needed permissions to install the CHP in the factory are in process. The Biofuel supplier has been already contacted to have an offer for quantity and cost to carry out the test.

Advanced simulation tools equipped kiln control system (WP2)
UNIMORE are currently working on the 0D/1D model to represent the physical phenomena involved in the processes all over the different kiln sections, namely fluid dynamics of air streams and burnt gases, heat exchange among the different kiln components, thermal behaviour of products (tiles) all over the kiln length. ITC has developed the tile model, and SYNESIS is designing a sleep-mode algorythm to optimise the kiln energy management.

Waste heat recovery through heat pipes (WP3)
The technical analysis to verify the real condition inside the kiln, where the HPAP will be installed, has been performed. Thanks to these analysis, BRUNEL studied and manufactured a lab scale HPAP. The full scale HPAP has been commissioned to Econotherm, and is expected to be shipped in Mirage in April/May 2018.

Innovative refractory solutions and new materials for insulation (WP4)
Refractory materials actually employed in the kiln lining have been characterized and tested in FGF facilities to understand possible improvements in terms of composition and manufacturing process. Meanwhile, a new coating has been tested in Keraben facilities, applying a new coating to some modules in firing zone and check by a thermo camera which improvements are realized in terms of heat dispersion. The test is in progress.

Emissions monitoring and abatement techniques optimisation (WP5)
An exhaust on-line measurement of the pollutants emitted from the firing stage is being carried out in Keraben for the last months. The results allowed ITC technicians to quantify average concentrations of different pollutants for different products, and to study, emergent pollutants due to new technological scenarios (digital printing). The information gathered from the exhaust gases has been used to define the prototype to be installed in KERABEN under the WP6- Demo 1. All drawing of this pilot plant has been done during these last months.

Demonstration (WP6), Dissemination (WP7), Management (WP8)
Activities have been carried out in order do deploy the project\'s full potential in the second period.

Final results

Several innovations will be introduced through DREAM, namely:
- A new CHP concept never applied in ceramics firing
- A breakthrough simulation approach to improve the kilns design process
- A novel heat recovery concept for ceramic firing, using heat pipes
- A bespoke coating and insulating fire brick optimised for operational conditions in ceramic firing
- An emission abatement system compliant with emerging pollutants and regulations
Through the introduction of ceramic kilns with lower energy consumption, the DREAM project will make the EU ceramic industry more sustainable both environmentally and economically, and will help to increase competitiveness in the European process industry. Furthermore, the project will help to maintain and even increase the employment in this important industrial sector despite the uncertainties regarding the international situation, and at the same time it will reinforce the competitiveness of the value chain, mainly represented by the high-skilled European ceramic machinery industry.