Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Thermal Analysis of an Industrial Furnace

Version 1 : Received: 2 August 2016 / Approved: 3 August 2016 / Online: 3 August 2016 (08:47:21 CEST)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Filipponi, M.; Rossi, F.; Presciutti, A.; De Ciantis, S.; Castellani, B.; Carpinelli, A. Thermal Analysis of an Industrial Furnace. Energies 2016, 9, 833. Filipponi, M.; Rossi, F.; Presciutti, A.; De Ciantis, S.; Castellani, B.; Carpinelli, A. Thermal Analysis of an Industrial Furnace. Energies 2016, 9, 833.

Abstract

Industries, which are mainly responsible for high energy consumptions, need to invest in research projects in order to develop new managing systems for rational energy use and to tackle the devastating effects of climate change caused by human behavior. The study reported in this paper concerns the forging industry, where the production processes generally start with the heating of the steel in furnaces and continue with other processes, such as heat treatments and mechanical machining. One of the most critical operations, in terms of energy loss, is the opening of the furnace doors for the insertion and extraction operations. During this time, the temperature of the furnaces decreases by hundreds of degrees in a few minutes. Because the dispersed heat needs to be supplied again through the combustion of fuel, increasing the consumption of energy and the pollutant emissions, the evaluation of the amount of the lost energy is crucial for the development of operating or mechanical systems able to contain this dispersion. To perform this study, CFD simulation software was used. Results show that at the door opening, because of temperature and pressure differences between the furnace and the ambient, turbulences are generated. Results also show that the amount of energy lost for an opening of 10 minutes for radiation, convection and conduction is equal to 5606 MJ where convection is the main contributor with 5020 MJ. The model created, after being validated, has been applied to perform other simulations in order to improve the energy performance of the furnace. Results show that a reduction of the opening time of the door allows energy savings and limits pollutant emissions.

Keywords

CFD simulation; industrial furnace; heat flux; forging industry; thermal analysis

Subject

Engineering, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

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