Exergoeconomic analysis of energy utilization of drying process in a ceramic production

• Thermo-economic cost analysis of a ceramic plant was performed using the actual operational data.
• Spray dryer, Vertical dryer and Furnace were analyzed.
• Energy utilization efficiency values for this sector ranged from 30.44% to 65.5%.
• Exergy utilization efficiency values for this sector ranged from 12.73% to 61.66%.
• The ratio of thermodynamic loss rate to capital cost values was obtained in the range of 53.38–135.83.

Thermo economic cost analysis of a ceramic plant, with a yearly production capacity of 24 million m2, was performed based on the actual operational data. The ceramic drying system was analyzed at the spray dryer, the vertical dryer and the furnace stages. The performances of these three processes and the effects of the process conditions on the process performance were evaluated using energetic, exergetic, and exergoeconomic analysis methods. The performance assessment was performed through energy and exergy efficiencies, the improvement potential rate, the total cost, and the exergoeconomic factor terms. The ratio of the thermodynamic loss rate to the capital cost values was obtained in the range of 53.38–135.83 MW/$. In this process, there is a great potential towards increasing the energy and exergy utilization efficiencies.