Principal Investigator: Dr. Jimmy L. Smart, University of Kentucky
Keywords: energy management, energy assessment, energy reduction methods
In Western Kentucky (called the Purchase Area), there is located a high density of manufacturing industry primarily due to offers of cheap power from Tennessee Valley Authority (1950s). Today, over 15 major companies operate in this area providing such products as chemicals, pulp & paper, and metal processing. The University of Kentucky established an extended campus in this area in 1997 to provide undergraduate degrees in engineering to serve these industries. This DOE Plant Wide Assessment project is aimed at coordinating a regional effort to provide energy savings and process optimization within many of these plants.
Project Objectives:
(1) Compile an energy consumption profile of major industries within the Purchase Area.
(2) Target large sources of energy consumption and propose methods for cost savings.
(3) Provide training to plant personnel in use of existing energy assessment software tools.
(4) Assist in preparation of cost savings and economic documentation to justify purchase of new/replacement equipment.
(5) Study manufacturing methods to recommend process optimization, energy reduction, and waste minimization.
Methods. Relying upon previous industrial experience and technical expertise of the University core team, efforts will be coordinated within each of the respective plants to evaluate energy consumption and process optimization. Key plant personnel will be trained in use of software tools and other energy assessment methods. A report will be provided to each plant that identifies major areas/equipment of energy usage and suggested methods to reduce energy consumption. Preliminary economics will be performed in accordance with existing respective plant protocols (DCF-ROI, payback, hurdle rate, etc.) to provide justification for follow-on replacements/ modifications.
Potential Impacts. Most of the manufacturing plants located in the Purchase Area ( Western Kentucky) have been operating since the 1950s and many cases are in need of major modifications and upgrades. It is expected that systems evaluations and associated cost analyses from this study will provide the impetus for plants to upgrade their current operation to not only save energy, but to operate more efficiently.
Participants. The main coordinating team from the University of Kentucky will consist of Dr. Jimmy L. Smart, Dr. William E. Murphy, and Dr. David L. Silverstein. Undergraduate students will assist in data collection at the respective plants. The following manufacturing plants within the Purchase area have been identified (4 of the 7 have given firm commitments through email communication) to participate in this assessment project:
(1) Air Products & Chemicals, Inc., Calvert City, KY
(2) Mead WestVaco, Inc., Wickliffe, KY
(3) Atofina Chemicals, Inc.,. Calvert City, KY
(4) ISP Chemicals, Inc., Calvert City, KY
(5) Westlake Group Corporation, Calvert City, KY
(6) Degussa Corporation, Calvert City, KY
(7) Celanese Chemicals, Inc., Calvert City, KY