Thermoeconomic analysis of the IWERS system for steam heat recovery from bakery ovens

Abstract

The integrated waste energy recovery system (IWERS) recovers heat from bakery ovens in supermarkets and other commercial facilities to heat domestic hot water, resulting in energy savings. This article presents a thermoeconomic analysis of the system's operation in a supermarket over the course of 1 year. The study shows that exergy destruction in IWERS is directly proportional to ambient temperature. During the hottest months of the year, IWERS experiences a 4% decrease in exergy performance, while the exergy unit cost of the product increases by up to 4.2%. Additionally, the steam condenser is responsible for the highest relative exergy destruction, reaching almost 45%. Moreover, the addition of equipment upstream of the process increases the exergy cost of production due to the destruction of exergy in the equipment. These results provide valuable information with important implications for energy efficiency, economic savings, and sustainability. Improving system efficiency would generate substantial benefits in energy savings, economic savings, and environmental impact for all commercial and industrial establishments that use bakery ovens.