Computer-aided Analysis of Industrial Energy Systems Applied to a Paper Machine

Over a third of the worldwide CO2 Emissions are attributable to the industrial sector (Metz et al., 2007). Appropriate software systems can help engineers optimizing production processes in order to reduce CO2 Emissions or costs. The TOP-Energy toolbox is tailored to the analysis of energy systems with a partial focus on the industrial sector. An important tool included in TOP-Energy is the simulator. It is capable of calculating characteristic figures for an energy system. The methodology of the simulator was designed to make the process of data acquisition, data analysis and optimization of energy systems more efficient. These tasks are often performed by energy consultants and have to be efficient and easy-to-use. The simulator was developed to close the gap between very complex simulation tools for production planners and very simple spreadsheet calculations that are usually performed by energy consultants and do not deliver detailed results. To make the process of analyzing more efficient, methods for debugging equation based models have been integrated in the methodology. Additional modules allow benchmarking of different variants against each other. The methodology is used to analyze the production of hygienic paper in a paper mill. It was investigated whether investing in a larger heat exchanger or a shoe press will reduce the energy consumption perceptibly.