Textile drying using solarized cylindrical can dryers to demonstrate the application of solar energy to industrial drying or dehydration processes: Phase I. Final report

Technical Report · Thu Mar 24 04:00:00 EST 1977

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6564606· OSTI ID:6564606

Mitchell, P D; Gupta, B P; Curtner, K L; Rausch, R A

The detailed design of a solar energy collection system for providing process heat to a textile drying process is described. The solar collection subsystem uses 773 square meters (8313 square feet) of parabolic trough, single axis tracking, concentrating collectors to heat water in a high temperature water (HTW) loop. At the 2:00 pm September 21 time point (clear day) the solar collectors nominally generate 198/sup 0/C (389/sup 0/F) water with the HTW loop at 1.59 x 10/sup 6/ Pa(230 psi). A steam generator is fueled with the HTW and produces 544.3 kg/hr (1200 lbs per hour) of process steam at the nominal design point conditions. The generated process steam is at 0.524 x 10/sup 6/ Pa (76 psi) and 160/sup 0/C (321/sup 0/F). The solar system will provide 1.3 x 10/sup 6/ MJ/yr (1.2 x 10/sup 9/ BTU/year) to the process. This is 46 percent of the direct insolation available to the collector field during the operational hours (300 days/year) of the Fairfax mill. The process being solarized is textile drying using cylindrical can dryers. The can dryers are part of a ''slashing'' operation in a West Point Pepperell mill in Fairfax, Alabama. Over 50% of all woven goods are processed through slashers and dried on cylindrical can dryers. Furthermore, since can dryers are also used in other drying processes, this application of solar energy to process heat is one that shows high potential for having a significant impact on displacing conventional fuels. An economic analysis of the solar system was conducted for three locations; Albuquerque and Omaha for two ''fiducial'' locations, and Fairfax, Alabama, for the analysis at the specific site. Upon completion of the design, specifications and drawings were developed. All subsystems and components of the specified system are available for fabrication and installation at the proposed site. The specifications and drawings have been issued to several general contractors for receipt of firm bids for the second phase of the program.

• Research Organization: Honeywell, Inc., Minneapolis, MN (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6564606
• Report Number(s): ORO-5124-77/1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140905*
ALABAMA
CONCENTRATING COLLECTORS
CONTROL SYSTEMS
COST
CYLINDERS
DEHYDRATION
DESIGN
DIAGRAMS
DRYERS
DRYING
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
ECONOMICS
ENERGY
HEAT
INDUSTRY
MAINTENANCE
MIDWEST REGION
NEBRASKA
NEW MEXICO
NORTH AMERICA
OPERATION
PARABOLIC COLLECTORS
PARABOLIC TROUGH COLLECTORS
PERFORMANCE
PROCESS HEAT
SOLAR COLLECTORS
SOLAR DRYERS
SOLAR DRYING
SOLAR PROCESS HEAT
SOUTHEAST REGION
SOUTHWEST REGION
SPECIFICATIONS
TEXTILE INDUSTRY
TEXTILES
USA