Energy and exergy analysis based on an energy saving process of waste tires pressurized catalytic reforming

The pressurized catalytic reforming technology had a positive impact on product quality, but the energy consumption for industrial applications remained uncertain. To achieve the need for energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly conversion of waste tires, this study developed a system of pressurized catalytic reforming and exhaust gas combustion to produce high-quality oil, char, and industrial steam. The process was analyzed and evaluated based on the energy and exergy balance. The simulation results closely matched the experimental results, demonstrating the accuracy of the developed model. Significant energy savings were realized in the pyrolysis unit at 2.82 GJ/h and reforming unit at 7.57 GJ/h, respectively. The energy loss rates of the pyrolysis unit, heat transfer for the industrial steam unit, reforming unit, and combustion unit were 2.77%, 5.24%, 0.75%, and 0.77% of the system input energy, respectively. In addition, the heat transfer for the industrial steam unit recovered 12.93% of the system input energy. The exergy loss rates of the pyrolysis reactor, combustion reactor, and heat exchanger HEATER6 in the whole simulation system were 38.91%, 12.07%, and 32.29%, respectively.

Automated summary

In this study, a system of pressurized catalytic reforming and exhaust gas combustion was developed to convert waste tires into high-quality oil, char, and industrial steam in an energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly manner. The process was analyzed and evaluated based on energy and exergy balance, and the simulation results matched well with experimental results, verifying the accuracy of the developed model. Significant energy savings were achieved in the pyrolysis and reforming units, respectively.