Abstract

AGUILAR-VASQUEZ, Eduardo A.  and  GONZALEZ-DELGADO, Ángel D.. Exergy analysis of an industrial process for removal of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons through modified chitosan microbeads. Ing. compet. [online]. 2022, vol.24, n.2, e20111113.  Epub May 26, 2022. ISSN 0123-3033.  https://doi.org/10.25100/iyc.v24vi2i.11113.

Due to the adverse effects that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have on the ecosystems of Cartagena Bay; the synthesis of efficient removal processes is necessary. However, these emerging technologies must save water and energy. In this work, the energy performance was assessed for an industrial process for treating water contaminated with PAHs using a nanoparticle-modified chitosan bioadsorbent through an exergy analysis. The software aspen plus was used for simulation and calculation of the properties of streams for the analysis. In this assessment was found that the solvent recovery stage presents the highest irreversibilities (284,251.2344 MJ * h-1), unlike the other stages of the process that presented irreversibilities of the order of 102 (MJ * h-1); that is, due to the use of thermal energy in the separation equipment which it tends to be lost more easily when it is used to do useful work. In addition, a sensitivity analysis was conducted in adsorption and recovery stages, this shows that exergetic performance of the adsorption stage increases up to 99% but this improvement is not reflected in the overall performance of the process. While for the solvent extraction stage there is a strong influence of the flow and the heat supplied; this when observing an increase of 1% when reducing the heat flow. The overall yield of the process was 15.3% and shows that this process presents opportunities for improvement to be completely energy sustainable.

Keywords : environment; bioadsorbents; computer aided process engineering; simulation; sustainability.

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