Energy Efficiency Measures in the Wood Manufacturing Industry
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Energy Efficiency Measures in the Wood Manufacturing Industry B. Gopalakrishnan, A. Mate, Y. Mardikar, D.P. Gupta and R.W. Plummer, West Virginia University, Industrial Assessment Center B. Anderson, West Virginia University, Division of Forestry ABSTRACT The objectives of the research are to examine the energy utilization profile of the wood manufacturing industry with respect to system level production parameters and investigate the viability of specific energy efficiency measures. The Industrial Assessment Center (IAC) has conducted energy assessments in the wood manufacturing industrial sector in the State for several years. The energy utilization profile of several wood processing facilities is analyzed and reported. The production system parameters in terms of throughput and nature of manufacturing operations are examined in relation to the overall energy utilization, specific energy consumption, and potential for implementation of energy efficiency measures (EEM). Introduction Energy management is the application of engineering principles to the control of energy costs at a facility. It is a continuous process that requires consistent efforts for identifying potential areas for conservation, formulation of proposals and implementation. There are many energy efficient technologies and practices, both currently available and under development, that could save energy if adopted by industry. Energy and energy management have been in the limelight in various manufacturing and service operations across the industries in the US. Although large quantities of wood are utilized as fuel, pulpwood, and railroad ties, lumber is by far the most important form in which wood is used. In the US, the volume of wood converted into lumber exceeds the volume used for all other purposes. Lumber has been defined as “the product of the saw and planning mill, not further manufactured than by sawing, re- sawing, and passing length wise through a standard planning machine, crosscutting to length and working” (Brown & Smith 1958). As per the “Manufacturing Energy Consumption Survey” published by the Energy Information Administration for the year 1998, in 1997 the annual production of Softwood Lumber and Hardwood Lumber in the US was 34.5 and 12.9 billion board feet respectively (EIA 1998). The US manufacturing plants, mines, farms and constructions firms currently consume about 25 quads (quadrillion British thermal units or Btu) of energy each year, about 30% of the nation’s total consumption of energy. The largest energy users are industries such as petroleum refining, chemicals, primary metals, pulp and paper, food and ceramics and glass, which account for 74% of total industrial energy use (Nagarajan 1995). Considering the amount of energy required, there is a recognized need to examine energy efficiency in electricity intensive wood processing facilities (Mate 2002). Manufacturers conduct a number of energy management activities to improve the efficiency of energy use at their facilities. The four significant management techniques used include energy assessments, electricity load controls, power factor improvement, and facility lighting, with energy assessments playing the major role (EIA 1998). Introduction to the Lumber and Wood Products Industry The lumber and wood products industry includes facilities engaged in cutting timber and pulpwood; facilities with sawmills, lathe mills, shingle mills, stock mills, planing mills, plywood mills; or the facilities engaged in manufacturing finished wood products. The industrial processes are divided into four general groups: logging timber; producing lumber; panel products and wood preservation. Lumber and wood products include a wide range of products, including cut timber; rough wood products, such as hewn posts; lumber and flooring; millwork, such as moldings and cornices; cabinets; plywood; containers; and wood buildings. Energy Use in Forest and Wood Products Industry From the reports published by the Energy Information Administration, the forest products industry consumed more than 3.1 quads of energy in 1994 which represents about 14% of domestic manufacturing energy use. This makes the forest products industry the third largest industrial consumer of energy, behind only petroleum and chemicals. Within the forest products industry, the pulp and paper industry (SIC 26) uses the vast majority of the energy, 2.66 quads, while the lumber and wood products industry uses 0.491 quads. In 1998, the lumber and wood products sector generated 387 trillion Btu (1 Btu = 1.0551 KJ), or 66% of the industry’s energy needs, from wood residues. Remaining energy needs were met by electricity, natural gas, and fuel oil. The forest products industry spent $7.7 billion on purchased energy in 1994, more than 11% of total US manufacturing energy expenditures. Of this amount, about $1.7 billion was spent by the lumber and wood products industry. Literature Review Not much literature has been cited in the area of energy management in the wood manufacturing industry especially under SIC 24 (NAICS 113, 321, 333, 337, 339). There are some publications in reference to energy savings in the pulp and paper and forest products industry. Various challenges posed by the application of energy efficient motors in highly motor intensive industries such as petrochemical, pulp and paper and food processing is discussed in Horton (1994). A survey of characteristics of different belt types, with a particular emphasis on their energy efficiency, cost effectiveness and field of application is done in De Ameida & Steve (1995). Use of premium efficiency motors in pulp and paper industry and the resulting savings are discussed by Prestil & Wroblewski (1996). The use of MotorMaster+™ in the pulp and paper and other industries to evaluate and select motors for energy efficiency and lowest life cycle cost has been described in McCoy, Rooks & Tutterow (1997). The use of research in the field of automatic inspection of wood, particularly focusing on computer vision techniques for improving productivity and reducing waste is discussed in Truong Pham & Alcock (1998). Various recommendations made during IAC assessments of over 200 pulp and paper industries are discussed by Dunning & Todd (1998). Site Visits to Wood Processing Facilities in West Virginia The wood products industry is of growing importance to West Virginia’s economy. With 11.6 million acres (1 acre = 4,046.825 sq. meter) of timberland and 75 billion board feet of inventory, the forest resources of West Virginia seem endless (WV Bureau of Commerce, 2001). The site visits to the wood processing facilities in the State of West Virginia yielded important information about the energy utilization and production parameters. A brief description of the manufacturing process for the various facilities is provided herein. Specific information such as the facility location, average daily production, number of employees, and their weekly operating schedule is provided in Table 1. It is interesting to note that the average cost per MMBtu of electricity ranged from $14.13 (¢4.82/kWh) to as high as $23.18 (¢7.91/kWh). The load factors for the facilities were on the low side in general. It is observed that the major component of the electrical load in these facilities is contributed by electric motors (Mate 2002). The essential operations in the manufacture of lumber are (1) breakdown of the log into boards or timber; (2) cutting the boards or timbers lengthwise in a ripping or edging operation with the objective of removing wane, improving the grade, or dimensioning to width; and (3) cutting the boards across the grain in a cross cutting or trimming operation for the purpose of removing defects, improving the grade, or dimensioning to length. A detailed flow chart of typical sawmill operations is shown in Figure 1. Figure 1. Manufacturing Process Flow Sorting and Sorting and storing of Debarker Trimmer Grader Dispatching logs Head Saw Edger Resaw Cant Lumber The facilities have been given an alphabetical notation to preserve confidentiality. Facilities A, B, and C produce quality wood boards from logs using the basic sawmill operations. The manufacturing processes adopted in these facilities are similar. The principal product of facility D is rough lumber. The only difference in the manufacturing process for this plant is that a portion of the graded lumber is shipped directly to the customer and the rest go to the kiln for drying and is graded and shipped. Facility E produces Saw Lumber. Apart from sawmill operations, this plant produces pellet fuel by extruding sawdust (generated from the lumber mill and purchased saw dust) into small pellets. The final products are then inspected, packaged, and shipped. Facility F produces rough saw and kiln dried lumber. The manufacturing process is very similar to that of facility D. Facility G produces special treated industrial lumber. In this plant, the stacked logs are air dried in a steam kiln before they are treated chemically for protection. The product is subjected to a series of pressure and vacuum treatments depending on its moisture content. After treatment, some machining, such as drilling, is done if required, and then the material is packed and shipped. Facility H produces furniture grade lumber from logs. The manufacturing process for this facility is similar to that of Facility D. Facility I produces lumber using sawmill operations. The palletized lumber is shipped directly to another facility for drying. Comparison Matrix for the Facilities