Comparative assessment of processes for the transportation of thermal energy over long distances

Abstract

This papers deals with the transportation of thermal energy over long distances that could allow the recovery of waste heat from industrial sites. Processes involving thermochemical transformations can be relevant for such purpose as they involve the transportation of a reactive fluid at ambient temperature, and thus allow large distances between source and users. This paper aims to evaluate the performances of all the systems devoted to the transportation of energy, including classical processes (involving electricity, coolant, slurry). A general method has been developed to assess the performances of all the paths of energy transportation. The aim is to analyze the relevance of each process on the same basis. The exergy destruction in each part of these systems is analyzed and the exergy yields are compared