Thermodynamic performance evaluation of a geothermal drying system

Renewable energy sources such as geothermal energy can be used in drying processes as a heat source due to the high energy costs of fossil fuels. In this study, geothermal cabinet type dryer was constructed and situated in Balcova-Narlidere Geothermal Field, Turkey where the clean city water of district heating system is used as an energy source for the dryer. The dryer was tested on site for drying of olive leaves and energy and exergy analyses of the drying process conducted under two cases: Case 1. Exhaust air was rejected to the environment. Case 2. A portion of exhaust air was re-circulated. Energy Utilization Ratio (EUR) was determined as 7.96 for Case 1 and 50.36 for Case 2. The highest rate of exergy destruction occurred in the fan, followed by heat exchanger and the dryer, accounting for 0.2913, 0.05663 and 0.0115 kW, respectively. Exergetic efficiency of the drying chamber was calculated as 89.66 %. Re-circulating the exhaust air decreased the exergy value at the outlet of the dryer from 0.1013 to 0.08104 kW, indicating that re-using the air increases the performance of the dyer

Safety, Ergonomics and Human Factors in Reconfigurable Manufacturing Systems

In the recent years, the adoption of reconfigurable systems represents a primary strategy to improving flexibility, elasticity and efficiency in both manufacturing and assembly. Global markets, the increasing need for customization, high quality standards, dynamic batches and short life cycles are the key factors driving the transition from traditional to reconfigurable manufacturing systems (RMSs). Despite their automation level, such systems still require actions by human operators, e.g. material handling, WIP load/unload, tool setup, etc. These operations rise safety issues because of the human–machine interaction and cooperation. Particularly, RMSs require changes of auxiliary modules and tools, based on the manual intervention, to achieve effective system configurations enlarging the produced mix. In this field, embracing the emerging Industry 4.0 technology, a lack of procedures and reference approaches exists to supporting companies and practitioners in analysing the impact on safety and ergonomics coming from the switch from standard to RMSs. This chapter, after revising the literature, standards and reference guidelines, converges to an innovative methodological and operative framework supporting and spreading the integration of safety, ergonomics and human factors in the emerging reconfigurable systems. Deep attention is paid to best-in-class examples, from industry, to strengthen the industrial perspective and applicability