Cogeneration system utilizing waste heat from sinter-cooling process

At present, distributed generation (DG) has been a research focus all over the world. As a kind of DG system, cogeneration system utilizing waste heat from sintering-cooling process plays an important role in modern iron and steel enterprises. In this paper, we studied the composition and characteristics of waste heat resources. Based on the first and second thermodynamic laws, the cogeneration system is a typical process of energy recovery, conversion and utilization. We analyzed the quantity of waste heat in the sinter cooler by the first thermodynamic law, and evaluated the quality and the exergy efficiency of the waste gas by second thermodynamic law. Took a cooler system as an example, we detailed waste heat power generation system. For the overall process, the results reveal that the cogeneration system is a typical process of energy conversion and utilization. The main links of DG system are waste heat recovery, conversion and utilization, in which waste heat recovery link is the main factor affecting the cogeneration generation. The structural and operating parameters of the cooler are the main factors affecting the recovery, in turn are the main factors affecting the generating capacity. Appropriate cooler system operation and structural parameters is the key to solve the cogeneration system problem.