This document evaluates an exhaust air heat recovery system installed on multiple tobacco barns. It found that the system provided fuel savings averaging 1-13% per cure, with a maximum of 29%. The system cost $2100 to install and had a simple payback period of 4-6 years. Data was collected from 12 farms over multiple years to analyze system performance and farmer experiences.
This document evaluates an exhaust air heat recovery system installed on multiple tobacco barns. It found that the system provided fuel savings averaging 1-13% per cure, with a maximum of 29%. The system cost $2100 to install and had a simple payback period of 4-6 years. Data was collected from 12 farms over multiple years to analyze system performance and farmer experiences.
This document evaluates an exhaust air heat recovery system installed on multiple tobacco barns. It found that the system provided fuel savings averaging 1-13% per cure, with a maximum of 29%. The system cost $2100 to install and had a simple payback period of 4-6 years. Data was collected from 12 farms over multiple years to analyze system performance and farmer experiences.
This document evaluates an exhaust air heat recovery system installed on multiple tobacco barns. It found that the system provided fuel savings averaging 1-13% per cure, with a maximum of 29%. The system cost $2100 to install and had a simple payback period of 4-6 years. Data was collected from 12 farms over multiple years to analyze system performance and farmer experiences.
pdf Exhaust Air Heat Recovery System Evaluation for Multiple Make Flue- Cured Tobacco Bulk Barns
Justin Macialek “We Bring Grant Ellington Engineering to Life” 48th Tobacco Workers’ Conference
TWC2018(48) - Document not peer-reviewed
January 17, 2018
Biological and Agricultural Engineering
2018_TWC67_Macialek.pdf Topics • Heat recovery system design • Design changes • Fuel savings • Energy recovery (Btu per hour) • Burner operating time • Cost
TWC2018(48) - Document not peer-reviewed
2018_TWC67_Macialek.pdf Exhaust Air Heat Recovery System – 2017 • System performance evaluation was initiated in 2014 • 12 Systems installed at multiple on-farm locations – Wilson, Nash, Edgecombe, Johnston, Pamlico, Vance, Sampson, Brunswick VA. • Multiple barn manufacturers – Taylor (8 &10-box), Long (8 & 10-box), DeCloet (13-box), Tytun (18-box), Powell (9-box) • Main objective to collect performance information • Grower feedback on cured leaf quality • Multiple years of evaluation planned
Avg. Savings Location Barn Make Cures % Savings (gal) Wilson Long 10-box 6 46.8 15.2
Brunswick, VA Tytun 18-box 4 64 14.3
Sampson Taylor (new) 10-box 3 32 10.6
Sampson Taylor (older) 10-box 4 16 4.3
Nash Taylor 10-box 5 43.5* 12.1
*Natural gas (Therms)
TWC2018(48) - Document not peer-reviewed
2018_TWC67_Macialek.pdf 2017 Heat Recovery Summary Avg. Savings Location Barn Make Cures % Savings (gal) Wilson Long 10-box 10 39 12.6 Brunswick, Tytun 18-box 7 44 11.7 VA Sampson Taylor (new) 10-box 8 26 8.7 Sampson Taylor (older) 10-box 6 17 4.8 Pamlico Powell 9-box 4 16.5 4.3 Vance Long 8-box 4 1.3* 0.4 Nash Taylor 10-box 6 16.3* 4.5
TWC2018(48) - Document not peer-reviewed
Edgecombe Taylor 8-box 3 24.3 7.7 * Natural gas (Therms) 2018_TWC67_Macialek.pdf Energy Recovery (Btu per hour) Energy Recovered, 10-Box Long, Wilson, NC 35000
30000
25000 Btu per hour
20000
15000
10000
5000
0 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 Time (hours) Btu per hour
TWC2018(48) - Document not peer-reviewed
2018_TWC67_Macialek.pdf 2017 Burner Operating Time
Avg. Avg. Burner Burner Location Barn Make Cures Operating Time Cycle Reduction (hours) Reduction
Wilson Long 10 13.5 -194
Sampson New Taylor 8 13.8 -357
Sampson Old Taylor 4 15.0 -470
TWC2018(48) - Document not peer-reviewed
2018_TWC67_Macialek.pdf System Cost
Item Cost
Recovery coil 510
Pre-heat coil 554
Pump 85
Plumbing 655
Labor 300*
TWC2018(48) - Document not peer-reviewed
Total $2,104 *25 man hours @ $12 per hour Heat Exchanger Housing 8-box Long
TWC2018(48) - Document not peer-reviewed 2018_TWC67_Macialek.pdf
2018_TWC67_Macialek.pdf Exhaust Air Heat Recovery System Summary • Fuel savings averaged over the season ranged < 1% to 13% per cure (maximum savings was 29%)
• System may not work on all barn makes and configurations
• Curing time was not extended
• Limited differences, if any, in the cured leaf quality observed by grower
• System cost is approximately $2100 installed
• Simple payback at 13% savings is approximately 4 to 6 years (2017 prices, 8
cures per season)
TWC2018(48) - Document not peer-reviewed
• Plan to collect data again in 2018 at existing locations 2018_TWC67_Macialek.pdf On-Farm Cooperators
• Vick Family Farms, Wilson, NC
• Lake Wendell Farming Co. LLC, Wendell, NC • Leggett Farming Partnership, Nashville, NC • WF Partnership, Newton Grove, NC • Tony Rogers, Rawlings, VA Farm • Drake Farm, Pinetops, NC • Stainback Farms, Middleburg, NC • Whitford Farms, Grantsboro, NC
TWC2018(48) - Document not peer-reviewed
2018_TWC67_Macialek.pdf Acknowledgements
• Japan Tobacco International
• R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company • Universal Leaf North America • Alliance One International • NC Tobacco Research Commission
TWC2018(48) - Document not peer-reviewed
2018_TWC67_Macialek.pdf Undergraduate Support
• Kyle Bostian • Ben Cranfill • Alex Greeson • Austin Scott
TWC2018(48) - Document not peer-reviewed
Questions?
TWC2018(48) - Document not peer-reviewed 2018_TWC67_Macialek.pdf
