Process Parameters and Energy Use of Gas and Electric Ovens in Industrial Applications

Abstract

The study was conducted to evaluate the energy use of natural gas and electric ovens in the production of polymer bearings and components. Tests were conducted to evaluate and compare the performance of natural gas and electric ovens in the process of sintering billets which are made from a broad range of materials such as PTFE and other fluoropolymers, elastomers, themosets, themoplastics and composites. The purpose of this study was to compare the process parameters under similar conditions for industrial applications where electric ovens have predominant use. Tests were performed to obtain the process efficiency and examine cost savings potential in converting electric ovens to natural gas. Preliminary results show that, for the plat studied, cost savings of about $10,000 per oven can be achieved, with a simple payback period of less than two years. The results also show that additional energy savings will be realized if the oven size and exhaust flow are carefully selected. The data obtained from these experiments were used to calculate process efficiency. Design features and environmental issues are discussed.