Modeling the Feasibility of Using Solar Thermal Systems for Meeting the Heating Requirements at Corn Ethanol Production Facilities

<div>Modeled cumulative cost savings (in United States dollars) of a standard flat plate solar array for selected ethanol plant locations. Model input values: <svg height="12.5155pt" id="M76" style="vertical-align:-3.22717pt" version="1.1" viewbox="-0.0498162 -9.28833 35.8202 12.5155" width="35.8202pt" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><path d="M493 503C489 551 484 614 483 650H43V622C120 616 128 611 128 525V126C128 40 120 34 40 28V0H312V28C221 34 213 40 213 126V307H316C407 307 412 296 424 227H453V420H424C412 355 407 346 316 346H213V584C213 613 216 616 246 616H322C398 616 419 607 436 579C449 559 455 539 464 499L493 503Z" id="g121-68"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.0091,0,0,-0.0091,6.877,3.132)"><path d="M639 21C616 28 593 39 566 68C542 92 523 117 486 170C457 215 415 282 397 314C472 346 524 398 524 485C524 545 497 590 456 617C417 641 369 650 296 650H43V617C122 612 130 608 130 523V129C130 45 122 38 38 33V0H306V33C225 38 216 45 216 129V282H249C302 282 319 270 336 243C365 195 401 132 436 84C483 18 525 -5 597 -8C610 -9 622 -9 635 -9L639 21ZM216 319V559C216 586 219 596 227 603S250 613 281 613C356 613 429 576 429 469C429 416 413 379 374 348C349 327 316 319 265 319H216Z" id="g58-80"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,13.212,0)"><path d="M300 -147C201 -63 143 98 143 270S200 602 300 686L282 710C136 610 70 450 70 271V270C70 89 136 -72 282 -170L300 -147Z" id="g113-41"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,17.71,0)"><path d="M471 456L444 459C426 433 414 430 388 430C324 430 270 434 216 434C103 434 51 374 23 338L43 317C96 366 146 380 221 375L154 109C149 86 147 68 147 52C147 4 168 -12 197 -12C240 -12 291 25 334 71L320 96C295 75 268 58 252 58C238 58 227 79 238 138C251 211 272 296 292 372C310 372 332 368 350 368C391 368 421 369 434 371C444 388 455 413 471 456Z" id="g113-241"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,23.731,0)"><path d="M545 106L524 126C493 85 467 65 455 65C438 65 427 113 405 238C448 295 498 362 543 439L533 448L478 435C453 386 423 331 398 295H395C370 404 347 448 282 448C169 448 23 309 23 153C23 54 65 -12 128 -12C203 -12 283 70 339 155H341C360 29 380 -12 411 -12C444 -12 491 11 545 106ZM333 204C265 95 210 54 169 54C137 54 113 96 113 171C113 302 191 405 252 405C301 405 318 306 333 204Z" id="g113-223"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,31.116,0)"><path d="M275 270C275 450 212 609 64 710L45 686C145 604 203 442 203 270S147 -63 45 -147L64 -170C213 -68 275 89 275 270Z" id="g113-42"></path></g></svg> = 0.72, <svg height="11.6151pt" id="M77" style="vertical-align:-3.227119pt" version="1.1" viewbox="-0.0498162 -8.38798 28.4447 11.6151" width="28.4447pt" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><path d="M493 503C489 551 484 614 483 650H43V622C120 616 128 611 128 525V126C128 40 120 34 40 28V0H312V28C221 34 213 40 213 126V307H316C407 307 412 296 424 227H453V420H424C412 355 407 346 316 346H213V584C213 613 216 616 246 616H322C398 616 419 607 436 579C449 559 455 539 464 499L493 503Z" id="g121-68"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.0091,0,0,-0.0091,6.877,3.132)"><path d="M639 21C616 28 593 39 566 68C542 92 523 117 486 170C457 215 415 282 397 314C472 346 524 398 524 485C524 545 497 590 456 617C417 641 369 650 296 650H43V617C122 612 130 608 130 523V129C130 45 122 38 38 33V0H306V33C225 38 216 45 216 129V282H249C302 282 319 270 336 243C365 195 401 132 436 84C483 18 525 -5 597 -8C610 -9 622 -9 635 -9L639 21ZM216 319V559C216 586 219 596 227 603S250 613 281 613C356 613 429 576 429 469C429 416 413 379 374 348C349 327 316 319 265 319H216Z" id="g58-80"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,13.212,0)"><path d="M716 650H478V622C549 617 570 605 575 566C579 535 582 493 582 401V326C582 161 537 40 393 40C269 40 205 133 205 294V521C205 611 213 617 291 622V650H33V622C111 615 120 611 120 521V272C120 154 148 80 208 34C252 0 309 -14 368 -14C434 -14 501 7 548 55C605 116 623 201 623 319V401C623 493 626 536 629 563C633 605 656 618 716 622V650Z" id="g121-83"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.0091,0,0,-0.0091,22.78,3.132)"><path d="M499 166C484 119 466 88 447 68C424 43 390 38 338 38C297 38 262 40 242 51C223 62 218 80 218 133V522C218 607 226 612 309 617V650H41V617C124 612 131 605 131 522V129C131 45 123 38 38 33V0H497C505 30 529 128 534 160L499 166Z" id="g58-74"></path></g></svg>= 4.5 W/m<sup>2</sup>-°C, <svg height="11.9479pt" id="M78" style="vertical-align:-3.181499pt" version="1.1" viewbox="-0.0498162 -8.7664 11.1607 11.9479" width="11.1607pt" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><path d="M592 498C586 556 582 629 581 675H560C545 656 537 650 510 650H115C87 650 74 652 60 675H40C38 620 33 555 28 495H57C69 539 77 568 89 585C102 607 122 616 205 616H267V123C267 44 259 34 168 28V0H454V28C360 34 352 44 352 123V616H422C498 616 514 608 531 584C542 568 552 543 562 495L592 498Z" id="g121-82"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.0091,0,0,-0.0091,8.021,3.132)"><path d="M138 535C169 535 191 560 191 589C191 620 168 644 139 644S85 620 85 589C85 560 110 535 138 535ZM257 0V30C192 35 185 43 185 109V453C142 435 94 422 40 414V386C101 378 104 372 104 311V109C104 41 97 35 33 30V0H257Z" id="g58-103"></path></g></svg> = 30°C, <svg height="11.6836pt" id="M79" style="vertical-align:-3.29562pt" version="1.1" viewbox="-0.0498162 -8.38798 22.1647 11.6836" width="22.1647pt" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><path d="M631 18C609 24 585 35 559 65C534 91 514 117 478 169C448 214 406 281 389 313C462 346 516 399 516 485C516 545 490 590 449 616C412 641 363 650 290 650H42V622C120 615 128 612 128 527V125C128 40 120 34 38 28V0H300V28C221 34 212 40 212 125V284H244C295 284 312 272 329 244C359 195 395 133 430 84C475 19 516 -3 592 -7C603 -8 615 -8 627 -8L631 18ZM212 316V563C212 591 215 602 223 607C231 613 248 617 277 617C352 617 423 577 423 469C423 415 407 375 368 345C343 324 310 316 260 316H212Z" id="g121-80"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.0091,0,0,-0.0091,8.073,3.132)"><path d="M731 650H485V618C556 614 580 601 585 558C588 530 592 485 592 390V153H589L173 650H22V618C69 614 92 606 112 582C131 558 132 555 132 483V266C132 175 129 128 125 96C120 49 95 36 36 33V0H281V33C212 36 188 50 183 98C180 129 177 175 177 266V510H179L603 -9H638V390C638 483 640 530 644 561C649 602 674 615 731 618V650Z" id="g58-76"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.0091,0,0,-0.0091,14.889,3.132)"><path d="M700 305H441V272C542 264 548 258 548 186V107C548 64 536 53 516 42C493 30 462 24 429 24C237 24 151 189 151 333C151 517 264 626 415 626C507 626 585 594 609 470L642 476C634 544 629 601 626 636C594 644 513 665 429 665C234 665 46 554 46 321C46 123 194 -15 415 -15C495 -15 578 7 642 22C635 50 635 81 635 116V201C635 259 639 264 700 272V305Z" id="g58-69"></path></g></svg> = $4.74/GJ (initial price of natural gas), <svg height="9.26962pt" id="M80" style="vertical-align:-3.29567pt" version="1.1" viewbox="-0.0498162 -5.97395 21.1991 9.26962" width="21.1991pt" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><path d="M524 0V26C466 32 460 36 460 104V297C460 393 411 449 331 449C302 449 276 437 248 419C223 402 201 387 181 372V451C137 432 90 420 42 411V388C96 378 102 374 102 310V104C102 38 97 33 29 26V0H246V26C187 32 181 36 181 104V339C211 365 250 390 290 390C357 390 381 345 381 276V109C381 40 374 32 315 26V0H524Z" id="g121-108"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.0091,0,0,-0.0091,7.111,3.132)"><path d="M731 650H485V618C556 614 580 601 585 558C588 530 592 485 592 390V153H589L173 650H22V618C69 614 92 606 112 582C131 558 132 555 132 483V266C132 175 129 128 125 96C120 49 95 36 36 33V0H281V33C212 36 188 50 183 98C180 129 177 175 177 266V510H179L603 -9H638V390C638 483 640 530 644 561C649 602 674 615 731 618V650Z" id="g58-76"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.0091,0,0,-0.0091,13.927,3.132)"><path d="M700 305H441V272C542 264 548 258 548 186V107C548 64 536 53 516 42C493 30 462 24 429 24C237 24 151 189 151 333C151 517 264 626 415 626C507 626 585 594 609 470L642 476C634 544 629 601 626 636C594 644 513 665 429 665C234 665 46 554 46 321C46 123 194 -15 415 -15C495 -15 578 7 642 22C635 50 635 81 635 116V201C635 259 639 264 700 272V305Z" id="g58-69"></path></g></svg> = 3.3% (annual increase in price of fuel), <svg height="12.0621pt" id="M81" style="vertical-align:-3.2957pt" version="1.1" viewbox="-0.0498162 -8.7664 17.0026 12.0621" width="17.0026pt" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><path d="M303 0V28C221 34 213 39 213 125V525C213 610 221 616 303 622V650H38V622C120 616 128 610 128 525V125C128 40 120 34 38 28V0H303Z" id="g121-71"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,4.276,0)"><path d="M614 175C564 76 510 21 408 21C256 21 146 149 146 336C146 488 235 629 402 629C510 629 570 586 597 480L626 488C620 541 614 582 606 638C578 643 510 665 429 665C206 665 44 527 44 316C44 157 153 -15 402 -15C474 -15 558 5 586 11C604 45 629 119 643 165L614 175Z" id="g121-65"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.0091,0,0,-0.0091,12.97,3.132)"><path d="M327 325C324 350 312 408 304 433C283 442 256 451 213 451C120 451 59 391 59 320C59 243 125 210 188 181C237 158 266 136 266 93C266 52 231 24 195 24C134 24 93 81 74 148L42 143C42 106 51 37 59 23C78 8 125 -12 177 -12C257 -12 345 35 345 127C345 198 292 234 216 264C171 283 131 305 131 348C131 387 156 416 195 416C243 416 277 378 297 317L327 325Z" id="g58-113"></path></g></svg> = $220/m<sup>2</sup>.</div>

Journal of Energy

fig6

Figure 6

Figure 6: Modeling the Feasibility of Using Solar Thermal Systems for Meeting the Heating Requirements at Corn Ethanol Production Facilities 