Parameter study of sinter waste heat recovery in vertical tank based on energy and exergy analysis

The parameter study of sinter waste heat recovery in vertical tank was conducted numerically by using energy and exergy analysis, and the experimental data obtained from a homemade experimental apparatus was applied to verify the reliability of numerical model. Based on the first and second laws of thermodynamics, the effects of flow rate of cooling air (FRCA) and inlet temperature of cooling air (ITCA), as well as the inner diameter of cooling section (IDCS) and height of cooling section (HCS), on the sinter cooling process were analyzed in detail. The results show that the average deviation between the experimental data and calculation values is 4.93%, and the model reliability is verified. The enthalpy exergy of outlet air tends to increase first and then decrease with increasing the FRCA and ITCA, while increasing the IDCS only leads to the increase in enthalpy exergy of outlet air. For a given operational condition, the enthalpy exergy of outlet air can reach a maximum value with increasing the HCS. The vertical tank could obtain the maximum enthalpy exergy of outlet air through the adjustments of FRCA and ITCA, as well as the HCS.