Thesis (MScEng (Industrial Engineering))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The world is facing an energy crisis with worldwide energy consumption rising at an
alarming rate. The effects that fossil fuels have on the environment are also causing
concern. For these two reasons the world is determined to find ‘cleaner’, renewable
and sustainable energy sources.
The Cape Winelands District Munisipality (CWDM) area has been identified as the
study area for a bioenergy project. The CWDM project aims to determine the
possibility of producing bioenergy from lignocellulosic biomass, and transporting it as
economically as possible to a number of electricity plants within the study area.
From the CWDM project a number of research topics were identified.
The aim of this thesis is to determine the best location for one or more processing
plants that will maximise the potential profit through the entire system. This is
achieved by minimising the overall life cycle cost of the project. It takes into account
costs from establishing and maintaining the crops, harvesting, transportation,
conversion and generation; with a strong focus on the transport costs.
In conjunction with a Geographical Information Systems (GIS) specialist and taking
into account various factors such as electricity demand, heat sales and substation
locations, 14 possible plant locations were identified. The possible supply points for
each of the 14 plant locations were then analysed by GIS again to yield data in terms
of elevation, road distances and slope.
The transport costs were calculated using the Vehicle Cost Schedule (VCS) from the
Road Freight Association (RFA) and fuel consumption calculations. It takes into
account slope, laden and unladen transport and considers different transport
commodities. These calculations together with the other associated costs of the life cycle are then
combined with the results of the GIS into an EXCEL file. From this a transportation
optimisation model is developed and the equivalent yearly life cycle cost of each of
the 14 demand points are minimised by means of LINGO software. Initially runs were
done for 2.5 MW capacity plants. From the high profit areas identified here, a single
area was chosen and further runs were done on it.
These runs were performed to determine the effect of different plant capacities on
the life cycle costs, as well as how it affects the farm gate price that can be paid to
the farmer. It also determined the effect of farmer participation at different plant
capacities.
The results indicate that it is currently possible to pay a farmer between R 300.00
and R 358.00 for a ton of biomass. It also revealed that with higher participation
from farmers in the CWDM project, lower costs and higher farm gate prices will
result, since the transport costs will be lower. Although all the costs within the life
cycle are variable over time, the transport cost is the only cost that varies spatially
and this will have a major effect on the overall system cost.
The thesis found that generating electricity from woody biomass is feasible for all
areas that were considered as well as for all variations considered during the
sensitivity analysis. For the recommended plant size of 5 MW the transport of logs
will be optimum. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die tempo waarteen energieverbruik wêreldwyd styg is ʼn rede tot kommer. Die
nadelige effek wat fossiel brandstowwe op die omgewing het, is ook ʼn probleem.
Hierdie twee redes is hoofsaaklik wat die wêreld dryf om ‘skoner’ hernieubare en
volhoubare energie bronne te vind.
Die Kaapse Wynland Distrik Munisipaliteit (KWDM) area is identifiseer as ʼn studie
area vir ʼn bio-energie projek. Die doel van die KWDM projek is om die vervaardiging
van bio-energie vanaf plantasies, die vervoer van hierdie bome sowel as die
prosessering koste by die fabriek te bepaal en te evalueer. Vanuit die KWDM projek
het `n aantal tesisse ontwikkel waarvan hierdie een is.
Die doel van hierdie tesis is om die beste posisie vir een of meer prosesserings
fabrieke te bepaal wat die potensiële wins van die KWDM projek sal maksimeer. Dit
is ook gemik daarop om die ekwivalente jaarlikse oorhoofse lewenssiklus koste van
die projek te minimeer. Dit neem die vestiging en onderhoud van gewasse,
oeskostes, vervoerkostes en proseskostes in ag, met ʼn spesifiek fokus op die
vervoerkoste.
In samewerking met `ʼn “Geographical Information Systems” (GIS) spesialis en deur
verskeie faktore, soos elektrisiteitsverbruik, inkomste vanaf hitte verkope en
substasie posisies, in ag te neem is 14 moontlike fabriek posisies identifiseer. Verder
is die moontlike voorsienings areas van elk van die 14 fabriek posisies weer deur GIS
analiseer om resultate in terme van hoogte bo seespieël, padafstand en helling te
verkry.
Die vervoerkostes is verkry vanaf die “Vehicle Cost Schedule” (VCS) van die “Road
Freight Association” (RFA), asook berekeninge wat die brandstof verbruik in ag neem. Hierdie kostes sluit in die effek van gradiënt, gelaaide en ongelaaide vervoer
sowel as verskillende vervoer produkte.
Hierdie berekeninge sowel as die ander kostes in die siklus en die resultate van GIS is
kombineer in ʼn EXCEL leer. Hierdie data word dan gebruik om ʼn LINGO model te
ontwikkel en die oorhoofse lewenssiklus koste van elk van die 14 fabriek posisies te
minimeer. Optimering is gedoen vir 2.5 MW kapasiteit fabrieke. Uit die beste areas is
een area identifiseer en verdere lopies is daarop gedoen.
Die doel van hierdie lopies is om die effek van verskillende fabriekskapasiteit op die
lewensiklus koste te bepaal, asook die effek daarvan op die prys wat aan die boer
betaal word vir hout. Hierdie lopies is ook gebruik om die effek van boer deelname
te bepaal.
Die resultaat dui aan dat dit tans moontlik is om ʼn boer tussen R 300.00 en R 358.00
te betaal vir ʼn ton biomassa. Dit het ook gewys dat hoe meer boere deelneem aan
hierdie projek hoe laer is die oorhoofse lewensiklus koste en hoe hoër is die prys wat
betaal kan word vir hout aangesien die vervoerkoste laer sal wees. Alhoewel al die
lewensiklus kostes veranderlik is oor tyd, is dit net die vervoerkoste wat ʼn ruimtelike
komponent ook het en dit sal ʼn groot effek op die oorhoofse lewenssiklus koste hê.
Die tesis bevind dat dit lewensvatbaar is vir alle areas in die studie om elektrisiteit op
te wek vanaf hout biomassa, selfs al word die uiterse variasie in die
sensitiwiteitsanalise gebruik. Vir die aanbeveling van ʼn 5 MW fabriek sal die
goedkoopste vervoer opsie boomstompe wees.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/4117 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Roberts, Theari |
| Contributors | Dirkse van Schalkwyk, T. G., University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Engineering. Dept. of Industrial Engineering. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 106 p. : ill. |
| Rights | University of Stellenbosch |
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