1. ENERGY MANAGEMENT IN THE WET PROCESSING OF GREIGE
FABRICS
Presenting author: Debashish Banerjee CEO – Blackstone Synergy
Consulting group Limited, P.O. Box – 23365, Nairobi -00604, Kenya
db@blackstonesynergy.com
1. Introduction:
The wet processing industry in the fabrics is a prominent user when it comes to guzzling
energy especially as temperatures are required to be maintained apart from the
generation of the fluid pressure to desired levels. The fabric serves as the substrate for
the dye uptake and hence the movement configuration has a significant bearing on the
dye affinity as also the structural orientation for facilitating the dye penetration.
2. Conceptual points:
The non-linear load is often ignored but is the main source of the generation of the
harmonic distortions in the fundamental sinusoidal AC current curve; the key
components of the high energy consumption.
The steam quality is determined by the consistency of the ignition point of the water that
is brought to the level of state change and the enthalpy rate achieved in the transfer
mechanism involved for the said state change. The detailed analysis of this mechanism
has often been ignored in the processing industry albeit this is certainly the key in
energy conservation measures.
The electrolyte movement is another friction builder and is a potential energy guzzler in
the dye transfer mechanism; hence this is an area and an intense subject for exploring
improvements in the energy conservation process.
3. Research mechanism adopted:
3.1. The primary area of research was to correlate the dye strength within a batch with
the varying changes in the steam pressure and the corresponding heat transferred into
the system as measured by the temperature gauge. The boiler pressure was regulated
at different levels to record the changes in the transferred temperatures to the beaker.
3.2. The dye strength was measured using the Kubenka-Munk equation K/S = (1-
R2)/2R wherein R is the fractional reflectance and the K = coefficient of color absorption
while S = coefficient of scattering of color.
3.3. Table 1: Comparative analysis of transferred heat V/S Dye strength

2. Color strength comparative analysis on transferred heat
Boiler
pressure
Transferred temperature
as measured by the gauge
Fabric run speed
K/S (color strength
measure)
12 188 75 7.7
12.5 192 77 8.1
11.8 183 83 7.6
12.7 192 82 8.3
13.3 195 79 8.8
12.9 191 76 8.2
11.5 182 75 7.2
10.9 177 77 6.8
10.7 176 79 6.7
11.1 181 75 6.9
3.4.Inferences:
The relationships between the boiler pressure and the color strength characteristics as
determined by the X-rite color spectrophotometer were strong and hence merited
investigation from both energy conservation principles and the dyeing characteristics as
well.
The furnace oil boiler used in this trial recorded significant variations in the consumption
levels during the study period and the observed phenomenon had the following
reasons:
a) Fluid friction is known to increase with chemical degradation thereby raising the
operating temperatures and hence need to be contained to prevent precipitation of the
flash point lowering that might cause further irreversible damage to the properties of the
oil.
b) The variations in fluid friction cause drops in the steam pressure to be registered;
something that has far reaching implications for the dyeing quality and productivity
determined by the fabric run speed.
3.5. Solutions:
a) Car engine oil raised to a temperature of 80 to 85 degrees Celsius was used to dose
the furnace oil tank to the extent of 2% by volume and the experiment was repeated.
Following is the extract of the results:

3. Table 2: Solutions for the transferred heat V/S dye strength syndrome:
INFUSION OF CAR ENGINE OIL
@ 2%
Color strength comparative analysis on transferred heat
Boiler
pressure
Transferred temperature
as measured by the gauge
Fabric run
speed
K/S (color
strength
measure)
13.5 197 85 9.1
14 200 83 8.8
13.8 199 85 9.2
13.9 198 87 9.2
14.1 201 86 8.8
13.7 197 85 8.9
13.3 199 85 8.9
13.2 198 85 8.8
13.6 199 85 8.7
13.1 193 85 8.9
3.6.Inferences:
1) Productivity increase is observed through enhanced line speeds.
2.) The transferred heat is significantly higher
3) The important parameter of color strength is significantly improved.
The fuel consumption registered a gain of 8.21% with higher pressure and better fluid
friction dynamics owing to the flow properties of the oil.
3.7. Drive dynamics: Potential energy conservation measures:
The next area of focus in our study on the energy management initiatives was in the
area of drives. We registered the following readings:

4. PHASE
Water pump Intelli-drive - fundamental energy data
AMPERES VOLTAGE THD% KW KVAR KVA
R 26.79 425.2 2.18%
6.89 7.79 17.06Y 11.94 426.2 12.21%
B 30.93 427.8 8.91%
PHASE
IMBALANCES
159% 1% 460%
Water pump - Intelli-drive - Power Quality Data
PF tan 
Phase
Angle
Peak i RMS
CF
(Crest
Factor)
0.4 1.11 92
40.1 26.79 1.50
40.0 11.94 3.35
39.9 30.93 1.29
160%
3.8. Inferences:
1. Phase imbalances are quite high. These have serious implications on the cable
properties and the motor wiring.
2. The PF is low causing problems in the drive through the pump in response to the
intelligent responses of the software to the pump flow characteristics.
3. The tanis implying that the impedance factors have set in causing a redundant
electromagnetic field; in effect, this reduces the flux strength considerably and is serious
deterrent for the energy conservation measures in the drives for the processing
industry.
3.9 Thermostat regulated drive quality

5. PHASE
Thermostat regulated AC drive for the dye pump -
fundamental energy data
AMPERES VOLTAGE THD% KW KVAR KVA
R 19.43 416 16.47%
3.68 2.42 11.64Y 13.67 417.1 14.90%
B 14.76 417 24.52%
PHASE
IMBALANCES
42% 0% 43%
3.10. Inferences:
1. The phase imbalances are significant implying issues for the dye pump.
2. The THD% or the total harmonic distortion percentage is quite high and hence
implies high thermal stresses and fundamental increase in the energy quantum.
3. The low kW load is indicating the pump characteristics are weak and would require
changes in the head configuration for improved performances.
Thermostat regulated AC drive for the dye pump - Power
Quality Data
PF tan 
Phase
Angle
Peak i RMS
CF
(Crest
Factor)
0.32 0.65 66
28.0 19.43 1.44
27.9 13.67 2.04
27.9 14.76 1.89
42%
3.11. Inferences:
1. High CF or crest factor implies huge thermal stresses in the line causing elevated
ambient heat and low dissipation.
2. The power factor is low causing issues in the pump flow characteristics for the dye.

6. 3.12. Energy audit findings:
Major findings of the energy audit carried out as part of the research project:
1. The energy density in terms of both the cost per unit as well as the fabric processed
in meters per m3 of water consumed is extremely inefficient.
2. The conservation of thermal and electrical energies as envisaged in the detailed
energy logger studies clarify the extent of improvements that can be brought about by
the rigors of implementation.
0.00
0.20
0.40
0.60
0.80
1.00
1.20
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SEP
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JULY
US$/UNIT consumed
US$/UNIT
y = 0.000x4 - 0.023x3 + 0.129x2 + 1.902x + 1.194
R² = 0.257
0.000
5.000
10.000
15.000
20.000
25.000
30.000
35.000
JAN
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
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FEB
MAR
APR
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JUNE
JULYWater density in meters / m3
Water density in meters /
m3
Poly. (Water density in
meters / m3)

7. 3. The harmonic distortion in the odd harmonics; especially the 1st
, 3rd
and 5th
harmonics constitute the bulk of the negative vector characteristics and hence influence
the cable and wiring characteristics significantly.
3.20. Recommendations for solutions in the electrical energy containment in the wet
processing industry
PROCESS HOUSE ENERGY SAVINGS RECOMMENDATIONS
OBSERVA
TIONS
ROOT
CAUS
E
ANAL
YSIS
RECOMMEN
DATIONS
ESTIMA
TED
INVEST
MENT
K
W
H
US
$
PAYB
ACK
PERI
OD IN
MONT
HS
ANN
UAL
ROI
IMPLEMEN
TATION
PLANS
THE
PROCESS
HOUSE
NEEDS TO
RE-WIRE
COMPLET
ELY
The
phase
angles
are
high
and PF
is low
indicati
ng wear
of the
wires
Usage of
85mm2 for both
input and output
is recommended
for the electrical
safety
55000
720
00
129
60
51 24%
December,
2016
PF
CAPACITO
R BANK
AND NEW
BUS BAR
COMPATI
BLE WITH
300 KVAR
The
new
capacit
or bank
shall
make
the
system
energy
efficien
t
PFC capacitor
banks ( Class
5860)
REFERENCE :
PAGE 5 OF
THE
SCHNEIDER
BROCHURE
ENCLOSED
HEREIN
250,000
720
00
129
60
231 5%
December,
2016
3.21. The major implications of the recommendations:
a) Cables and wires for the induction motors in the process lines need to be oversized
fundamentally to the tune of 35-50% to accommodate for non-linear load applications in
the form of intelligent drive systems that run on process-specific software.

8. b) The abrupt changes in the peak current profile in non-linear load profile is typical of
AC drives and hence need corrections at the Power factor bank level through an
extensive use of rectifiers that compensate for the high harmonic distortion percentage
and save on the cables to contain the high crest factor – the multiplier for the peak and
baseline currents.
c) The copper purity gets dented at high thermal stresses owing to local heat and lead
to micro-rupture along the wiring that eventually leads to high leakage of current.
The company – Blackstone Synergy Consulting Limited intends to reach out to a high
cross-section of wet processing units and is willing to tie-up with the OEMS for
processing lines to compensate for the inherent anomalies and potential energy
guzzling points and improve on the quality of wet processing significantly.
The dye affinity for the fabrics and the overall energy profile can improve by a
conservative estimate of 45-55% in terms of the energy density as explained in the
article with facts and figures.
Source for all the trials mentioned in the paper are three different mills wherein the trials
were conducted; two in India and one in Indonesia.