Metodología para la evaluación energética de la estación de evaporación de ingenios azucareros.

The evaporation station is at the center of the energy balance of sugar mills. The objective was to propose a methodology for the energy evaluation of the evaporation station that complements the methods for energy management in sugar mills; in correspondence with the energy management system (EnMS) based on the ISO 50001 standard and its complementary standards. The methodology was structured according to the PDCA cycle of Continuous Improvement (Plan-Do-Check-Act), a recurrent process to improve energy performance. The methodology takes into account the contributions and overcomes limitations of existing methodologies. It incorporates methods and criteria for developing an energy review; considers the impact of evaporation station design, construction and operation on energy efficiency; and emphasises the synergy between the methods of energy analysis, exergy analysis, process integration (Pinch Analysis). It constitutes a methodological contribution that strengthens the energy review of the evaporation station, allowing the exhaustive analysis of the problem and the relevance of improvements to increase energy efficiency; and complements existing methods for energy management in sugar mills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]