Batch Coffee Roasting; Roasting Energy Use; Reducing That Use

Abstract

The operation of batch, gas-fired coffee roasters equipped with afterburners that destroy roasting-generated volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and carbon monoxide is described. Overall heat and material balances are used to analyze and calculate energy use in such roasters and energy use reductions achievable by (a) transferring part of the heat now discharged in stack gas to gas streams in or entering the roaster or to coffee entering the roaster or (b) bypassing afterburners when VOC production is low.