Many processes, especially in industrial applications, produce large amounts of excess heat – i.e., heat beyond what can be efficiently used in the process. Waste Heat Recovery with finned tubes methods attempt to extract some of the energy as work that otherwise would be wasted.
Typical methods of recovering heat in industrial applications include direct heat recovery to the process itself, recuperators, regenerators, and waste heat boilers. In many applications – especially those with low-temperature waste heat streams, such as automotive applications – the economic benefits of waste heat recovery do not justify the cost of the recovery systems. Innovative, affordable methods that are highly efficient, applicable to low-temperature streams, and/or suitable for use with corrosive or “dirty” wastes could expand the number of viable applications of waste heat recovery, as well as improve the performance of existing applications. Our focus is on the development of innovative Waste Heat Recovery processes and techniques that are (1) more efficient than conventional methods, yet still cost-effective; and (2) applicable to waste streams from which heat cannot be recovered easily with conventional methods.
Turning to cooling, air conditioning systems consume approximately 10% of the energy used in U.S. buildings and are key contributors to peak demand. Consequently, improving the energy efficiency of air conditioning systems would substantially reduce overall energy consumption and enhance grid reliability. For example, compressors require cooling to dissipate the heat produced during compression and could benefit from improved surface heat transfer – innovative designs could increase the available heat-transfer area or materials enhancement could increase the heat flux between the hot and cool sides of a heat exchanger. Similarly, a reduction in the requirement for condenser cooling could provide significant energy savings if more-efficient, cost-effective technologies were developed.
This is where we believe waste heat recovery integrated with our Solar Trigeneration energy systems represents a unique opportunity for commercial and industrial clients. Industrial Waste Heat Recovery - Waste Heat Recovery from exit gases can significantly increase the energy efficiency of industrial processes. Energy can be recovered from flue and stack gases, vent gases, and combustion gases at a variety of temperatures at large-scale industrial plants (chemical plants, petroleum refineries, biorefineries, pulp and paper mills, etc.).