Survey of Potential Energy Savings Using High Effectiveness Recuperators for Waste Heat Recovery from Industrial Flue Gases. Final Report

摘要

This project was undertaken to determine how much energy could be saved in the US by using high efficiency recoperators to recover heat from industrial flue gases. A mail questionnaire was sent to 1350 manufacturing firms in California and the Eastern US to obtain data on fuel consumption in plants representing 50 different Standard Industrial Classifications (SIC). Plant surveys of 16 of the most fuel-consuming firms were made, so that the potential fuel-saving with recuperators could be estimated for the operating conditions and equipment used in each plant. These data were extrapolated to predict potential savings for US industry. The results indicate that an estimated 0.35 quads of energy can be recovered from industrial process thermal effluents using heat recuperators which are 85% effective. This represents 0.50% of the annual energy consumption in the US, or 4.2% of the total natural gas and fuel oil consumed by all SIC's as reported in 1974, or enough fuel to heat 5 million typical US homes. It is concluded that: the most significant fuel conservation potential of recuperators exists in the metals, glass, and cement industries where the flue gas temperature is between 1000 to 1200 exp 0 F or above 1800 exp 0 F; technical problems involved in waste heat recuperation must be solved and are related to the physical and chemical properties of the flue gas, high temperature materials needed for recuperators, and modifications to industrial equipment so that the recovered heat can be used; and, as fuel costs increase, the installation of high efficiency recuperators hassignificant economic advantages. Further federal-industry efforts to develop high performance recuperators are recommended. (ERA citation 04:030686)