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Recovering Lost Heat

There are a number of different units used for waste heat recovery, all with their separate advantages and disadvantages. Some examples of waste heat recovery units include heat pumps, thermal wheel, regenerators, recuperators, heat pipe exchangers and run around coil exchangers. Whereas regenerators reuse the same stream after processing, recuperators use a series of metal tubes to

In many different types of industrial processes generate heat through the combustion process. It is the recuperator’s job to reclaim lost heat in order to recycle it. There are three major configurations of recuperators used to recover waste heat, all with vary degrees of efficiency. The vertical flat panel configuration is 50 to 70 percent efficient while the horizontal flat panel is 70 to 80 percent efficient. The cellular configuration triumphs over the other two in regards to efficiency bringing it to 85 to 99 percent efficient.

A typical recuperator is comprised of a series of parallel plates of synthetic fibre, stainless steel, plastic or aluminum, although recuperator can also refer to liquid-liquid counter-flow heat exchangers. These heat exchangers are mainly used in the chemical and refinery industries for waste heat recovery. Using recuperators will increase the overall efficiency of industries. Heat from sources such as exhaust air heat is normally expelled into the atmosphere. Recuperators such as HVAC recuperators are commonly used to re-use this heat. They can also create a change in moisture content of the exhaust air stream.