Heat can be recovered from various sources. For instance, heat can be recovered from gas turbines, cement kilns, or diesel generators to heat either glycol water mixture, special fluids, or even can be used to produce steam. Recovered heat can be used for a variety of applications, including on-site power generation.
The heat can be recovered and used within the same process or transferred to another process in order to supplement or replace the use of fossil fuels. Typically, boiler flue gas exhaust has enough energy that can be recovered economically using a custom designed economizer.
In addition to reducing fuel usage and emissions, by pre-heating the feed water, such a system allows the boiler to more rapidly respond to load changes, resulting in claims of major increases in efficiency of systems. And the best part is there is literally no downside to waste heat recovery.
You can expect a major decrease in energy cost from a system that will pay for itself in just months, and not years. For example, a 65,000 lb per hour boiler with 7,200 hours of annual operation will save $31,000 per year using enhanced heat recovery with a condensing economizer. (Figures based on a natural gas cost estimated at $4.50/Mscf.
The industry has seen an increase interest in waste recovery systems due to increase fuel costs and increased requirements for sulfur reductions. What if you could save money by lowering your facilities energy costs? Reduce CO2 Emissions and become a greener company? And conserve water, saving you even more money?
If your company owns a natural gas or LP boiler, you can do all of this and it's easier than you may think. Condensing economizers increase efficiency of natural gas-fired boilers up to 90-95%! And you save money daily on the systems. Waste heat recovery systems save energy for the following markets: gas & diesel cogeneration systems, boiler exhaust stack systems, and fume incineration systems.
These products integrate seamlessly into any boiler exhaust, cogeneration exhaust, or incineration exhaust system.
- Gas & Diesel Cogeneration Systems - Exhaust heat recovery for gas and diesel engines, gas turbines, and micro turbine generator retrofit applications from 30Kw - 7Mw.
- Boiler Economizer Systems - An extensive line of boiler exhaust economizing units designed to recover exhaust waste heat (Btu) typically lost through the stack to preheat boiler feed water, makeup water, process water, etc. for boilers ranging from 200,000 Btu input - 150,000 PPH steam.
- Fume Incineration Systems - Packaged fully automatic exhaust steam generators recovering large volumes of exhaust waste heat from 600ºF - 1600ºF, producing primary and/or secondary steam.
It is also a fact that waste recovery systems have a fast payback, and safely and economically recover waste heat. These systems have virtually no-risk return on investment. By installing a fuel saving economizer on a combustion source, the Btu recovered pays for all the equipment installed usually in 12 to 18 months (or an equivalent return on investment of 75-100% annually). This means recapturing approximately 50% of the wasted dollars for every fuel dollar spent. The exact payback period for your installation will depend on local fuel costs and the number of hours of usage.
We are always looking for ways to help our clients reduce energy consumption and promote alternative energy resources like waste heat recovery. Our team continues to further our sustainability initiative and set industry standards.
