- Application
- /
- HEAT RECOVERY FROM INDUSTRIAL PROCESS
Waste heat recovery systems from industrial process
Coping with higher energy costs while implementing decarbonization processes has turned up the heat in the industrial sector. Industries accounts for almost 40% of total global energy use. Due to inefficiencies in their power conversion processes, around 20 to 50% of this energy becomes exhaust heat, which is unexploited and discharged into the atmosphere. This represents a valuable resource that can be channeled into clean waste heat recovery systems (also known as waste heat to power systems).
HARNESS ALL YOUR UNTAPPED WASTE HEAT POTENTIAL FOR CLEAN POWER GENERATION
Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) is a technology ideally suited for industrial waste heat to power application. As opposed to waste heat recovery systems based on the traditional steam Rankine cycle, ORC delivers better efficiency for lower and medium-high temperature applications (from 90°C to 400°C), as well as eliminates the requirement for water treatment and makeup.
How can Waste Heat Recovery systems drive the industrial sector?
INCREASED PROCESS EFFICIENCY
Waste heat recovery power plants help to achieve the highest industrial production efficiency.
REDUCED ENERGY COSTS
Waste heat recovery systems generate additional electricity for your plant, directly replacing purchased energy and thereby reducing energy costs
INCREASED BUSINESS COMPETITIVENESS
Cutting energy costs contributes to reducing operating costs, increasing business profitability and competitive market advantage
REDUCED ENERGY DEMAND
Waste heat recovery systems lower demand for conventional primary energy
REDUCED CARBON FOOTPRINT
Waste heat recovery power plants use waste heat to produce electricity instead of burning fossil fuels, thus lowering SOx, NOx and C02 emissions.
ACCESS TO ELECTRICITY WITH REDUCED ELECTRICAL GRID DEPENDENCY
Waste heat recovery power plants ensure easier and reliable on-site access to electricity, an undoubted advantage for remote or isolated sites with difficult grid access.
INCREASED PROCESS EFFICIENCY
Waste heat recovery power plants help to achieve the highest industrial production efficiency.
REDUCED ENERGY COSTS
Waste heat recovery systems generate additional electricity for your plant, directly replacing purchased energy and thereby reducing energy costs
INCREASED BUSINESS COMPETITIVENESS
Cutting energy costs contributes to reducing operating costs, increasing business profitability and competitive market advantage
REDUCED ENERGY DEMAND
Waste heat recovery systems lower demand for conventional primary energy
REDUCED CARBON FOOTPRINT
Waste heat recovery power plants use waste heat to produce electricity instead of burning fossil fuels, thus lowering SOx, NOx and C02 emissions.
ACCESS TO ELECTRICITY WITH REDUCED ELECTRICAL GRID DEPENDENCY
Waste heat recovery power plants ensure easier and reliable on-site access to electricity, an undoubted advantage for remote or isolated sites with difficult grid access.
Exergy’s use of the innovative and pioneering Radial Outflow Turbine (ROT) in the development of waste heat to power solutions brings the advantages of ORC systems to a higher level, including:
higher ORC efficiency (up to 30%)
optimal match with the heat release curve
better operation at partial loads
This ensures higher system efficiency and lower specific costs in addition to the following traditional ORC characteristics and advantages:
SIMPLE PLANT DESIGN
Competitive capital cost leading to fast payback
COMPACT AND AUTOMATED SOLUTION
No need for operators
Lower operating costs
Smaller footprint
SEPARATE SYSTEM FROM THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS
Simple integration both in existing industrial process and greenfield plants
No impact on site operations
FLEXIBILITY OF PLACEMENT AWAY FROM THE HEAT SOURCE IF REQUIRED
No limitations or constraints on placement, better fit with available area and production process requirements
FAST START UP AND SHUT DOWN
Higher number of productive hours
Easy maintenance
NO WATER TREATMENT PLANT OR MAKEUP WATER REQUIRED
No need for water consumption
Higher sustainability
Suitable for remote locations
HIGH EFFICIENCY AT A VARIETY OF OPERATING TEMPERATURES AND LOADS
Possibility to exploit the maximum possible energy from the process, thus reducing energy costs
SIMPLE PLANT DESIGN
Competitive capital cost leading to fast payback
COMPACT AND AUTOMATED SOLUTION
No need for operators
Lower operating costs
Smaller footprint
SEPARATE SYSTEM FROM THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS
Simple integration both in existing industrial process and greenfield plants
No impact on site operations
FLEXIBILITY OF PLACEMENT AWAY FROM THE HEAT SOURCE IF REQUIRED
No limitations or constraints on placement, better fit with available area and production process requirements
FAST START UP AND SHUT DOWN
Higher number of productive hours
Easy maintenance
NO WATER TREATMENT PLANT OR MAKEUP WATER REQUIRED
No need for water consumption
Higher sustainability
Suitable for remote locations
HIGH EFFICIENCY AT A VARIETY OF OPERATING TEMPERATURES AND LOADS
Possibility to exploit the maximum possible energy from the process, thus reducing energy costs
EXERGY can deliver a product with payback ranging from 3 to 5 years for all energy intensive industries.
EXERGY’s ORC single units offer a power range between 1 MW to 20 MWe.
APPLICATIONS:
CEMENT PLANTS
STEEL MILLS
GLASS FACTORIES
OTHER INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS (CHEMICAL, PAPER MILLS, WASTE INCINERATORS…)
Want to know how we can help your business become more efficient and sustainable?
PORTFOLIO
30 MWe
PLANTS
12
AVERAGE PLANT SIZE
2,5 MWe
TOE/Y SAVED
45000
TONNES CO2 EMISSION/Y SAVED
662174
Our Waste Heat Recovery project development support includes:
TECHNICAL AND ECONOMIC ANALYSIS ON THE FEASIBILITY OF AN ORC SYSTEM APPLICATION BASED ON WASTE HEAT SOURCE DATA CHARACTERISTICS
ENGINEERING THE BEST TAILORED ORC CYCLE BASED ON CUSTOMER INPUT DATA
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
ORC EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURING AND ASSEMBLY
DELIVERY AND SUPERVISION DURING CONSTRUCTION
AFTER SALES SERVICE
Upon request, we can provide a turnkey solution for the whole WHR system (Intermediate circuit +ORC module).
A waste heat recovery cycle explained
A waste heat recovery system extracts thermal power from the exhaust gas of the industrial plant to feed the ORC module via the intermediate fluid. This fluid, usually oil, pressurized water or steam, transfers heat to the organic fluid in the ORC evaporator, where it vaporizes. The vaporized fluid then passes to the turbine.
 Here, the vapor expands, causing the turbine to spin and creating electricity in the generator. The vaporized organic fluid then continues through the cycle to the condenser where once again it becomes a liquid. It then passes through the pump before beginning the cycle again.
ORC waste heat recovery vs. traditional steam Rankine cycle technology: how to choose?
Regardless of the heat source temperature, ORC is generally the best solution for small power output. The simplicity and compactness of the system, higher efficiency of the turbine, optimal match with the heat release curve and better operation at partial loads ensure higher system efficiency and lower specific cost compared to conventional Rankine cycles.
In certain cases, they become the only practical solution.
Conversely, at considerably high temperatures and large power output, traditional Rankine cycles using steam turbines prove to be the ideal all-around solution: in these conditions, the limited increase in performance for heat sources available over 350-400°C for an ORC implies lower conversion efficiency.