A New Approach to Waste Heat and Pressure Energy Systems

The industrial sector consumes about 1/3 of the total energy in the world and is responsible for 1/3 of the fossil fuel related green house gas emissions. According to current estimates somewhere between 20 to 50% of the total energy input is lost in the form of waste heat and pressure energy of exhaust gases, losses from hot equipment surfaces etc. Continuous efforts of the industrial sector to improve its energy efficiency and to recover waste heat losses provide a lucrative opportunity for developing an emission free and less costly energy resource. Numerous techniques have been studied and employed for utilization of waste heat and pressure energy in industries. Effectiveness of a method in energy recovery depends upon the enthalpy and pressure of waste source and the economics of method. This paper aims to study various sources of waste heat and pressure energy and analyze the effectiveness of a counter flow vortex tube applied to recover waste energy. This relatively new technique is explored to enhance economic feasibility and increase recovery efficiency of waste heat and pressure energy in current industrial practices. This study attempts to improve waste heat recovery technologies. Various applications of vortex tube are listed according to the source of available energy like refrigeration, spot cooling, space cooling, gas enrichment etc. A bottom-up approach is used to analyze quantity and quality of waste energy, recovery methods and hurdles in path of improving their efficiency. The results from this analysis help to understand the state of waste heat and pressure energy and recommend redesign of energy recovery mechanisms.