Industrial Waste Heat Recovery Using Heat Pipes

Abstract

For almost a decade now, heat pipes with secondary finned surfaces have been utilized in counter flow heat exchangers to recover sensible energy from industrial exhaust gases. Over 3,000 such heat exchangers are now in service, recovering an estimated energy equivalent of nearly 1.1 million barrels of oil annually. Energy recovered by these units has been used to either preheat process supply air or to heat plant comfort make-up air. Heat pipe heat exchangers have been applied to an ever-expanding variety of industrial processes. One notable application in recent years has been for combustion airs preheat of fired heaters in petroleum refineries and petrochemical plants. Another recent development has been a waste heat recovery boiler using heat pipes. This device has a number of advantageous features. Field operational experience of several units in service has been excellent.