Waste Heat Recovery in a Chemical Processing Plant

Waste Heat Recovery in a Chemical Processing Plant

Problem

A chemical processing plant was experiencing high energy costs due to significant waste heat loss in its exhaust gases.

Solution

The plant installed a finned tube heat exchanger to recover heat from the hot exhaust gases emitted during chemical reactions and use it to preheat incoming process air.

Implementation

Heat Exchanger Design: Copper tubes with aluminum fins were used for their excellent thermal conductivity and corrosion resistance. The finned tube heat exchanger was designed to handle high temperatures and corrosive gases.

Configuration: The heat exchanger was set up in a counterflow arrangement to maximize heat transfer efficiency. Exhaust gases flowed over the finned tubes while the incoming process air passed through the tubes.

Results

Efficiency Improvement: The plant achieved a 15% increase in energy efficiency.

Cost Savings: The energy recovery led to annual savings of approximately $200,000 in fuel costs.

Environmental Impact: The plant reduced its CO2 emissions by 500 tons per year.