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Waste Heat Boilers

Detailed overview of innovation with sample startups and prominent university research

What it is

Waste heat boilers are systems that recover waste heat from industrial processes and use it to generate steam. This steam can then be used for various applications, such as process heating, electricity generation, or space heating, improving energy efficiency and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.

Impact on climate action

Waste Heat Boilers in Industrial Waste Heat Recovery mitigate climate change by harnessing unused thermal energy from industrial processes. By converting waste heat into usable steam or electricity, this innovation reduces reliance on fossil fuels, minimizes greenhouse gas emissions, and enhances energy efficiency, contributing to a sustainable future.

Underlying
Technology

Heat Recovery: Waste heat from industrial processes, such as exhaust gases or hot liquids, is captured and transferred to a boiler.
Boiler Technology: The waste heat boiler uses the recovered heat to generate steam. Different types of boilers can be used, including fire-tube boilers, water-tube boilers, and fluidized bed boilers.
Heat Exchangers: Heat exchangers transfer heat from the waste heat source to the boiler feedwater, maximizing heat recovery efficiency.
System Integration and Control: Waste heat boiler systems require sophisticated control systems to manage energy flows and ensure safe and efficient operation.

TRL : 7-8

Prominent Innovation themes

High-Efficiency Waste Heat Boilers: Innovations in boiler design and materials are improving the efficiency of waste heat boilers, maximizing steam generation from the available waste heat.
Advanced Heat Exchanger Designs: New heat exchanger designs, such as plate heat exchangers and heat pipes, are improving heat transfer efficiency and reducing the size and cost of waste heat boiler systems.
Integrated Waste Heat Recovery Systems: Companies are developing integrated waste heat recovery systems that combine waste heat boilers with other technologies, such as ORC (Organic Rankine Cycle) systems or high-temperature heat pumps, to further improve energy efficiency and generate electricity.
Waste Heat Recovery for Specific Industries: Startups and researchers are developing waste heat recovery solutions tailored to the specific needs of different industries, such as cement, steel, and glass production.

Other Innovation Subthemes

Advanced Boiler Materials and Design
Miniaturized Heat Exchanger Technology
Smart Control Systems for Waste Heat Boilers
Integration of Waste Heat Recovery with ORC Systems
Next-Gen Fluidized Bed Boiler Technology
ORC Systems for Low-Grade Waste Heat Recovery
Novel Heat Transfer Enhancements in Waste Heat Boilers
Advanced Monitoring and Diagnostics for Waste Heat Systems
Heat Pipe Technology Advancements for Heat Recovery

Related Innovations

Sample Global Startups and Companies

Echogen Power Systems:
- Technology Enhancement: Echogen Power Systems focuses on waste heat recovery systems, particularly using their proprietary heat engine technology called the Echogen Cycle. This system captures waste heat from various industrial processes and converts it into electricity or mechanical power. Echogen’s waste heat boilers operate at high efficiency, utilizing low-grade waste heat to generate useful energy.
- Uniqueness of the Startup: Echogen Power Systems stands out for its innovative approach to waste heat recovery, offering a scalable and cost-effective solution for industries to improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Their technology allows for the conversion of waste heat into valuable electricity or mechanical power, providing economic and environmental benefits to their customers.
- End-User Segments Addressing: Echogen Power Systems serves industries with high-temperature waste heat streams, such as steel manufacturing, chemical processing, and power generation. Their waste heat recovery systems are deployed in industrial facilities worldwide, helping companies recover energy from waste heat and enhance overall process efficiency.
Ormat Technologies:
- Technology Enhancement: Ormat Technologies specializes in geothermal and recovered energy-based power solutions, including waste heat recovery systems. Their waste heat boilers utilize organic Rankine cycle (ORC) technology to convert low-to-medium temperature waste heat into electricity. Ormat’s systems are designed for various industrial applications, providing reliable and efficient waste heat utilization solutions.
- Uniqueness of the Startup: Ormat Technologies is known for its expertise in renewable energy and innovative power generation technologies. Their waste heat recovery systems offer a sustainable solution for industries to harness waste heat resources and reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Ormat’s extensive experience in geothermal and recovered energy projects positions them as a leader in the waste heat utilization market.
- End-User Segments Addressing: Ormat Technologies serves industries with waste heat sources, including oil and gas production, manufacturing, and chemical processing. Their waste heat recovery systems are deployed globally, providing clean and reliable electricity generation solutions to industrial customers seeking to improve energy efficiency and sustainability.
Exergy International:
- Technology Enhancement: Exergy International specializes in advanced waste heat recovery solutions for industrial processes. Their waste heat boilers utilize state-of-the-art heat exchanger technology to capture and utilize waste heat from various sources. Exergy’s systems are designed to maximize energy recovery and efficiency, offering customized solutions for specific industrial applications.
- Uniqueness of the Startup: Exergy International stands out for its expertise in heat exchanger design and waste heat recovery engineering. Their innovative approach to waste heat utilization enables industries to optimize energy efficiency and reduce operating costs. Exergy’s focus on customized solutions allows them to address the unique needs of different industrial sectors.
- End-User Segments Addressing: Exergy International serves a wide range of industries with waste heat recovery needs, including power generation, chemical processing, and oil and gas. Their waste heat recovery systems are deployed in industrial facilities worldwide, helping companies improve energy efficiency, reduce carbon footprint, and enhance operational sustainability.

Sample Research At Top-Tier Universities

National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL):
- Research Focus: NREL is a pioneer in research on Waste Heat Boilers for Industrial Waste Heat Recovery, focusing on developing high-efficiency and cost-effective boiler systems for capturing and utilizing waste heat from industrial processes.
- Uniqueness: Their research involves the design, optimization, and testing of waste heat boilers tailored to the specific characteristics and operating conditions of various industrial sectors, such as manufacturing, chemical processing, and refining. They explore advanced materials, heat transfer enhancement techniques, and system integration strategies to maximize energy recovery and minimize environmental impact.
- End-use Applications: The outcomes of their work have applications in cogeneration, district heating, and industrial steam generation. By harnessing waste heat for power generation or process heating, NREL’s research contributes to improving energy efficiency, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and enhancing the competitiveness of industrial facilities.
Technical University of Munich (TUM):
- Research Focus: TUM conducts innovative research on Waste Heat Boilers for Industrial Waste Heat Recovery, leveraging its expertise in thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, and process engineering to develop advanced boiler technologies for recovering waste heat from industrial sources.
- Uniqueness: Their research encompasses theoretical modeling, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, and experimental validation of waste heat boiler designs under various operating conditions and load profiles. They investigate novel heat exchanger configurations, working fluids, and control strategies to optimize energy recovery and system performance.
- End-use Applications: The outcomes of their work find applications in steel mills, power plants, and chemical manufacturing facilities. By recovering waste heat for steam generation, hot water production, or electricity generation, TUM’s research helps industrial operators reduce energy costs, enhance resource efficiency, and meet sustainability targets.
University of California, Berkeley:
- Research Focus: UC Berkeley is engaged in cutting-edge research on Waste Heat Boilers for Industrial Waste Heat Recovery, leveraging its expertise in thermal engineering, materials science, and process optimization to develop innovative solutions for waste heat utilization in industrial processes.
- Uniqueness: Their research involves the development of compact, modular, and scalable waste heat boiler systems tailored to the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and distributed manufacturing facilities. They explore advanced heat exchanger materials, corrosion-resistant coatings, and heat recovery enhancement techniques to improve system reliability, durability, and performance.
- End-use Applications: The outcomes of their work have applications in food processing, textile manufacturing, and automotive production. By enabling SMEs to capture and utilize waste heat for space heating, water heating, or electricity generation, UC Berkeley’s research supports the transition to a circular economy, where waste heat becomes a valuable resource for enhancing industrial competitiveness and environmental sustainability.

Commercial Implementation

Waste heat boilers are widely used in various industries, including cement, steel, glass, and chemical production, as well as in power plants and other facilities with significant waste heat sources.

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