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Waste Heat Recovery for Specific Industries

Detailed overview of innovation with sample startups and prominent university research

What it is

Waste heat recovery for specific industries involves developing and implementing tailored solutions to capture and utilize waste heat from industrial processes in various sectors. This approach recognizes that different industries have unique waste heat characteristics and energy needs, requiring customized solutions to maximize energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Impact on climate action

Waste Heat Recovery for Specific Industries under Industrial Waste Heat Recovery harnesses wasted thermal energy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. By capturing and repurposing industrial heat, this innovation enhances energy efficiency, lowers fuel consumption, and mitigates environmental impact, advancing climate action through sustainable resource utilization and emissions reduction.

Underlying
Technology

Heat Exchangers: Heat exchangers are the primary technology used to recover waste heat from industrial processes. Different types of heat exchangers, such as shell and tube, plate, and finned tube exchangers, are selected based on the temperature, pressure, and flow rate of the waste heat stream.
ORC (Organic Rankine Cycle) Systems: ORC systems can be used to convert low-grade waste heat into electricity, providing a valuable source of renewable energy for industrial facilities.
High-Temperature Heat Pumps: High-temperature heat pumps can upgrade waste heat to a higher temperature level, making it suitable for reuse in the same or other processes.
Thermal Energy Storage: Thermal energy storage systems can store excess waste heat for later use, providing a more consistent and reliable heat supply.
Process Integration and Optimization: Industrial processes can be optimized to maximize waste heat recovery and utilization, reducing overall energy consumption and costs.

TRL : 6-8 (depending on the specific technology and industry)

Prominent Innovation themes

Industry-Specific Waste Heat Recovery Solutions: Startups and researchers are developing waste heat recovery solutions tailored to the specific needs of different industries, such as cement, steel, glass, chemicals, and food processing.
Advanced Materials for Heat Exchangers: Innovations in materials science are leading to the development of heat exchangers with improved performance, durability, and resistance to corrosion and fouling.
Hybrid Waste Heat Recovery Systems: Combining different waste heat recovery technologies, such as heat exchangers and ORC systems, can create more efficient and versatile solutions for specific industries.
Waste Heat Recovery for Low-Temperature Applications: New technologies are being developed to recover and utilize waste heat from low-temperature sources, expanding the range of applications for waste heat recovery.

Other Innovation Subthemes

Tailored Waste Heat Solutions
Advanced Heat Exchanger Materials
Hybrid Waste Heat Systems
Low-Temperature Heat Recovery
Industry-Specific Solutions
Modular ORC Systems
Enhanced Heat Exchanger Designs
Process Integration Strategies
Thermal Energy Storage Solutions
Efficiency Optimization Techniques
Customized Heat Recovery Technologies
Scalable ORC Technology
Innovative Heat Pump Solutions
Sustainable Industrial Processes
Corrosion-Resistant Heat Exchangers
Flexible Waste Heat Utilization
Novel Heat Recovery Materials

Related Innovations

Sample Global Startups and Companies

Echogen Power Systems:
- Technology Enhancement: Echogen Power Systems specializes in waste heat recovery solutions using their patented Heat Recovery System (HRS) technology. Their systems capture and convert waste heat from industrial processes into electricity or usable thermal energy. Echogen’s technology utilizes a closed-loop system with a working fluid to efficiently recover and convert waste heat into useful energy.
- Uniqueness of the Startup: Echogen Power Systems stands out for its innovative HRS technology, which offers high efficiency and flexibility in waste heat recovery across various industries. Their systems can be customized to specific industrial applications, providing reliable and cost-effective solutions for energy recovery and emissions reduction.
- End-User Segments Addressing: Echogen serves industries with high-temperature waste heat streams, such as steel manufacturing, cement production, and chemical processing. Their waste heat recovery systems help industrial facilities improve energy efficiency, reduce operating costs, and meet sustainability targets by harnessing waste heat for power generation or process heating.
Ormat Technologies:
- Technology Enhancement: Ormat Technologies is a leading provider of geothermal and recovered energy generation solutions. Their waste heat recovery systems utilize Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) technology to convert low- to medium-temperature waste heat into electricity. Ormat’s ORC units are modular and scalable, allowing for efficient integration with various industrial processes.
- Uniqueness of the Startup: Ormat Technologies stands out for its extensive experience in geothermal and recovered energy generation, offering reliable and proven solutions for waste heat recovery. Their ORC technology is highly adaptable and can be deployed across different industries, providing a sustainable and economically viable option for converting waste heat into clean electricity.
- End-User Segments Addressing: Ormat serves a wide range of industries, including oil and gas, manufacturing, and food processing, where waste heat recovery is feasible. Their systems help industrial customers optimize energy use, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and enhance overall sustainability by utilizing waste heat for onsite power generation.
Climeon:
- Technology Enhancement: Climeon specializes in low-temperature waste heat recovery solutions using their Heat Power system. Their technology utilizes a patented process called the Climeon Heat Power Cycle (CHPC) to convert low-grade waste heat into electricity with high efficiency. Climeon’s modular systems are compact, scalable, and easily integrated into industrial processes.
- Uniqueness of the Startup: Climeon stands out for its focus on low-temperature waste heat recovery and its innovative CHPC technology. Their systems enable cost-effective electricity generation from waste heat sources as low as 70°C, making them suitable for a wide range of industrial applications where conventional waste heat recovery technologies may not be viable.
- End-User Segments Addressing: Climeon serves industries with low-temperature waste heat streams, such as marine, manufacturing, and waste incineration. Their Heat Power systems help industrial customers increase energy efficiency, reduce fuel consumption, and lower carbon emissions by converting waste heat into clean electricity for onsite use or grid export.

Sample Research At Top-Tier Universities

National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL):
- Research Focus: NREL is a leader in research on Waste Heat Recovery for Specific Industries, focusing on developing tailored solutions for industrial sectors with significant waste heat generation, such as manufacturing, chemical processing, and oil refining.
- Uniqueness: Their research involves conducting detailed energy audits, process modeling, and thermodynamic analysis to identify waste heat sources, quantify their magnitude, and assess their suitability for recovery. They also explore advanced heat exchanger designs, thermoelectric materials, and organic Rankine cycle (ORC) systems to maximize heat recovery efficiency and economic viability.
- End-use Applications: The outcomes of their work have applications in improving energy efficiency, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and enhancing industrial competitiveness. By recovering waste heat for onsite power generation, heating, or cooling purposes, NREL’s research helps industrial facilities reduce energy costs, increase resource utilization, and meet sustainability goals.
Technical University of Munich (TUM):
- Research Focus: TUM conducts innovative research on Waste Heat Recovery for Specific Industries, leveraging its expertise in mechanical engineering, process optimization, and energy systems analysis to develop customized solutions for industrial heat recovery applications.
- Uniqueness: Their research encompasses the development of novel waste heat recovery technologies, such as absorption chillers, organic Rankine cycle (ORC) systems, and heat pumps, tailored to the energy requirements and operating conditions of different industrial processes. They also investigate integration with renewable energy sources, waste heat utilization cascades, and energy storage technologies to maximize system efficiency and flexibility.
- End-use Applications: The outcomes of their work find applications in various industrial sectors, including steelmaking, cement production, and food processing. By recovering and reusing waste heat, TUM’s research enables industrial plants to reduce energy consumption, lower carbon emissions, and enhance process sustainability while improving overall operational performance and resilience.
University of California, Berkeley:
- Research Focus: UC Berkeley is engaged in cutting-edge research on Waste Heat Recovery for Specific Industries, leveraging its interdisciplinary expertise in mechanical engineering, materials science, and environmental sustainability to develop innovative solutions for industrial energy efficiency improvement.
- Uniqueness: Their research involves exploring advanced heat exchanger designs, thermoelectric materials, and waste heat utilization strategies tailored to the unique characteristics and constraints of different industrial processes and sectors. They also investigate techno-economic analysis, life cycle assessment, and policy interventions to evaluate the economic viability and environmental impact of waste heat recovery initiatives.
- End-use Applications: The outcomes of their work have applications in heavy industry, manufacturing, and chemical processing. By recovering and repurposing waste heat streams, UC Berkeley’s research helps industrial facilities reduce energy costs, enhance competitiveness, and contribute to climate change mitigation efforts through reduced greenhouse gas emissions and resource conservation.

Commercial Implementation

Waste heat recovery technologies are being implemented in various industries around the world, particularly in energy-intensive industries such as cement, steel, glass, and chemical production. For example, Echogen Power Systems has deployed its waste heat recovery systems in cement plants and steel mills, generating electricity from waste heat and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

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