Contaminated Vapor Rotary Screw Heat Pump. Final Report August 1983-June 1986

摘要

In many industrial processes, large quantities of waste energy are often liberated in the form of low-pressure waste steam and low-grade waste heat, such as sensible heat of liquids or gases and latent heat of condensible gases. Economic recovery is often difficult due to such factors as low-temperature levels and contamination of the steam. In industrial processes that utilize steam directly, or as a mode of energy transport, waste low-grade energy can be efficiently recovered and upgraded in the form of high-pressure steam by means of a contaminated steam heat pump system. A prototype gas-fired steam heat pump has been developed for use with contaminated steam. The system uses a rotary screw positive displacement compressor driven by a natural gas engine. Capable of compressing 2000 cfm of contaminated steam from atmospheric pressure up to 60 psig, the system has been successfully tested in an animal rendering plant application. The system has operated for more than a year, with fuel savings of 58 percent compared to using steam produced in a standard 80 percent efficient boiler.