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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Field testing of a ceramic heat exchanger for heat recovery application

Conference ·
OSTI ID:5653205

AiResearch Company, Torrance, California, developed a 5 MMBtu/hr ceramic-metallic hybrid High Temperature Burner-Duct-Recuperator (HTBDR) system to recover energy from hot (up to 2500{degrees}F), dirty, and corrosive glue gas streams and preheat combustion air up to 2000{degrees}F. To reduce the cost and size of the ceramic recuperator, ceramic tubes with internal cruciform baffles were developed. The HTBDR system was tested on a 20 MMBtu/hr rotary forging furnace for about 2000 hours. To facilitate tube replacements, final design configuration uses horizontally mounted tubes. A maximum air preheat temperature of about 1916{degrees}F was achieved with a flue gas temperature of 2122{degrees}F. This represents fuel savings of about 30 to 50 percent (depending upon the amount of excess air) compared with an unrecuperated furnace. The overall design and operation of the recuperator proved to be successful up to the time of material failure. X-ray diffraction of some failed components indicated that there was some residual Silicon in the interior regions and complete nitriding did not occur during the fabrication process. Degradation of failed components was probably caused by oxidation of residual Silicon and by the stresses caused due to different coefficient of thermal expansion of various compounds during thermal cycling. A combination of severe and numerous thermal cycling coupled with incomplete nitriding was the most likely cause of material failure. 22 refs., 12 figs., 4 tabs.

Research Organization:
EG and G Idaho, Inc., Idaho Falls, ID (USA)
Sponsoring Organization:
DOE/CE
DOE Contract Number:
AC07-76ID01570; FC07-81ID12170
OSTI ID:
5653205
Report Number(s):
EGG-M-36387; CONF-880724--29; ON: DE90002082
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English