Open-cycle vapor-compression heat pump. Annual report, April 1983-April 1984

Technical Report · Tue May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1984

OSTI ID:6114073

Becker, F E; Ruggles, A E

Large quantities of low-grade energy in the form of low-pressure steam and low-temperature heat are wasted by industry. The practical and economical recovery of energy from these sources is often limited by the number of applications for the use of low-temperature heat. Thermo Electron has developed an open-cycle steam-heat-pump system capable of the direct recovery and upgrading of low-grade waste steam. The system compresses low-pressure waste steam (or steam made from sources of low-temperature waste heat) to produce high-pressure steam suitable for use in industrial processes. A prototype system has been developed that is capable of recovering and recompressing up to 10,000 lb/hr of waste steam, while using only 50 percent of the fuel that would be required to produce comparable steam in a boiler. The prototype steam recompression system, using a 2200-cfm rotary screw compressor driven by a 500-hp natural-gas engine, was tested at Thermo Electron and then installed at the Monsanto Company in western Massachusetts for a yearlong field test.

• Research Organization: Thermo Electron Corp., Waltham, MA (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6114073
• Report Number(s): PB-85-101475/XAD; TE-4224-106-84
• Resource Relation: Other Information: See also PB83-228429
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
HEAT PUMPS
ENERGY CONSERVATION
HEAT RECOVERY
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
COMPRESSORS
FIELD TESTS
NATURAL GAS
STEAM
ENERGY RECOVERY
ENERGY SOURCES
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUEL GAS
FUELS
GAS FUELS
GASES
RECOVERY
TESTING
320304* - Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization- Industrial & Agricultural Processes- Waste Heat Recovery & Utilization
320104 - Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization- Commercial & Industrial Buildings- (-1987)