Hot, corrosive process streams
Many industrial processes — petrochemical, chemical, and general manufacturing — exhaust hot gas that is often acidic, salty, or particle-laden. That heat is too valuable to waste; recovering it for combustion air, make-up air, or another process stream lowers fuel consumption and emissions.
Suitable exchanger types and how they work
High-temperature stainless or alloy plate exchangers recover sensible heat from the process exhaust to preheat incoming air. Where streams are separated by distance, a run-around coil links them with a pumped loop and guarantees isolation. A heat pipe core suits vertical, no-moving-part duties.
Design considerations for process duty
Corrosion is the dominant risk: choose alloys rated for the actual gas composition and dew point, provide condensate management, and allow for thermal expansion. Plan cleaning access for fouling, verify pressure drop against existing fans, and ensure no cross-leakage contaminates a clean process stream.
Typical Application Environments
Heat recovery is valuable wherever a building or process expels warm, stale air while drawing in cold or hot fresh air. Common sites include factory make-up air systems, commercial kitchens, paint booths, drying rooms, laboratories, and cleanrooms. In each case the exhausted air still holds usable thermal energy, and capturing it reduces the heating or cooling demand placed on the primary plant.
Matching the Unit to the Duty
The right selection starts with the air volume, the temperature difference between streams, and the cleanliness of the exhaust. Clean, steady flows suit plate exchangers; humid or dusty exhaust may need a rotary wheel with purge or a unit arranged for easy wash-down. Pressure drop must stay within the fan curve, and the core material must resist any contaminants present in the airstream.
Integration Tips
For the Heat Exchanger for Industrial Process Exhaust duty, position the exchanger so the exhaust is filtered before it reaches the core, and provide condensate drainage where the supply side may drop below the dew point. Balanced supply and exhaust fans keep the building neutral in pressure, which protects indoor air quality and process control. A bypass damper lets the system free-cool in mild weather.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can it handle greasy kitchen air? Yes, with a rotary wheel and a wash cycle, though the exhaust should first pass a grease filter. Will it cause condensation? Some condensate is normal in winter; provide a drain or a defrost strategy on the supply side.
