Incremental Countercurrent (ICC) Regenerative Heat Exchangers
Ben Zou
Founder and CEO
Cypress Systems LLC
ABSTRACT
The waste heat of combustion processes is a significant source of energy. Recovering waste heat from combustion processes could reduce fuel consumption and reduce CO2 emission. Air preheaters (APH) are the most extensively used equipment for waste heat recovery. Improving air preheater efficiencies is an important route for enhanced waste heat recovery and decarbonization.
Two highly efficient regenerative heat exchanger designs using incremental counter-current (ICC) solid-fluid contact technology will be presented. This technology could reduce solid heat storge medium weight and leakage rate by an order of magnitude and could increase air preheater efficiency by more than 10%.
It is expected that this novel technology can reduce capital and operating costs of waste heat recovery, increase heat recovery efficiency, and reduce CO2 emission. Incremental counter-current solid-fluid contact technology is a fundamental process technology that could be used in many processes in addition to regenerative heat transfer and benefit various industries.