Design of a radiative heat recuperator for steel processes

Abstract

In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in the recovery of the waste heat of steel and glass processes. This work proposes a numerical study of a waste heat exchanger system for steel production processes. The radiative energy is transferred to a commercial oil, which can be used to produce electricity. The behavior of the recuperator is analysed using a 3D numerical model, considering the constrains of a real production plant. The influence of the radiation properties of the materials on the temperature and heat transfer rate are also examined. The results show that the absorptivity of the tubes influences significantly the absorbed waste heat. Furthermore, heterogeneous mass flow distribution should be applied to optimize the total heat transfer rate.