Confirmation of Candidature - Industrial Waste Heat Recovery and Utilization

Coal and natural gas are the primary sources of electrical power production however, a significant portion of the energy they generate is lost as waste heat, which is released into the environment through the exhaust flue (chimney) and the cooling systems necessary for the working fluid. Solar updraft tunnels (SUTs) can be adapted to generate power from the waste heat by directing the exhaust and waste heat gasses into the SUT. As the waste heat gas mixture rises through the chimney of the SUT, it passes through the wind turbine, which generates electrical energy from the movement of the waste heat gasses. The efficiency of the SUT to generate electricity is limited though as the waste gasses rise at a natural but steady rate, which is governed by the forces of buoyancy. It may be possible to increase the amount of energy recovered if the waste heat were used to turn water into high-pressure steam. The high-pressure steam can then be used to generate a high-velocity flow of hot air through the SUT - much faster than what will occur naturally due to buoyancy. Higher amounts of energy could be generated from the higher velocities which would enhance the ability of the SUT to recover energy from waste heat.

For more information, please email the Graduate Research School or phone 0746 311088.