What is the best low-temperature waste heat to power technology?

By far, the most established low-temperature waste heat to power technology is the ORC,1likely because the ORC offers the widest range of electricity outputs and lowest established cost (Figure 5-3).

Is low-grade thermal energy a waste?

Commentary on collected papers and future research outlook included. Approximately half of the global primary energy consumption is wasted in the form of low-grade (i.e., low-temperature) thermal energy, which has been traditionally overlooked and rejected to the environment, leading to low overall energy utiliization efficiencies.

What is low-temperature waste heat?

All fired heating systems, including boilers and HRSGs, result in low-temperature waste heat since even the most advanced heat recovery system (economizers, convection heaters, regenerative burners, regenerators, and recuperators) discharge hot gases at minimum of 350°F or higher.

What is low-grade thermal energy utilization?

Low-grade heat sources possess the potential to play a pivotal role in sustainable energy systems, revolutionizing our approach to energy generation and utilization. The field of low-grade thermal energy utilization has emerged as a promising frontier in energy research and technology development .

What is the recoverable low-temperature waste heat?

Total recoverable low-temperature waste heat, defined as 450°F and lower, accounted for approximately 908 TBtu/year (using 77°F as a reference temperature). This is based on the total unrecovered waste heat of 1,478 TBtu/year, and the low-temperature waste heat being about 61% of the total unrecovered waste heat.

Can heat source conditions improve the efficiency of low-grade thermal energy systems?

The findings suggest that optimizing heat source conditions, particularly through increased mass flow rates, can effectively enhance the efficiency of ORC systems driven by low-grade thermal energies.