Evaluation of a high-temperature burner-duct-recuperator system

Abstract

The US Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Industrial Technologies (OIT) sponsors research and development (R D) to improve the energy efficiency of American industry and to provide for fuel flexibility. OIT has funded a multiyear R D project by the Babcock Wilcox Company (B W) to design, fabricate, field test, and evaluate a high-temperature burner-duct-recuperator (HTBDR) system. This ceramic-based recuperator system recovers waste heat from the corrosive, high-temperature (2170{degree}F) flue gas stream of a steel soaking pit to preheat combustion air to as high as 1700{degree}F. The preheated air is supplied to a high-temperature burner. The B W R D program, which is now complete, involved several activities, including selecting and evaluating ceramic materials, designing the system, and developing and evaluating the prototype. In addition, a full-scale unit was tested at a B W steel soaking pit. The full-scale system consisted of a modular single-stage ceramic recuperator, a conventional two-pass metallic recuperator, a high-temperature burner, fans, insulated ducting, and associated controls and instrumentation. The metallic recuperator preheated combustion air to about 750{degree}F before it passed to the ceramic module. This technical case study describes the DOE/B W recuperator project and highlights the field tests of the full-scale recuperator system. The document makes results of field tests and data analysis available to other researchers and private industry. It discusses project status, summarizes field tests, and reviews the potential effects the technology will have on energy use and system economics. 8 figs., 3 tabs.