heat recuperation

Industrial waste heat refers to energy that is generated in industrial processes without being put to practical use. Sources of waste heat include hot combustion gases discharged to the atmosphere, heated products exiting industrial processes, and heat transfer from hot equipment surfaces. The exact quantity of industrial waste heat is poorly quantified, but various studies have estimated that as much as 20 to 50% of industrial energy consumption is ultimately discharged as waste heat. 

While some waste heat losses from industrial processes are inevitable, facilities can reduce these losses by improving equipment efficiency or installing waste heat recovery technologies. 

Waste heat recovery entails capturing and reusing the waste heat in industrial processes for heating or for generating mechanical or electrical work. Example uses for waste heat include generating electricity, preheating combustion air, preheating furnace loads, absorption cooling, and space heating. Heat recovery technologies frequently reduce the operating costs for facilities by increasing their energy productivity.