Product category:
Heating Systems, Controls and Management
News Release from: Unico Climate Control | Subject: Industrial heat recovery
Edited by the Buildingtalk Editorial
Team on 31 March 2008
Flying high with industrial heat
recovery
Unico's high-velocity forced air heating selected as key component of SKF's heat recovery plan.
They may not realise it, but millions of air travellers worldwide rely on SKF Aeroengine UK to get them safely to their destinations In Gloucestershire, SKF manufactures high-performance bearings for military and commercial aircraft engines, including the new generation of 'super-jumbos' which carry more people than ever before
This article was originally published on Buildingtalk on 16 Apr 2008 at 8.00am (UK)
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To ensure strength, these bearings are hardened by super-heating them to 1100 degrees C.
This process generates massive quantities of waste heat, providing a golden opportunity to cut fuel bills and contribute to global sustainability by recycling the energy.
Unico's high-velocity forced air heating was selected as the key component of SKF's heat recovery plan.
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After hardening in a vacuum furnace, bearings are cooled by quenching with pressurised nitrogen gas.
Following this process, heat recovery begins by passing the heated gas over a water-filled heat exchanger.
The resultant warm water is stored in a large 50 cubic metres^ storage tank.
"The Unico system offered the perfect way to utilise the waste heat from the quenching process, and was also flexible enough to accommodate a geothermal heat pump," says Pete Haynes, Maintenance Engineering Manager at SKF.
"We were impressed with the energy efficiency of geothermal heat pumps, and decided to add one of these between the hot water tank and the Unico heating module." A Unico M series heating module contains a heating coil to which warm/hot water (or glycol) is supplied.
The heating module can operate with input water temperatures of 49^ to 82^and#9702; C.
After the water from the tank is boosted in temperature by the geothermal heat pump the heat energy is exchanged to another water loop which is then circulated to the Unico heating module.
Here the final heat exchange from the water to air is completed.
A fan in the Unico blower module drives warm air at high velocity through the heat delivery network of metal plenums and insulated mini-ducts to multiple outlets at ceiling height.
"The heating system serves a large 250m^2 newly renovated metallurgy laboratory".
"Here, we couldn't take the conventional route of concealing the system in the ceiling void because we didn't have one, so we decided to leave the components visible overhead".
"Considering this is an industrial facility, we feel that visually it works very well," comments Mr Haynes.
He continues, "We operate the system continuously on a thermostat and the laboratory staff are impressed with the constant, draught-free environment achieved". Request a free brochure from Unico Climate Control ...
"And with such a large store of warm water we never run out of heat!".
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