 | Upgrading equipment and systems |
Talk to a trade association (such as the British Industrial Furnace Constructors Association or the ICOM Energy Association) for advice - or contact the original manufacturer or installer of your high temperature equipment.
Make sure to talk to the supplier and installer of the equipment. It is common for them to have to demonstrate its function and performance through acceptance trials. At this point, the continued correct operation of the original process should be confirmed. Also ensure that they provide any necessary guides, manuals, safety documentation and, if appropriate, operator training.
Choose a supplier that has experience of your type of process.
What is the most appropriate type of heat recovery equipment for the application?
(For example: the amount of heat recovered by a condensing economiser on a steam boiler may exceed the site’s ability to use it, particularly if other measures such as steam condensate return are already in place.)
- Process impact
How will the installation of heat recovery equipment impact the process? Example issues are:
o Pressure drops
Will heat recovery cause the pressure to drop - if so, what will the impact be?
o Control systems
Can control systems adapt to heat recovery, or will they need to be upgraded or replaced?
o Emissions
Will emissions be impacted? (For example: where combustion air is preheated, this may lead to increased nitrogen oxide emissions. Can the burners be adjusted to prevent this?)