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December 2008,

Updated May 2009

Industrial Heat Pumps for


Low-Temperature Heat Recovery
Industrial heat pumps can
significantly reduce fossil fuel Application:
consumption and greenhouse Tree Top apple drying facility,
gas emissions in drying, washing,
evaporation and distillation Wenatchee, Washington
processes in a variety of applica-
tions. They can also be used to
produce steam and to provide THE TREE TOP FOOD PROCESSING FACILITY IN WENATCHEE,
process water heating and cooling. Washington, plans to retrofit an industrial heat pump to a direct-fired
Industries that can benefit from natural gas conveyor dryer for apples. Warm water reclaimed from the
this technology include food heat pump will be used for freezer defrost. The existing natural gas
and beverage processing, forest burners will remain as auxiliary and back-up heat. Project managers
products, textiles, and chemicals. estimate this measure will save 89,400 million British thermal units
of natural gas per year, while increasing annual electricity use by
Industrial heat pumps are used 8,580,000 kilowatt hours.
in heat recovery to transfer heat
from a relatively low-temperature With net energy savings of $463,000 per year and an installed
source and upgrade it to cost of $1.25 million, this measure has an estimated payback of
a higher temperature, and approximately 2.7 years. The project also will reduce net carbon
to recover latent heat1 from dioxide emissions by more than 2.4 million pounds per year*, which
high-humidity streams. Heat represents a 10% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions associated
exchangers in contrast are used to with their drying operations. Companies that register and verify
transfer heat from a warm stream greenhouse gas emissions have the opportunity to market reduc-
to a cooler one. tions as carbon offsets on exchanges such as the Chicago Climate
Exchange, or through nonprofit organizations such as the Climate
In a retrofit of fossil-fuel fired Trust.
equipment, an industrial heat
pump will increase electricity The natural gas savings potential with this type of project is
consumption due to the heat significant, along with the opportunity for carbon dioxide emissions
pumps compressors and fans, reduction, says Paul Scheihing of the U.S. Department of Energy's
while fossil fuel use will be Industrial Technologies Program. There are dozens of food processors
reduced or eliminated. Overall throughout the Northwest that can benefit from the technology.

* This figure takes into account emissions from electricity generation. The marginal carbon
1 Latent heat is energy associated with a
production rate of the Nortwest Power System forecasted over the period 2010 through 2025 is
phase change. In latent heat recovery, the 0.9 lbs of CO2 per kWh. (http://www.nwcouncil.org/Library/2008/2008-08.pdf)
energy released when water vapor condenses
back to a liquid is recovered.
Industrial Services Factsheet May 2009

The natural gas


savings potential with
this type of project is
energy efficiency is improved Open-cycle versus significant, along with
because of latent and sensible heat2 the opportunity for
closed-cycle systems
recovery. For best efficiency, heat carbon dioxide
Most new heat pump systems
exchangers and heat pumps can
operate in a closed cycle, returning emissions reduction.
be applied together, as shown in
exhaust to the dryer after it is There are dozens of
Figure 1. Industrial heat pumps
dehumidified. Closed-loop food processors
are most cost effective in regions
systems have greater efficiency throughout the
with low electrical costs compared
(coefficient of performances3 of 4 Northwest that can
to fossil fuel costs.
to 6) compared to open-loop benefit from the
systems, and do not have emis-
Re-emergence of an sions. In open-cycle systems, as
technology.
existing technology illustrated in Figure 1, none of
Many industrial heat pumps were the exhaust air is returned to the Paul Scheihing,
installed in the 1980s. However, dryer after being cooled and dehu- U.S. Department of Energys
the federally mandated phase out midified by the heat pump. An Industrial Technologies
of ozone-damaging chlorofluoro- open-cycle may be necessary to, Program
carbons in the 1990s necessitated for example, exhaust impurities
the development of new refriger- or to exhaust combustion gases
ants capable of operating at the if direct-fired auxiliary heating is
higher temperatures needed for used. Also, it is often difficult to
typical applications. Today, new convert an existing closed-loop
environmentally sound refriger- system to open-loop as a retrofit.
ants have allowed industrial heat Other considerations
pumps to reemerge in a range of Avoiding corrosion Warm water that is con-
applications.
and fouling densed out of the exhaust
When drying acidic products, can be recovered for other
Temperature such as apples and oak, or if uses. If condensed water
considerations caustic cleaning products are is not reused, its addition
Vapor compression heat pumps used, the exhaust heat exchanger to the waste water stream
can achieve maximum tempera- may require stainless steel tubes must be accounted for.
tures of 220 degrees Fahrenheit with aluminum fins coated with When installing a large
with temperatures rises of as a protective material such as Elec- unit on a roof, structural
much as 100 F. To achieve greater troFins e-coat. Sticky exhausts issues must be considered.
temperature rises, two-stage can be handled by incorporating The increased electrical
systems can be used. Each stage a wash cycle to periodically clean demand of the compres-
uses its own refrigerant designed heat exchanger surfaces. During sor may increase electric
for a specific temperature range. the wash-down cycle, which demand charges and may
might last a few minutes once a require upgrade of the
day or so, auxiliary heat can be electrical service.
used to maintain temperature.

2 Sensible heat is energy added or subtracted 3 Coefficient of performance is a ratio calcu-


that causes a change in temperature. In sen- lated by dividing the total heating capacity
sible heat recovery, energy is transferred from provided by the heat pump by the total
a hot source to a cooler one. electrical input.

Page 
Industrial Services Factsheet May 2009

Figure 1.
Open-Loop Heat Pump Dehumidification System

Exhaust to
Outside

Evaporator Coil: EXHAUST


Dehumidification
& Cooling FAN
(Heat Recovery Coil)
COMPRESSOR

Cool Heat
Outside Exchanger
Air

Warm
Expansion Outside
Valve Air

Warm Moist
Condenser Coil:
Exhaust
Heating
from Dryer
RECEIVER

SUPPLY

FAN

T TEMPERATURE SENSOR

H RELATIVE HUMIDITY SENSOR

Warm
Supply Air
to Dryer Auxiliary
Heat

Source: WSU Extension Energy Program

Page 
Industrial Services Factsheet May 2009

More Information
WSU Extension
Heat Pumps in Industry Energy Program
www.heatpumpcentre.org/About_heat_pumps/HP_industry.asp Mission Statement

Industrial Heat Pumps for Steam and Fuel Savings To advance environmental
www.eere.energy.gov/industry/bestpractices/pdfs/heatpump.pdf and economic
well-being by providing
Industrial Heat Pumps: A Means to Mitigate Global unmatched energy services,
Industrial Emissions products, education and
http://www.heatpumpcentre.org/publ/HPCOrder/default.aspx#38 information based on
world-class research.
Waste Heat Recovery in the Process Industries
(Carbon Trust Report # GPG141) Funding for the
www.carbontrust.co.uk WSU Extension Energy Program
Industrial Services is provided
Learning from Experience with Industrial Heat Pumps by the
www.caddet.org/public/uploads/pdfs/Report/ar_23.pdf U.S. Department of Energys
State Energy Program, and the
The Chicago Climate Exchange Washington State Attorney
www.chicagoclimatex.com Generals Office.

The Climate Trust


www.climatetrust.org
2009
Washington State University
Northwest Food Processors Association
Extension Energy Program.
www.nwfpa.org/eweb/Startpage.aspx?site=NWFPA This publication contains material
written and produced for public
distribution. You may reprint
Contact this written material, provided
Christine Love you do not use it to endorse a
Industrial Services Project Manager commercial product.
Washington State University Extension Energy Program Please reference by
Box 43165 title and credit
Olympia, Washington 98504-3165 Washington State University
Extension Energy Program.
Phone: (360) 956-2172
Email: lovec@energy.wsu.edu Visit our website at
www.energy.wsu.edu.

WSUEEP08-035, Updated May 2009

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