Water-tube heat exchangers
Studied where thermal duty, response and operating architecture make water-tube design the most relevant option.
HOT WATER • STEAM • POWER GENERATION
Turn waste heat into useful energy for the site.
Cremation furnaces, incinerators and other thermal processes reject a significant quantity of energy in their flue gases. CFI Systems studies how to capture this heat and reuse it in the form that creates the most value on site: hot water, steam or electricity generation.
Heat recovery is designed together with the process, flue-gas treatment and site energy profile, taking into account pressure losses, fouling, corrosion, annual availability and actual consumption needs.
Hot water • Steam
ORC • Self-consumption
New build • Retrofit
Energy valorisation
01Quantify available heat
02Match temperature level to the use
03Integrate with flue-gas treatment
04Recover useful heat or electricity
05Control performance over time
Énergie réellement disponiblePuissance thermique, température, débit et heures de fonctionnement mesurés
Usage prioritaireChoisir entre chaleur directe, vapeur, électricité ou combinaison selon les besoins du site
Intégration fuméesRefroidir au bon niveau sans pénaliser filtration, tirage ou disponibilité
Gains vérifiablesComptage thermique et électrique pour suivre la performance réelle après mise en service
Potential
Before choosing a technology, quantify what the site can really recover.
Recovering energy is only meaningful if the available thermal power, the annual operating profile and the energy demand of the site are consistent with each other.
The study therefore begins with flue-gas flow, temperature, operating hours, useful energy demand, available utilities and the practical conditions for connecting the recovery system.
01Available thermal power and temperature level
02Operating hours and load profile over the year
03Hot water, steam or electricity demand on site
04Fouling, corrosion and maintenance constraints
05Real payback rather than theoretical peak output
Temperature cascade
Use each temperature level where it creates the most value.
Not all recovered heat has the same value. High-temperature heat can support steam generation or electricity production, while lower-temperature heat may be more useful for hot water, building needs or process support.
CFI Systems studies the temperature cascade so that the chosen use matches the real thermal level and the site’s operating requirements.
High temperatureSteam, thermal process integration or a route to electricity generation where justified.
Medium temperatureHot water loops, preheating and certain utility needs.
Low temperatureBuilding heating, domestic hot water or other uses compatible with the available level.
Priority logicSelect the most useful recovery route before seeking the maximum theoretical heat extraction.
Energy uses
Hot water, steam or electricity depending on the site profile.
Waste heat can be turned into useful energy in several forms. The right choice depends on temperature level, continuity of operation, the site’s utility demand and the overall energy balance.
1
Hot water production
Useful for internal circuits, building services or local heat demand when the temperature level is suitable.
2
Steam generation
Studied when the site requires steam and when the thermal level and operating conditions justify it.
3
Electricity generation
Relevant when a sufficiently stable thermal source exists for enough hours and when the site can use the electricity produced.
4
Heat network or internal loads
Recovered energy can be directed to site utilities, a local network or other structured internal uses.
Heat exchangers
The heat exchanger is the interface between flue gas and energy recovery.
The exchanger must capture useful heat without creating unacceptable pressure losses, fouling issues or operating instability for the furnace and flue-gas line.
CFI Systems can study water-tube or smoke-tube / fire-tube architectures according to duty, footprint, maintenance access, corrosion risk and the target energy use.
Smoke-tube / fire-tube exchangers
Selected where their architecture matches the duty, maintenance strategy and required level of heat recovery.
Fouling & cleaning
Design takes deposits, cleaning access and maintainability into account from the outset.
Corrosion & materials
Material selection and operating temperatures are aligned with flue-gas composition and the expected dew-point risk.
Electricity generation
Turn waste heat into electricity when the operating profile supports it.
Electricity generation becomes particularly attractive when a sufficiently stable thermal source is available over a significant number of operating hours and when the site can consume a meaningful share of the power produced itself.
CFI Systems can integrate a conversion technology suited to the available temperature level and power, then coordinate heat exchange, conversion, cooling, electrical connection and supervision.
ORCOrganic Rankine Cycle technology converting a thermal source into mechanical power and then electricity, particularly suited to industrial waste-heat recovery.
Heat-to-powerOther external-heat-engine or thermodynamic-conversion technologies can be studied according to the available temperature and power.
Self-consumptionPriority can be given to the auxiliaries of the furnace, filtration system, building or process in order to reduce the site’s electricity purchases.
CogenerationWhere the architecture allows it, power generation and additional useful-heat recovery can be combined.
ORC — Organic Rankine Cycle
A compact route to producing electricity from industrial heat.
An ORC uses a closed thermodynamic cycle to drive a turbine or expander coupled to a generator. It can be supplied by a hot loop fed by the flue-gas heat exchanger.
Thermal source
The available thermal level and stability determine whether ORC is technically and economically relevant.
Hydraulic & thermal integration
The hot loop, exchanger and conversion skid must be coordinated with the furnace and flue-gas line.
Connection & self-use
The project must define how the electricity is consumed on site, supervised and connected to the electrical network.
Availability & service
ORC performance depends on annual operating hours, maintenance strategy and the stability of the thermal source.
Direct thermal use
Direct thermal recovery often remains the simplest and most efficient route.
Where the site already needs hot water or steam, direct thermal recovery may provide the best balance between technical simplicity, efficiency and return on investment.
CFI Systems therefore compares hot-water, steam and electricity-generation scenarios before selecting the most relevant solution.
01Hot water for internal loops or utilities
02Steam where the site has a real steam demand
03Lower complexity than power generation in many cases
04Higher overall efficiency when heat is directly used
Integration with flue-gas treatment
Recover more heat without leaving the filtration operating window.
Waste-heat recovery cannot be studied independently from flue-gas treatment. Gas temperature must remain compatible with the chemistry and the media used in the treatment system.
CFI Systems therefore coordinates heat recovery with cooling needs, reagent reaction windows, pressure losses and extraction capacity.
Temperature windowProtect the treatment system and keep neutralisation and filtration effective.
Pressure lossRecovery equipment adds pressure drop that must be accounted for in extraction sizing.
FoulingDeposits and accessibility are part of the operating logic, not an afterthought.
Global balanceUseful recovery must be coordinated with treatment performance and process stability.
Energy retrofit
Add recovery to an existing installation.
An existing furnace or incinerator may already have sufficient untapped thermal potential. The retrofit study checks what can realistically be recovered without compromising treatment performance or availability.
1
Audit
Measure temperatures, flows, operating hours and current energy use.
2
Check interfaces
Assess treatment line, extraction, space, hydraulic and electrical interfaces.
3
Select the route
Hot water, steam or electricity according to the actual operating context.
4
Integrate
Add exchanger, circuits, controls and safety functions with minimum disturbance to operation.
Performance
Useful recovery is better than maximum theoretical recovery.
The best project is not the one that extracts the most heat on paper, but the one that supplies energy the site can actually use, over a large enough number of hours, with acceptable maintenance and reliability.
CFI Systems therefore evaluates annual useful energy, self-consumption, availability, maintenance and the impact on the thermal process as a whole.
01Annual useful energy rather than peak energy only
02Availability and maintainability of the system
03Impact on furnace and flue-gas treatment operation
04Real site demand and self-consumption profile
05Technical and economic coherence over time
Project method
From thermal survey to commissioning of the energy system.
Waste-heat recovery is a complete engineering package: measurement, thermal balance, exchanger selection, utility integration, electrical interfaces, controls and commissioning.
1
Survey
Measure temperatures, flows, operating profile and current site consumption.
2
Balance
Quantify recoverable heat and compare realistic recovery routes.
3
Design
Define exchangers, circuits, interfaces, controls and protections.
4
Integrate
Coordinate with process, flue-gas treatment, building utilities and electrical systems.
5
Commission
Test, tune and validate the system under real operating conditions.
CFI Systems approach
Stop seeing flue-gas cooling as a simple loss.
When conditions are right, cooling flue gas can become an opportunity to produce useful energy. The challenge is to do so while preserving treatment performance, process stability and maintainability.
The right energy project is the one the site can actually use.
Heat recovery only creates value when it is matched to the operating profile, site consumption and the realities of maintenance and availability.
01 · Measure
Know the real resource
Temperature, flow, operating hours and variability before selecting a recovery route.
02 · Match
Choose the right use
Hot water, steam or electricity according to the real energy profile of the site.
03 · Integrate
Coordinate with the line
Recovery, filtration, extraction and automation must remain coherent as one system.
04 · Sustain
Operate over time
Fouling, cleaning, corrosion, maintenance and real annual availability are considered from the design stage.
Frequently asked questions
Waste heat recovery & power generation.
The right route depends on the available thermal level, the operating profile and the site’s real energy needs.
Can heat be recovered from a cremation furnace or incinerator?
Yes, provided the flue-gas temperature, operating profile and useful energy demand of the site justify it. Recovery can take the form of hot water, steam or, in some cases, electricity.
What is often the simplest use of waste heat?
Direct thermal recovery in the form of hot water or steam is often simpler and more efficient than electricity generation, provided the site has a real demand for that energy.
When does electricity generation make sense?
It becomes attractive when there is a sufficiently stable thermal source over enough annual operating hours and when the site can use a meaningful share of the electricity produced itself.
What is an ORC?
An Organic Rankine Cycle is a closed thermodynamic cycle that uses a thermal source to produce mechanical power and then electricity. It is often considered for industrial waste-heat recovery.
Can heat recovery be integrated with flue-gas treatment?
Yes, but the temperature window and pressure losses must remain compatible with reagent reaction, filtration media and extraction capacity. Recovery and treatment must be studied together.
Can waste heat be recovered on an existing installation?
Yes. A retrofit study can determine whether an exchanger and the associated utility system can be added without compromising process performance or availability.
What limits a heat-recovery project?
Fouling, corrosion, pressure loss, available footprint, maintenance, annual operating hours and the site’s real ability to use the recovered energy are all key limiting factors.
Can the electricity generated be self-consumed on site?
Yes. In many cases, on-site self-consumption by process auxiliaries, filtration equipment or building loads is one of the most relevant uses of the electricity generated.
CFI Systems
Energy recovery connects the furnace, flue-gas treatment and the site’s energy needs.
CFI Systems links waste-heat recovery with cremation systems, incineration systems, flue-gas treatment and retrofit & modernisation projects.
Explore all our solutions
Energy project
Do you have hot flue gases? Let’s measure what they can produce.
Hot water, steam, electricity generation, exchanger replacement, retrofit, ORC, self-consumption or integration with flue-gas treatment: CFI Systems studies the complete energy chain.
contact@cfi-systems.com
Centre d’Affaires Giennois – Bureau B9 · 1 rue Antoine de Lavoisier · 45500 Gien · France
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