Energyrecovery

Energy recovery refers to the capture and reuse of energy that would otherwise be wasted, with the goal of improving overall efficiency and reducing energy demand. It encompasses technologies and practices across buildings, transportation, industry, and water treatment, where residual heat, kinetic energy, or chemical energy can be harvested and reused.

Common methods include heat recovery using recuperators and regenerators in which hot exhaust streams transfer heat to incoming process streams; energy recovery ventilation systems that reclaim heat and moisture from building exhaust air; and regenerative braking in electric and hybrid vehicles that convert kinetic energy back into stored electrical energy.

Industrial and process applications include waste heat recovery from furnaces, kilns, and engines to preheat feeds or generate steam; energy recovery devices in desalination that recover energy from high-pressure brine; and biological energy recovery from wastewater and anaerobic digestion that produces biogas for fuel or electricity.

Benefits include reduced energy use, lower operating costs, and lower emissions. Limitations involve upfront costs, integration with existing systems, maintenance needs, and variable performance depending on temperature, flow, and load. Overall, energy recovery is a core element of energy management strategies in modern systems.