The Use of Heat Pumps for Recovery of Refinery Waste Heat

Other conference contribution, 1981

In Sweden there is now a great interest for large heat pumps. This is mainly due to the fact that we have many district heating systems and block centrals heated by oil in hot water boilers, i.e. without cogeneration possibilities. As the temperature levels in the water distribution systems are relatively high, possibilities of using industri waste heat as heat source for heat pumps replacing at least some of these boilers are now investigated. This requires heat pumps which work at higher temperature levels than usual ones. Such devices are now under development in Sweden. They are also planned to be used for heat recovery within the industries. In this paper a study made as a cooperation between the Chalmers University and the Shell refinery in Gothenburg is presented. Technical and economical aspects of using waste heat from the refinery for heating the Gothenburg district heating system is discussed. Three different types of heat pumps were analyzed in the study, namely steam turbine, diesel engine, and electrically driven ones. As temperature levels, annual operating times, etc. are on the same order as in many industrial applications, the results should be of value also for such plants.