Heat Recovery Boilers for Process Applications

Heat recovery boilers are widely used in process plants for recovering energy from various waste gas streams, either from the consideration of process or of economy. Sulfuric, as well as nitric, acid plant heat recovery boilers are examples of the use of heat recovery due primarily to process considerations. On the other hand, cost and payback are main considerations in the case of gas turbine and incineration plants, where large quantities of gases are exhausted at temperatures varying from 800°F to 1800°F. This gas, when recovered, can result in a large energy savings and steam production. This paper attempts to outline some of the engineering considerations in the design of heat recovery boilers for turbine exhaust applications (combined cycle, cogeneration mode), incineration plants (solid waste, fume) and chemical plants (reformer, sulfuric acid, nitric acid)