Assessment and optimisation of energy efficiency in heat treatment plants

The last years are marked by heavily fluctuating energy costs and uncertainty in energy supply. Prognoses exhibit a dramatic gap between supply and demand on fossil energy carrier in the years to come. Energy efficiency is the key to supply the future worldwide energy demand. In Austria and Germany process heat represents a considerable portion of total energy consumption. Targeted primary measurements and a consequent utilisation of waste heat in plants may lead to a significant improvement of plant efficiency and in consequence to a reduction of the CO2-emissions. By way of example of a gas-fired pusher-type furnace for carburising internal and external efficiency increasing measurements are demonstrated and its influence on the overall process is assessed.; Symbol; Name