What is compressor waste heat recovery?

Compressing air generates a large amount of heat. In fact, most of the electrical energy that a compressor consumes is converted into heat. Without an energy recovery system, this heat gets dissipated into the environment – and simply vanishes into thin air. Hence the term “waste heat.”

An energy recovery system captures this heat and makes it available for reuse in two main ways. Hot air recovery uses ducting to redirect the compressor’s warm cooling air to areas where heat is required. For hot water recovery, a heat exchanger is used to transfer heat from the compressor’s oil circuit to a water circuit connected to the compressor.

Depending on the technology and configuration, these systems can recover up to 94% of the heat generated during compression. Hot water systems typically recover up to around 80% of this heat. Once recovered, this heat can be used in a wide variety of applications.

The benefits of energy recovery

Compressed air is critical utility in many industrial operations. and for many businesses, the compressor is one of the most important pieces of equipment. However, compressing air is energy intensive. Over the lifetime of a compressor, energy accounts for up to 80% of its total cost of ownership.

That is why selecting an efficient compressor is essential. Beyond that, energy recovery is the technology that will have the biggest impact on your operational energy use. By recovering a large share of the energy used during compression - up to 94% under optimal conditions, depending on the recovery method — energy recovery systems can significantly improve overall efficiency.

The impact is immediate. Energy recovery reduces both energy consumption and operating costs while also lowering a facility’s carbon emissions. As a result, it supports businesses in achieving both financial and sustainability objectives

With a typical return on investment of less than one year for many Atlas Copco solutions, these benefits quickly add up.