Decarbonisation Technology May 2022 Issue

Decarbonisation through innovation

effectiveness, technological maturity, and established infrastructure. However, many consumers are only looking at the upfront costs associated with leveraging fuel-fired systems and not the long-term economics and carbon footprint impact. Thermal conversion and operational efficiency Burner systems do not convert to heat energy as efficiently as electric heaters that operate well over 95% efficiency; this is because heat is lost through the exhaust. Gas-fired heating systems are typically oversized for the heat demand duty to account for these losses. Start-up, turn-down, and shutdown are all processes that take time and reduce operational efficiency. In some cases, facilities will install multiple boilers at reduced capacity to compensate for the significant loss in efficiency at low loads. This is not the case for electric heating; the silicon-controlled rectifier (SCR) is able to respond to dynamic loads with a rapid heat response time and improve overall energy usage and efficiency. System complexity and upkeep These systems are inherently more complex

Chromalox medium voltage DirectConnect electrical system

Reduce carbon emissions with a medium voltage electrical system The drive to shift from fossil fuel-fired equipment to alternative forms of energy is a global trend aimed at minimising carbon emissions. Many process heating techniques require temperatures greater than 1,100ºC (2,000ºF) to perform effectively, while nearly half of industrial process heating (IPH) is used for low to medium temperature processes at or below 400ºC (750ºF) — processes that could easily shift from oil, natural gas, and coal to electricity. Electric resistance steam generation vs fuel- fired steam generation Minimising an industrial facility’s carbon footprint means shifting from fuel-fired systems used to generate electricity and steam to electrically powered steam generation, while relying on alternative forms of energy to supply electricity. Gas and oil-based systems are continually utilised for their apparent abundance, cost-

Critical materials

Sustainable manufacturing / Flow of materials through industry

Direct thermal energy conversion materials, devices and systems

Wide bandgap semiconductors for power electronics

Combined heat and power systems

Waste heat recovery systems

Materials for harsh service conditions

Advanced sensors, controls, platforms and modeling for manufacturing

Advanced materials manufacturing

Process heating

Additive manufacturing

Process intensication

Composite materials

Roll-to-roll processing Figure 1 Process heating is critical for many industrial processes

Source: Energy.gov