Industrial energy future: Energy and emission reductions versus choices of new technologies

The study on which this paper is based showed the amount of energy, the tons of CO2, and the pounds of NOx that US industry could save annually by utilizing fuel switching, heat recovery schemes and devices, and low NOx burner systems. Most of the data used therein was derived from Gas Research Institute (GRI) reports which included information on energy usage within each industrial sector and identified the energy sources and type of application. Study of each energy consuming process yielded sufficient information to break down heating processes into five process temperature categories. These studies were based on texts, industrial publications and interviews with industry personnel. Approximations were made of efficiencies and emissions associated with each process and temperature category for both electric power and heat and fossil fuel derived power and heat. That allowed a reasonably complete construction of how improvements of technology could effect changes in annual energy consumption and emissions of CO2 and NOx. NOx was of interest for the study because it is a regulated emission as well as being a greenhouse gas. CO2 was of interest because it is a major greenhouse gas that may be subject to regulation at a later date; and its rising concentration in the atmosphere is presently of great concern to many environmentalists. Energy consumption is of interest because of its cost and of a perception that they should attempt to use fossil energy, particularly gas and oil, more efficiently. As a simplification for the study, fossil fuels were considered as coal for electric power generation by central power plants and as natural gas for heating and direct drive engine systems. Changes in demonstrated burner performance and heat recovery since the original study was incorporated herein