Heat recovery
Economisers, Air Preheaters & Recuperators: Waste Heat Recovery
Hot flue gas leaving your boiler, thermopack or furnace is heat you have already paid for. We design and build the equipment that recovers it.
Turn exhaust heat into fuel savings
Every boiler, thermic fluid heater and furnace sends hot flue gas up the chimney. Waste heat recovery equipment captures part of that heat and puts it back into the process. An economiser preheats boiler feed water, an air preheater (APH) preheats combustion air, and a recuperator recovers heat from furnace exhaust, so less fuel is needed for the same output.
Alice Engineering Works combines thermal design with in-house fabrication. We study your exhaust temperature, flow and fuel, size the heat-recovery unit, and fabricate, install and commission it, often as part of a wider energy conservation study.
What we build
Boiler economisers
Feed-water preheating from boiler flue gas.
Air preheaters (APH)
Combustion-air preheating for boilers, thermopacks and furnaces.
Recuperators
Heat recovery from furnace and kiln exhaust, including for metal processing.
Flue ducting and dampers
Ducting, bypasses and connections to fit the unit into your existing system.
Why choose AEW for economisers, air preheaters & recuperators
- Sized from your real flue gas data, not guesswork
- Designs that take account of fuel type, dust and corrosion
- Retrofit to existing boilers, thermopacks and furnaces
- Combined with steam-system and energy-conservation studies
- Installation with minimum plant shutdown
Industries & applications
- Steam boilers
- Thermic fluid heaters
- Metal reheating and melting furnaces
- Open bath furnaces
- Hot air generators
- Kilns and incinerators
FAQs: Economisers, Air Preheaters & Recuperators
What is the difference between an economiser and an air preheater?
An economiser uses flue gas heat to preheat boiler feed water. An air preheater uses it to preheat the combustion air going to the burner or furnace. Many systems can use one or both.
What is a recuperator?
A recuperator is a heat exchanger that recovers heat from furnace or kiln exhaust, usually to preheat combustion air. It is common in metal processing furnaces.
How much fuel can heat recovery save?
It depends on your flue gas temperature, flow and fuel. We assess your system and give an estimate of the saving before you invest.
Can you add heat recovery to an existing boiler or furnace?
Yes. Most of our heat-recovery work is retrofitting units into existing chimneys and ducting.
Related equipment & services
Thermic Fluid Heaters
Thermopacks fired by solid or liquid fuel, giving high process temperatures without high-pressure steam.
Learn more →Thermal equipmentHot Air Generators
Solid and liquid fuel fired hot air generators for drying, curing and process heating.
Learn more →Process fabricationReaction Vessels
Stainless steel and mild steel reactors and process vessels built to your process and drawings.
Learn more →Have a drawing, datasheet or a problem to solve?
Send your requirement. We reply with a technical and commercial offer, usually within one working day.