ETEKINA: heat pipE TECHnologies for INdustrial Applications

Solutions developed

A heat pipe transfers thermal energy passively from a hot to a cold stream by a boiling condensation cycle inside a hermetically sealed metal tube. In this way, heat from the hot area can be transferred very efficiently to a cold part of the pipe. In the ETEKINA project, the engineers will combine many heat pipes to create a heat exchanger design according to the specific needs of each production plant. The engineers need to find the right set-up and select the right materials for the heat pipes so that the thermal recovery will work efficiently inside the plant’s environment and within the temperature range applied. Moreover, ETEKINA aims to re-use the recovered heat in the recipient processes without compromising on the quality of the produced.

Main results

The installation of a heat exchanger prototype will provide an opportunity to significantly improve the heat management inside a plant, reduce environmental impact and reduce energy bills – with a payback time of three years.