The ReComp Waste Heat Recovery (WHR) System is designed to repurpose waste heat in composite manufacturing processes to enhance energy efficiency, reduce operational costs, and minimise environmental impact.
The development of the ReComp Waste Heat Recovery (WHR) System was driven by several pressing issues in the composite manufacturing industry.
One of the primary problems is the significant amount of energy wasted during manufacturing processes.
A large portion of the energy used is lost as waste heat, which not only represents a loss of valuable resources but also contributes to higher operational costs.
Additionally, this waste heat often leads to increased greenhouse gas emissions.
The composite industry is under growing pressure to reduce its carbon footprint.
The inefficiency in energy use and the associated environmental impact creates a substantial challenge for this sector.
The high energy consumption in this industry also results in elevated energy costs, which can affect the competitiveness and profitability.
Companies are constantly seeking ways to reduce expenses in energy consumption as efficiency is a critical area where significant savings can be achieved.
Our project
The ReComp WHR System is being developed to address these issues by capturing and repurposing waste thermal energy from composite manufacturing processes.
By doing so, it enhances energy efficiency, reduces operational costs, and lowers greenhouse gas emissions.
This technology supports industries to achieve their sustainability goals, making them more competitive and environmentally responsible.
The ReComp WHR System represents a proactive solution to the problem of energy waste and environmental impact in the composites material industry.
The ReComp project delves into the technical and site-specific requirements of the end user for the deployment of the Waste Heat Recovery (WHR) System.
The ReComp WHR System is engineered to capture and store waste thermal energy generated from composite material manufacturing processes.
This stored thermal energy is then repurposed for various stages of production, improving overall energy efficiency.
Benefits of our research
The ReComp WHR technology is a significant energy efficiency measure, primarily targeting energy-intensive processes within the composites manufacturing sector.
By focusing on the recuperation and reuse of waste heat, the ReComp WHR System offers several key benefits:
- Efficiency gains: The system significantly improves efficiency by capturing heat that would otherwise be lost and converting it into usable energy. This not only reduces energy costs but also enhances the overall energy profile of the production process.
- Energy reduction: By reusing recovered energy, the system reduces the amount of energy required for manufacturing processes. This leads to substantial energy savings and a reduction in the dependency on external energy sources.
- Decreased production time: The system minimises the time spent on heating or reheating processes, thereby speeding up production cycles. This efficiency gain translates into increased productivity and reduced operational costs.
- Enhanced resource efficiency: The ReComp WHR System promotes more efficient use of resources by optimising production systems. This leads to a more sustainable manufacturing process with less waste and better resource management.
Overall, the ReComp WHR System represents a forward-thinking approach to energy management in manufacturing.
By harnessing waste heat and repurposing it for productive use, it not only enhances energy efficiency but also supports broader sustainability goals.
This technology is set to make a significant impact on energy-intensive industries, driving both economic and environmental benefits.
Research impact
The ReComp project aims to transform energy-intensive industries by significantly reducing energy waste through the capture and reuse of waste heat, leading to lower energy consumption and operational costs.
This will decrease greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to a cleaner environment and helping industries meet sustainability goals.
Primarily targeting sectors like composites manufacturing, but also applicable to other energy-intensive industries, ReComp will benefit manufacturers looking to reduce energy costs and improve their environmental footprint.
By enhancing energy efficiency and lowering operational costs, ReComp will support businesses in complying with environmental regulations and increasing profitability.
This technology can be implemented in manufacturing plants, industrial facilities, and broader energy-intensive sectors, driving energy efficiency, cost savings, and environmental benefits across various locations and industries.
Collaborative partners
Meet the Principal Investigator(s) for the project
Dr Mihalis Kazilas - Dr Mihalis Kazilas is the Director of the Brunel Composites Centre. He has more than 20 years of experience in the composites processing area. He received his PhD in Advanced Materials from Cranfield University back in 2003. His main field of expertise are polymers characterisation and polymer composites manufacturing and joining processes. He is author of several refereed scientific publications in the area of advanced composites manufacturing and process optimisation. Mihalis is a creative thinker who enjoys problem solving and able to work with different stakeholders to achieve the optimum results in both technical and managerial environments.
Work experience:
Sep 2019 – present: Business Group Manager, Polymer and Composite Technologies, TWI, UK
June 2019 – present: Director of the Non-Metallics Innovation Centre, a joint initiative between TWI, Saudi Aramco and ADNOC
Oct 2016 – present: Centre Director, Brunel Composites Innovation Centre, Brunel University London, UK
Feb 2012 – 2019: Section Manager, Adhesives, Composites and Sealants (ACS) section within the Joining Process Group at TWI, UK
May 2006 – Jan 2012: R&D Consultant, Project Engineer, Collaborative Projects Operations Manager at INASCO, Greece
Mr Akram Zitoun - Akram is a Research Fellow who joined the Brunel Composite Centre in August 2020. The Brunel Composites Innovation Centre (BCC) is a shared research and technology capability specialising in novel composites processing and joining technologies, applied to industrial environments.
Akram is a Chartered Engineer and an Artificial Intelligence enthusiast. He is working on publicly funded research projects and client oriented consultancy and research projects focusing on developing non-detructive testing procedures and structure health monitoring systems for composite materials across multiple industries. He has industrial and project management experience as he was involved in developing mid-to-high TRL equipment for the Oil & Gas industry and the Aerospace industry prior joining BCC.
Daniel Paul - Daniel is a Research Fellow at Brunel Composites Centre (BCC) and joined the group in December 2023. He is actively involved in idea generation, leading and assisting projects, publication of papers and other dissemination activities.Before joining BCC, Daniel has worked primarily on composite testing and modelling with research experience in impact and crashworthiness analysis. He has also worked on repair of composite wind turbine blades and was involved in computational modelling of the composite cure process and post-repair residual stress estimation.
Related Research Group(s)
Brunel Composites Centre - Shared research and technology capabilities, specialising in novel composites processing and joining technologies applied to industrial environments.
Partnering with confidence
Organisations interested in our research can partner with us with confidence backed by an external and independent benchmark: The Knowledge Exchange Framework. Read more.
Project last modified 29/08/2024