Innovative, Self-Cleaning, Waste Heat Recovery Unit for Maritime Diesel Engines

The high-temperature exhaust produced by large diesel engines carries away nearly one-third of the heat generated by fuel combustion. Creare and the Engine Research Center at the University of Wisconsin?Madison will develop a heat recovery unit that will transfer heat from engine exhaust to steam for power generation, which will reduce fuel consumption and increase vehicle capabilities. Our innovative system will be highly durable against thermal shock, self-cleaning, and include design and control elements that will enable the system to achieve the Navy’s goals for flow rate control, elimination of particulates in the exhaust, uniform flow distribution, protection from overheating and condensation, and modular design. In Phase I, we will prove feasibility through thermal, fluid, and structural design of the heat exchanger, engine performance analysis, and system integration design. In Phase II, we will build and demonstrate operation of a sub-scale prototype waste heat recovery unit based on design requirements for a large maritime diesel engine.