Steam recovery from flue gas by organosilica membranes for simultaneous harvesting of water and energy

This paper proposes a system using organosilica membranes to recover steam and latent heat from waste gases in incinerator plants, addressing water shortages and energy saving. Laboratory-scale tests confirmed the long-term stability of the membrane (six months). Bench-scale tests in a running incinerator plant demonstrated steady steam recovery, comparable to laboratory results. Process simulation indicated the system enables water self-reliance with energy recovery approximating 70% of waste combustion energy.

Norihiro Moriyama, Akihiro Takeyama, Taichi Yamatoko, Ken-ichi Sawamura, Koji Gonoi, Hiroki Nagasawa, Masakoto Kanezashi, Toshinori Tsuru