The decision this case can inform
Use this record when evaluating low-grade waste-heat power and separating measured pilot output from projected full-scale economics.
U.S. Department of Energy industrial validation pilot with measured gross, parasitic, net, and thermal performance. Full-scale reliability and annual savings remain projections.
What the public record actually establishes
- F1
The field pilot at Alpena used thermoelectric generation on a low-temperature cement-plant heat source.
- F2
Measured output was 3.1 gross and 2.0 net kWh per tonne of clinker after parasitic consumption.
- F3
System thermal efficiency reached 5.0% peak and 4.3% average; the evaluated hot-side temperature was roughly 130–212°F.
- F4
$241,000 per year is a projection for a typical 3,300 t/day plant at $0.10/kWh, not an observed Alpena saving.
Facts and reported results are kept separate from the lesson a plant may choose to test.
Operating context
DOE evaluated pilot thermoelectric generation from low-grade cement-plant waste heat.
Intervention or finding
A pilot thermoelectric system was field validated with gross, parasitic, net, and thermal-efficiency measurements.
Documented result
Measured 3.1 gross and 2.0 net kWh/t clinker; system thermal efficiency 5.0% peak and 4.3% average. USD241000/y is a typical full-scale projection, not an observed Alpena saving.
Plant interpretation
Separate gross generation, parasitic load, net export, temperature window, capacity factor, maintenance, and scale-up economics.
Transfer boundary
Pilot performance does not establish full-scale lifecycle reliability or cost.
Questions to verify at your plant
These are decision checks, not operating instructions. Resolve them through local risk assessment, technical review, and authorization.
- 01
What usable temperature, heat flux, surface area, fouling, and operating availability exist over a full year?
- 02
Which pumps, fans, controls, and cooling loads determine net rather than gross generation?
- 03
Can modules survive dust, vibration, thermal cycling, cleaning, and access constraints at maintainable cost?
- 04
Does the economic model use measured capacity factor, degradation, maintenance, installed cost, and local power value?