A review of low-temperature heat recovery technologies for industry processes

The amount of low-temperature heat generated in industrial processes is high, but recycling is limited due to low grade and low recycling efficiency, which is one of the reasons for low energy efficiency. It implies that there is a great potential for low-temperature heat recovery and utilization. This article provided a detailed review of recent advances in the development of low-temperature thermal upgrades, power generation, refrigeration, and thermal energy storage. The detailed description will be given from the aspects of system structure improvement, work medium improvement, and thermodynamic and economic performance evaluation. It also pointed out the development bottlenecks and future development trends of various technologies. The low-temperature heat combined utilization technology can recover waste heat in an all-round and effective manner, and has great development prospects. Schematics of IAH-chemical heat pump system [Display omitted] •This paper summarized the five aspects of low-temperature heat recovery, such as low-temperature heat upgrade utilization, power generation, refrigeration, thermal energy storage, and combined utilization.•In this work, both the system evaluation and the important issues of development were summarized in detail for each low-temperature heat utilization system. The detailed description will be given from the aspects of system structure improvement, work medium improvement, and thermodynamic and economic performance evaluation.•In this work, it also pointed out the development bottlenecks and future development trends of various technologies. The low-temperature heat combined utilization technology can recover waste heat in an all-round and effective manner, and has great development prospects.