Japanese Team to Start Verification Test on Sewage Heat Pump

Japan's Kansai Electric Power Company, Osaka City University, Sogo Setsubi Consulting Co. and Chuo Fukken Consultants Co. announced on March 7, 2012, that they have completed building facilities for verification tests on sewage heat recovery and heat accommodation technology using urban sewage networks, and will start operation of the facilities soon. This project is part of the Project on Research and Development of a Next-generation Heat Pump System promoted by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).

Sewage in urban areas is warmer in winter and cooler on summer days than outside air. Therefore, sewage is expected to be used as a heat source for heat pumps for hot water or heating systems instead of gas or oil boilers, or as coolant for cooling equipment. In Japan, however, the use of sewage water as a heat source has been limited to within sewage treatment facilities and neighboring areas.

Recognizing sewage networks in urban areas as an untapped heat source, the project team has developed a sewage heat utilization system to recover heat from drains and provide heating and cooling, as well as heat water for adjacent buildings.

With the aim of enhancing the combined efficiency to 1.5 times more than that of existing heat supply systems, the project team will test the system's efficiency and reliability as well as the efficiency of sewage accommodation technology in fiscal 2012.

Posted: 2012/06/20 06:00:15 AM

TAG Energy , Non-manufacturing industry , Technology , University/Research institute