Dresser-Rand Team: Astrid Harradan, Momoha Takahashi, Alison Grady
2014-2015: In collaboration with Dresser-Rand, this student team focused on waste heat recovery in manufacturing facilities. The project had two main components: developing a process design for implementing a waste heat recovery (WHR) system and then applying this process to Dresser-Rand’s facility in Olean, NY.
The team developed their process design in an iterative manner, informed by the type of data available from manufacturing facilities and the inputs needed for WHR technology. Their final process, documented in the form of a detailed “System Solution Selector” (SSS) flowchart, includes four main sections: process formulation to set design requirements, facility evaluation to characterize waste heat sources and heat needs, product and company selection to identify viable WHR options, and process implementation to select an optimal WHR system. The team verified the SSS process by applying it to the Olean manufacturing facility to yield a waste heat boiler matched to a pressure washer, outputting steam.
The team delivered the SSS flowchart, accompanying instructional manual, and Olean-specific WHR system recommendations to Dresser-Rand. The overall SSS process can be implemented by leadership teams of Dresser-Rand manufacturing facilities worldwide.