Waste Heat Recovery from Biomass Charcoal Cookstoves via Elliptical-Tube Helical Coils: Application in a Medium Sized Thai Restaurant
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59796/jcst.V16N3.2026.188Keywords:
biomass cookstove, waste heat recovery, CFD, economic evaluation, sustainable restaurant operationAbstract
This study proposes a compact and high-performance waste-heat recovery system designed for small food-service establishments using biomass cookstoves (BCS). The system incorporates elliptical-tube helical coil heat exchangers (HHEs) to intensify secondary flows and enhance convective heat transfer compared with that of conventional circular-tube designs. Four geometric configurations (H01–H04), differing in coil diameters, pitch lengths, and tube ovalities, were evaluated through an integrated framework consisting of: (i) CFD-based thermal assessment under wall-temperature conditions of 160°C, 180°C, and 200°C; (ii) techno-economic analysis, including annual energy cost savings, net present value (NPV), and payback period; and (iii) environmental impact assessment focusing on CO₂ emission reduction. Heat-transfer oil was used as the working fluid at a constant inlet temperature of 30°C. The CFD results confirm the strong influence of coil geometry on heat-transfer enhancement. H01 consistently demonstrates the highest thermal performance, outperforming H02, H03, and H04 by 2.78%, 4.10%, and 12.83%, respectively. Deploying H01 as both the exhaust-gas ( ) and hot-water ( ) recovery units under optimal conditions (200°C and ṁ = 2.5 L/min) yields 17,144.34 kWh/year of recoverable thermal energy, equivalent to 71,422.27 THB in electricity savings. Techno-economic indicators further reveal strong feasibility, with an NPV of 263,887.97 THB and a payback period of only 1.36 years. CO₂ emission reduction reaches 3,948.17 kg/year, highlighting the system’s environmental significance. Overall, the elliptical-tube HHE configuration (H01) offers superior energy, economic, and environmental benefits for BCS-based food enterprises, aligning effectively with renewable-energy goals and contributing to more sustainable thermal practices in the food-service sector.
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