OCR Text |
Show sales and control operating costs through load balancing. GRI's industrial R&D activities concentrate on five separate areas: large gas-fired engines for onsite cogeneration and heat pump systems; advanced heat exchangers and high temperature materials; advanced burners and combustion control systems; and process efficiency improvements in both the metals industries and nonmetals industries (chemicals and petrochemical, glass, food, pulp and paper, brick, clay and stone) . R&D in industrial utilization addresses, in a complementary fashion, energy conversion techniques (burner systems and gas prime movers), the recovery of waste heat by recuperation and heat pump technology, and industrial processes themselves (efficiency, productivity, and product quality improvements). The needs of a targeted industrial process are first identified. Generic component developments in the burner, heat exchanger, and prime mover project areas are then undertaken, taking advantage of state-of-the-art technology, such as advanced materials. These advanced components are then incorporated into existing or new process concepts, which are then further developed and field tested in the industrial process project areas. The choice of projects and direction of this mix of R&D activities is guided by the interaction of the GRI R&D Staff with representatives from the gas industry, the process equipment manufacturing community, and the end users. This prompts the evaluation of the entire process from several viewpoints and helps ensure a successful and useful development program. Improvements to process equipment must ultimately be adopted by equipment manufacturers. These firms have established marketing, sales and service groups which are essential for the successful commercialization of a technology. Potential industrial users, in order to minimize their risks, demand extensive testing of new equipment before they are willing to adopt it. However, many of these firms are small and have limited funds to place at risk for comprehensive R&D. Consequently, there ts a need for GRI to assume a leadership role to identify and support the development of a new generation of highly efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally acceptable gas-fired industrial process equipment for the mutual benefit of the regulated gas industry and their customers. 12 |