PAPERTECHNOLOGYINTERNATIONAL 2026 - Process heat up to 200°C with innovative rotation heat pump – emission-free, economical and future-proof Pyry Iltanen B.Sc. Project Manager, BM Green Cooling - Paper Technology International 2026 - Book - Page 22

PAPERTECHNOLOGYINTERNATIONAL 2026 - Process heat up to 200°C with innovative rotation heat pump – emission-free, economical and future-proof Pyry Iltanen B.Sc. Project Manager, BM Green Cooling

PAPERTECHNOLOGYINTERNATIONAL
2.2 Why Conventional Heat Pumps Fall Short
Industrial heat pumps have proven highly effective in lowand medium-temperature applications — for example, upgrading
waste heat from 30°C to 90°C. Yet the core thermal demands of
paper production often exceed the practical limits of conventional
vapor-compression systems, requiring higher temperatures.
Key limitations include:
Limited temperature lift.
•
Most industrial heat pumps operate efficiently within a
30–60 K temperature lift. Larger lifts require cascading
systems or multi-stage configurations, increasing
complexity and cost.
COP degradation at high output temperatures.
•
As discharge temperatures rise above 140°C,
efficiency drops significantly. Electrical input
increases disproportionately, reducing the economic
attractiveness compared to gas boilers — especially
where electricity prices are high.
Refrigerant limitations.
•
Synthetic refrigerants are subject to F-gas regulations
and phase-down schedules in many jurisdictions.
Concerns regarding global warming potential (GWP),
flammability, toxicity and long-term availability create
uncertainty in planning and strategic risk for industrial
use.
As a result, conventional heat pumps have until now
primarily been deployed in peripheral or low-grade heat recovery
applications with lower heat input, rather than directly replacing hightemperature steam generation in paper processes.
3. The Technology: A Completely New Operating
Principle
Our partner company with over 15 years of intensive R&D
has developed with the Rotation Heat Pump a technology that
consistently implements the principle of the inverse Joule cycle
(counter-clockwise) on an industrial scale. At the core of the system
is a monolithic rotating block (“Integrated Rotor”) that combines
compression, heat exchange, and expansion in a single mechanical
element.
How it works:
•
Rotation generates centrifugal forces that compress the
working fluid – a noble gas mixture of Argon, Krypton,
and Xenon – radially outward, heating it in the process.
•
At the outer heat exchanger position, the gas transfers
heat to the process fluid circuit (sink) and cools down.
•
Flowing back against the centrifugal force, the gas
expands, cools further, and absorbs heat from the
heat source (e.g., wastewater, exhaust air) at the inner
position.
•
A fan ensures the continuous mass flow of the working
gas.
The working fluid is non-toxic, non-flammable, has a
GWP of zero, and is fully compliant with the EU F-Gas Regulation
and upcoming PFAS restrictions. The Micro-Channel DiffusionBonded (MCDB) heat exchangers are integrated directly into the
rotor, achieving very high heat transfer coeficients even under
large thermal and mechanical loads. Conventional evaporators,
condensers, and compressors are eliminated entirely.
4. Relevance for Paper & Pulp: Processes That Fit
The technical parameters of the RHP match the needs of
the paper and pulp industry with remarkable precision. The following
application areas offer the highest potential:
•
Drying sections (70–150 °C): Direct integration into
steam and hot air circuits with high temperature lift from
waste heat sources in production.
•
Evaporation in pulp production (85–130 °C): Use of
vapor streams as heat source, efficiency gains through
simultaneous cooling and heating operation.
•
Bleaching and washing (40–90 °C): Combined use
as cooling and heat source in one circuit – particularly
economical due to excellent ROI characteristics.
•
Waste heat recovery from cooling water, exhaust air, or
wastewater (source temperature down to -30 °C): The
RHP can efficiently lift even low source temperatures.
A particular economic feature: The RHP can deliver
heat and cooling simultaneously in a single unit and in a single
stage. This means the electricity required for cooling (already
operationally necessary) is combined with the heating demand –
the additional energy input for
high-temperature heat is thus
drastically reduced. For plants
with simultaneous cooling and
heating requirements – typical
in pulp and paper processing
– this results in exceptionally
attractive payback periods.
Figure 2: Comparison RHP vs. conventional compression heat pumps.
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