Japanese Researchers Advance Waste Heat Recovery with Erythritol Slurry

Researchers in Japan have made strides in waste heat recovery by investigating erythritol slurry as a heat transfer medium. Published on February 6, 2025, the study analyzes the slurry's flow behavior and non-Newtonian properties to develop a predictive equation for its rheological characteristics. Erythritol slurry, a mixture based on sugar alcohol, could capture and transport unused low- to medium-temperature waste heat in factories and power plants. The team observed that at higher solid fractions and lower carrier concentrations, the non-Newtonian characteristics of the slurry became more pronounced. The study's implications include waste heat recovery in factories and power plants, hot water supply and HVAC systems in buildings, and cogeneration systems. These systems generate both electricity and useful heat from a single energy source, significantly improving efficiency compared to conventional power generation methods. By integrating PCM slurries, these systems would be able to store excess heat and release it when needed, optimizing waste heat utilization, and making cogeneration a more cost-effective solution.