Industrial Efficiency Improvements

In a paper mill the wood pulp is bleached, refined, and compressed into a sheet that moves at high speed through the paper line to infrared dryer that are used to control moisture and enable coating for various products. Current infrared dryer technology is highly inefficient, due to a mismatch between the spectrum of radiant energy emitted by the infrared lamp and the wavelengths that paper can absorb; as a result most of the energy is transmitted through the paper sheet.

Creare has teamed with the Department of Energy and a major U.S. paper plant to develop a unique Back Surface Reflector (BSR) that captures transmitted energy and re-radiates it at wavelengths the paper sheet can readily absorb, increasing energy efficiency and reducing production costs. We have developed unique heat transfer models and completed testing in our laboratories and at the paper mill that demonstrated an efficiency improvement of 90% – enough energy saved in one month to power five households for one year. Currently, we are working with partners to commercialize our innovation.

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