Patent ID: 8523963

Claim:
An apparatus for heat treating a product within a manufacturing operation to which at least two different types of waste heat are accessible, comprising: (a) a vessel for receiving the product; (b) a first waste heat source of heat; (c) a first heat exchanger operatively connected to the vessel with the such first waste heat source provided to such first heat exchanger; (d) a second waste heat source of heat different in type from the first waste heat source; (e) a second heat exchanger operatively connect to the vessel with such second waste heat source provided to such second heat exchanger; (f) whereby predetermined amounts of heat content contained within the first waste heat source and second waste heat source are delivered to the vessel; (g) wherein the product is maintained within the vessel exposed to the combined first waste heat source and second waste heat source for a sufficient temperature and time duration to achieve the desired degree of heat treatment; (h) a sparging pipe operatively connected to the vessel for delivering a gaseous stream to the vessel during the heat treatment process to reduce the incidence of condensation within the vessel; and (i) wherein “waste heat source” means a gaseous or liquid stream having an elevated heat content resulting from an operation of a process or piece of equipment separate from the heat treatment apparatus, such gaseous or liquid stream being used for the secondary purpose of providing heat content to the heat exchanger instead of being discarded.