While it has been long recognized that the reclamation of heat from the
waste gases of various industrial processes would lead to a great saving
in fuel and labor, the problem has, until recently, never been given the
attention that its importance merits. It is true that installations have
been made for the utilization of such gases, but in general they have
consisted simply in the placing of a given amount of boiler heating
surface in the path of the gases and those making the installations have
been satisfied with whatever power has been generated, no attention
being given to the proportioning of either the heating surface or the
gas passages to meet the peculiar characteristics of the particular
class of waste gas available. The Babcock & Wilcox Co. has recently gone
into the question of the utilization of what has been known as waste
heat with great thoroughness, and the results secured by their
installations with practically all operations yielding such gases are
eminently successful.