What to Measure Before Using Waste Heat as an Industrial Heat Pump Source
8 November 2026
A factory may have a warm cooling-water return or a process stream that currently rejects heat. The first question for an industrial heat pump project is how much heat can be recovered at a practical connection point without disrupting the process that produces it.
Measure where the recovery equipment would connect
Identify the proposed take-off and return points on a piping sketch. Measure the temperature and flow at the proposed take-off point, and note whether bypasses or other branches can change what reaches it. A temperature recorded at the process outlet may differ from the temperature available after mixing in a common return line.
Where readings vary, share the typical range and identify the operating conditions behind the highest and lowest values. A temperature and flow recorded at the same time are more useful than two peak readings taken under different conditions.
Find out how far the stream can be cooled
The source inlet temperature is only half of the picture. The process owner should confirm the lowest acceptable temperature after heat extraction and any limits on flow or pressure drop.
For a liquid stream, a first estimate of recoverable heat uses the flow rate, the fluid’s specific heat and the permitted temperature drop. A warm stream with a small allowable temperature drop can provide less usable heat than its inlet temperature suggests. This estimate describes the heat available from the stream; it does not establish the heating capacity of a selected heat pump.
Identify what is in the fluid
State whether the source is clean water, a water-glycol mixture or another process fluid. Where relevant, include the glycol concentration and any known solids, oils or corrosive constituents. Also note whether the source circuit can be interrupted for cleaning and whether a separate heat exchanger is needed to isolate it from the heat pump circuit.
If an intermediate heat exchanger is needed, assess the temperature available on the heat pump side of that exchanger. Allow for the temperature difference needed to transfer heat across it. The original process stream temperature should not be carried over unchanged into the equipment selection.
Keep the source and the required output separate
The source measurements describe where heat comes from. The process requirement describes where it must go. Leomon’s 90°C series supplies hot water; its 120°C and 150°C series supply steam. Whether a particular waste heat stream can support any of these outputs depends on the proposed configuration and the confirmed operating conditions on both sides.
Send a sketch with the measurements
For an initial review, send the piping sketch, fluid description, measured inlet temperature and flow, minimum allowable return temperature, and required process output. Flag any values that are estimates. This gives the engineering team a clear starting point for assessing the source connection and identifying what still needs to be measured before equipment is selected.