What does the term "heat recovery" refer to?

The term "heat recovery" specifically refers to the process of capturing and reusing waste heat generated from industrial processes, exhaust systems, or any mechanical systems that produce heat as a byproduct. This involves transferring the recovered heat to other processes or systems where it can be utilized to preheat incoming fluids, generate steam, or even to improve the overall energy efficiency of a plant. By implementing heat recovery methods, facilities can significantly reduce energy consumption and lower operating costs, as it maximizes the utilization of existing energy resources rather than relying solely on additional fuel sources.

While other options mention related concepts, they do not accurately define "heat recovery." For instance, increasing the temperature of incoming fluids or reducing fuel consumption can be outcomes of effective heat recovery practices, but they do not encapsulate the core idea of capturing waste heat for reuse. Similarly, monitoring the pressure in the boiler is a vital operation in system management but is unrelated to the heat recovery concept itself. Therefore, the definition of heat recovery aligns most closely with the capture and reuse of waste heat from processes or systems.