Targeting and design of water networks for fixed flowrate and fixed contaminant load operations

Water-using processes are typically modeled as either fixed flowrate operations or fixed contaminant load operations. A new method for targeting the minimum freshwater and pinch in a single-contaminant water network is proposed, which can be applied to both kinds of operations. The method consists of plotting separate source and demand composites with flowrate as the horizontal axis and contaminant load unusually as the vertical axis. It is elegant, non-iterative, and can handle hybrid problems where both kinds of operations coexist.To design minimum freshwater networks for fixed flowrate problems, an algorithm is presented based on a newly developed principle of nearest neighbors. The principle simply states that the source streams to be chosen to satisfy a particular water demand must be the nearest available neighbors in terms of contaminant concentration.To design minimum freshwater networks for fixed contaminant load problems, the nearest neighbors algorithm is applied to process units that lie across the pinch. Units that lie entirely on one side of the pinch are satisfied by the cleanest source available on that side of the pinch. In other words, below-pinch units are satisfied by freshwater and above-pinch units are satisfied by the cleanest available stream above the pinch. Designs based on this methodology, apart from meeting the minimum freshwater target, also minimize the water flowing through the process units resulting in reduced network capital cost.     

Hidden and pseudo pinch phenomena and relaxation in the synthesis of heat-exchange networks

Based on the pinch point method and a modification of the fast algorithm a new combined strategy is proposed for completing the synthesis of heat-exchange networks. To avoid the violation of minimum energy consumption and the assignment of overcomplicated structures, two new types of pinch situation (hidden and pseudo pinches) are distinguished and two new rules suggested. The total allowable heat load, determined iteratively, assures minimum energy consumption. The minimum heat load, as an arbitrary parameter, limits the exchangers' size and thus avoids the synthesis of overparcelled countercurrent cascades (too many, small, exchangers). The synthesis of heat-exchange networks is further improved by applying direct relaxation of the pinch principle (neglecting the pinch temperature) when the heating or cooling demand of the residue of a stream after a match is less than the minimum heat load. The structures and results of the computer program elaborated according to the new strategy proved to be quite reasonable for industrial problems.     

Synthesis of heat exchanger networks with minimum number of units for pinched problems

An algorithmic-evolutionary synthesis procedure is studied for generating the maximum energy recovery (MER) and minimum number of units (MNU) networks with the goal of achieving the global optimum network under pinch points. For pinched problems, sufficient conditions are proposed for determining the minimum number of units. These sufficient conditions, together with heuristic matching rules, are used to generate an initial feasible composite MNU/MER network. A split-merge network structure is introduced in order not to violate the prescribed minimum approach temperature. This initial network is successively evolved to obtain improved networks by limited heat load redistribution resulting from the pinch point. The properties and limitations of the constructions and procedures are established and the effectiveness of the heuristic procedure is illustrated with literature test problems.     

Unified targeting algorithm for diverse process integration problems of resource conservation networks

A single algorithm is developed to establish minimum resource targets for diverse process integration problems including those of heat/mass exchange, water, hydrogen, carbon emission and material reuse networks. Previous algorithms such as the problem table algorithm for heat exchange networks and the composite table algorithm for resource allocation networks are special cases of the newly proposed unified targeting algorithm (UTA). The conversion of streams to equivalent inlet-outlet (demand-source) pairs is shown to be a key basis for the unified approach. The tabular data from the UTA may be plotted to obtain the grand composite curve (GCC) or the limiting composite curve (LCC). These provide graphical representations of the net load deficit/surplus at various levels for resource targeting and pinch identification. For allocation networks with system loss/gain, the UTA with increasing level sort order yields the Deficit LCC to target the minimum resource, whereas the UTA with decreasing level sort order provides the Surplus LCC to target the minimum waste/excess. A single UTA calculation along with the use of fundamental overall system balance equations is sufficient to establish complete targets for a problem. Six practical case studies from diverse domains are presented to illustrate the detailed steps of the UTA.     

A novel graphical method for the integration of hydrogen distribution systems with purification reuse

Increase in refining demand and tighter environmental regulations have led to sharp increases in hydrogen consumption of oil refineries. Hydrogen conservation and effective use are of interest to refineries whose operations and profitability are constrained by hydrogen. Purification is widely used in hydrogen networks of refineries to reduce hydrogen production load. To minimize hydrogen utility consumption, it is necessary to optimize the hydrogen network with purification as a whole. In this paper, for hydrogen purification process, a triangle rule (which can be generalized to polygon rule) is proposed for graphical representation of its mass balance. The proposed procedure treats the product concentration and recovery rate of the purification process as adjustable parameters. An ensuing graphical method is developed for targeting the pinch point and minimum utility consumption of the hydrogen system with purification reuse. This graphical method can be used for any purification devices and in systems with any utility concentration. A refinery case is studied to demonstrate the optimization method.     

有阈值问题的换热网络三温差设计法

根据换热网络多温差设计法所依据的热力学原理及门槛问题的性质特点首次对此问题的多温差设计法作了研究，将其划分为“夹点型”门槛问题和“非夹点型”门槛问题二大类，并作了相 应的定义，确定了适应的设计方法。     

Gas Turbine Direct Integration in the Context of Pinch Technology

Gas‐turbine‐based cogeneration systems have been widely used in different applications in recent years. Although the most common method of using gas turbine exhaust energy is through the generation of steam in a heat recovery boiler, there are some applications where the exhaust energy has been directly used for drying or process fluid heating. In this work, direct integration of a gas turbine with a process was fully investigated in the context of pinch technology. This investigation includes simple gas turbine and gas turbines equipped with recuperator and afterburner. It was found that the best thermodynamic efficiency in a direct gas turbine system is achieved when two conditions are met: first, turbine inlet temperature is maximized, second, optimum pressure ratio is that which yields the maximum specific network. Two total cost optimization methods were also introduced. The first method is based on the assumption that power produced equates to power demand. In the second approach the power export opportunity was also considered. Finally, illustrative examples have been presented to show how approaches can be applied in practice.     

Performance of a Pinch Analysis for the Process of Recovery of Ethanol from Fermentation

The objectives of the project reported here were to perform an energy analysis for the process of the recovery of ethanol from fermentation broths by catalytic conversion to gasoline and to conduct a pinch analysis to obtain a new heat exchanger network, and thus, reduce the utility costs. A minimum temperature difference of 10 °C was used. A temperature interval diagram and cascade diagram were drawn to identify the pinch points and four such points were observed. New heat exchanger networks were formulated from this information. The least number of heat exchangers for the different networks created was 19, whereas the original process had 9. The cost of utilities was the same for both systems. Therefore, it was concluded that the implementation of this system in the Caribbean could be expensive since in the first instance, ethanol is not particularly plentiful. Secondly, electricity and water costs are expensive in the Caribbean compared to other countries in America, such that any effort in reducing CO₂ emissions by using ethanol would not be feasible.     

柴油加氢装置过程模拟与节能研究

针对某炼油厂处理量为3.5 Mt/a的柴油加氢装置,应用Aspen Plus流程模拟软件建立了装置的数学模型,计算得出了与现场标定数据比较吻合的模拟结果。根据计算结果,利用夹点技术对其换热网络进行节能分析与改造。首先以夹点温差为20℃,确定换热网络能量目标。该装置换热网络的夹点温度为95.4℃,最小热公用工程量为5 085.7 kW,最小冷公用工程量为20 613.9 kW,与现有换热网络热公用工程13 870.8 kW相比,存在8 785.1 kW的节能潜力。然后消除违背夹点规则的不合理换热匹配,进一步优化,并提出了改造方案。该方案新增7台换热器,可节约热公用工程8 450.5 kW,约降低了60.9%的能耗,取得了良好的节能效果。回收期为0.67年。     

Synthesis of multipass heat exchanger networks based on pinch technology

The multipass heat exchanger is the most common type of heat transfer equipment used in heat exchanger networks (HENs) by the chemical process industries. There are many methods that have been proposed for the synthesis of HENs with multipass heat exchangers, which are mostly derived from the FT design method. In this paper, an alternative new method to synthesis multipass HENs is presented based on the classical pinch technology. In the multipass heat exchanger, both countercurrent and co-current flow are involved. For the co-current flow, composite curves and problem tables are modified, and compared with that of the countercurrent flow. A proper minimum temperature difference is also selected considering the energy-capital cost trade-offs, and then a multipass HEN is synthesized. Results of the case study demonstrate that the new approach meets operating requirements and minimizes the total cost successfully.     

Performance optimization of solar multi-stage flash desalination process using Pinch technology

This paper presents a performance optimization of solar multi-stage flash (MSF) desalination process using Pinch technology. Three different situations were studied by using pinch analysis in this paper, respectively. Firstly, the distilled water is not discharged in each middle stage. Secondly, the distilled water is discharged in each stage. Thirdly, the distilled water is discharged every 5 stages. Pinch charts at different situations are given. At the same stage temperature difference (2 k) and pinch point temperature difference (2 k), the first situation has a higher gain output rate (GOR), about 17.5, and the second and third have lower GOR, around 9. However, GOR is easily influenced by abnormal stage temperature difference at the first situation, and but not in the second and third. The GOR rests on the working temperature range of MSF and the sum of both the maximum stage temperature difference and pinch point temperature difference. To enhance the GOR, it is suggested that we should use the wide working temperature range of MSF, not pumped out the distilled water at middle stages, and keep the same stage temperature difference without fluctuate.     

基于最佳ΔTmin的催化裂化装置低温余热回收网络设计

为使石化企业大量的低温余热得到充分利用,以某12万t/a加工重油的催化裂化中试装置单元存在的低温余热作为研究对象,采用问题表格法讨论了该系统最小传热温差ΔTmin对最小公用工程加热负荷QH,min的影响,得到最佳的ΔTmin为15℃,在此ΔTmin下,该过程最小公用工程加热负荷QH,min为409 364.10 kW,所需的最小公用工程冷却负荷QC,min为163 763.95kW。介绍了夹点技术,换热网络设计采用夹点之上的设计和夹点之下2步分别优化,并得到最终的综合换热网络。     

夹点技术在重芳烃分离装置节能改造中的应用

使用夹点技术对某重芳烃分离装置现行的换热网络进行分析优化,以夹点温差16℃,找出该装置换热网络的夹点平均温度159.5℃,其中夹点处的热流温度为167.5℃,冷物流温度为151.5℃。计算得到装置节能潜力336.6×104kJ/h。结合该装置现行的换热网络提出了2套换热网络优化改造方案,通过2套方案的比较和可行性分析,最终确立所选方案,该方案可实现节能14.0%,节能效果显著。     

Inversion Temperature and Pinch Analysis,Ways to Thermally Optimize Drying Processes

This work studies the compatibility and suitability of a combined inversion temperature and pinch analysis with the process selection for air and superheated steam spray drying of milk solids. The inversion temperature is a good starting point for an energy analysis because it is a simplified rate-based approach to comparing the steam and air drying systems. pinch analysis enables process integration, at least on a heat recovery and heat exchanger network level.

The resulting inversion temperature for the studied system was estimated as 182°C for the dryer inlet temperature. However, mass and energy balances showed that a minimum inlet temperature for spray drying of 184°C was required for the superheated steam dryer in order to ensure that the outlet solids temperature above the dew point temperature.

The inversion temperature is still very relevant in the early stages of a design process because it allows a quick assessment of which drying medium should result in a smaller dryer. It was evident that the steam system is better from an energy perspective because of the recoverable latent heat of the water vapor carried out of the dryer with the recycled steam. The steam system has between 82 and 92% of thermal energy recovery potential as condensable steam, compared with 13–30% energy recovery of the air system. However, other important design and operational factors are not discussed here in detail.

Combining the inversion temperature and pinch analysis suggests that superheated steam drying both gives better energy recovery and is likely to give smaller dryers for all operational conditions.     

Exergoeconomic Analysis of Heat Exchanger Networks for Optimum Minimum Approach Temperature

Heat exchanger networks (HENs) design for optimum minimum approach temperature is presented using exergoeconomic analysis. Cold and hot utilities are integrated with process streams into T‐H plots, forming balanced composite curves, based on pinch technology. Exergy consumption of heat transfer in HENs is calculated using subsection integral on balanced composite curves. Exergy consumption expense substitutes utilities cost as operating cost. The objective function based on exergoeconomics is proposed, which determines the optimum minimum approach temperature of HENs. Numerical results in the cases demonstrate the validity of the proposed approach. Some measures of decreasing energy consumption are disclosed in the dealing process as well.     

水夹点分析与数学规划法相结合的用水网络优化设计

提出了水夹点分析和数学规划法相结合的用水网络最优设计法。水夹点分析基于对过程用水的理解,获得新鲜水用量目标并给出用水网络设计的基本规则。在此基础上建立过程使用新鲜水、排放废水和回用的各种可能匹配方案的用水网络超结构及其MINLP模型。既避免了用水夹点综合设计用水网络得不到真正意义上的最优解,又在一定程度上防止超结构规模过大,MINLP维数太高,求解困难。采用通用代数建模系统GAMS得到用水网络最优设计方案。文献中的应用实例表明,本文所提方法可充分发挥水夹点分析确定新鲜水用量或回用结构的简洁实用性和超结构MINLP寻求最佳方案的优点。     

An area targeting algorithm for the synthesis of heat exchanger networks

A new algorithm for the prediction of area requirements in heat exchanger networks (HEN) is presented. The method uses a diverse pinch diagram as a basis, similar to the one suggested by Rev and Fonyo (Chemical Engineering Science, 46 (7), 1623). A numerical application for a problem involving streams with significant differences in their heat transfer coefficient values is included to show how the proposed algorithm provides better estimates for minimum area requirements in HEN than the widely-used Bath formula and the algorithm by Rev and Fonyo.     

Non-pinched, minimum energy distillation designs

Non-pinched, minimum energy solutions are important class of distillation designs that offer the potential advantage of a better trade-off between capital investment and operating costs. In this paper, two important tasks associated with non-pinched distillation designs are studied. Thus the novel contributions of this work to the literature are

(1) A comprehensive methodology for finding non-pinched minimum energy designs.

(2) Understanding of the reasons for the existence of non-pinched distillation designs.

It is shown that the recent shortest stripping line distance approach of Lucia et al. [Lucia, A., Amale, A. and Taylor, R., 2007, Distillation pinch points and more. Comput Chem Eng, available on-line] is capable of systematically and reliably finding non-pinched, minimum energy distillation designs. In addition, we provide an understanding of the reasons behind the existence of non-pinched designs, which include trajectories that follow unstable branches of a pinch point curve in azeotropic systems, the inherent looping structure of trajectories in hydrocarbon separations, and the presence of ancillary constraints in multi-unit processes like extraction/distillation. Several distillation examples are studied and many numerical results and geometric illustrations are presented that show the shortest stripping line distance methodology is indeed a powerful and systematic tool for computing non-pinched, minimum energy designs and that support the underlying reason we provide for the existence of non-pinched designs.     

Graphical approach to minimum flowrate targeting for partitioning water pretreatment units

Pretreatment is often necessary when the fresh water available to industrial plants is impure, and when some processes are particularly sensitive to contaminants. Partitioning processes such as membrane separation units are often used for such applications. However, the use of pretreatment units adds to capital and operating costs for a water system. Hence, it is of interest to develop design procedures to minimize the cost for such system. This work presents a graphical pinch analysis approach for targeting minimum flowrate of partitioning water pretreatment systems in single component problem. The approach determines how product and reject streams from the treatment unit can be allocated, along with bypassed freshwater, to satisfy multiple process sinks with their respective flowrate and purity requirements. Hypothetical case studies are presented to illustrate the approach, and generalized design principles based on pinch analysis heuristics are drawn from the examples.     

Integrating expanders into heat exchanger networks above ambient temperature

The integration of expanders into heat exchanger networks (HENs) is a complex task since both heat and work are involved. In addition, the role of streams (as hot or cold), the utility demand, and the location of pinch points may change. With certain well‐defined conditions, four theorems are proposed for the integration of expanders into HENs above ambient temperature with the objective of minimizing exergy consumption. A straightforward graphical methodology for above ambient HENs design including expanders is developed on the basis of Grand Composite Curves (GCCs). It is concluded that to achieve a design with minimum exergy consumption, stream splitting may be applied and expansion should be done at pinch temperatures, hot utility temperature, or ambient temperature. In the majority of cases, however, and in line with the concept of Appropriate Placement from Pinch Analysis, expansion at pinch temperatures gives the minimum exergy consumption. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 61: 3404–3422, 2015